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eriu: Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured Initiating and disemminating research to spark new policy discussion on health coverage issues.
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Counting the Uninsured by Reference Period
All Year
Ever in Year
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MEPS
SIPP
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Comparison Tables
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Medical Utilization and
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Notes on Data Sources
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CPS
MEPS
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Data Dictionary
 

Facts to Consider

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More than half of all uninsured adults have no more than a high school diploma as their highest level of education, and the share among immigrants is almost three in four.

  • Among uninsured adults born in the US, 56.3 percent have a high school diploma as their highest level of education; 16.5 percent have not completed high school and 39.8 percent have a high school diploma.
  • Among uninsured adults born outside the US, 73.7 percent have at most a high school diploma; 46.8 percent have not completed high school and 26.9 percent have a high school diploma.

These statistics about ethnicity and educational attainment among the uninsured come from the Current Population Survey (CPS) for 2005, found in this table.

This is an example of what is available in ERIU's "fast facts" about the uninsured. While statistics about what share of the uninsured are immigrants and what share have less than a high school education are available elsewhere, ERIU's "fast facts" are unique in offering "next level" tabulations of characteristics of the uninsured, looking at characteristics within groups. Among the uninsured born outside the US, what share have a college degree or more? (Answer: 13.2 percent) What about race and ethnicity? What share of uninsured foreign born Hispanics have not completed high school? (Answer: 59.4 percent)

ERIU's more detailed "second level" looks at the uninsured include tables on education level, income, and family status for uninsured immigrants, children, adults, and workers. Data are available for different reference periods (all year, part year, point in time), and for different data sources (Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP in addition to CPS).

For more on ERIU's "fast facts": ERIU Fast Facts