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eriu: Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured Initiating and disemminating research to spark new policy discussion on health coverage issues.
2004 All Year Data 2004 Point in Time Data 2004 Ever During Year Data 2003 All Year Data 2003 Point in Time Data 2003 Ever During Year Data 2002 All Year Data 2002 Point in Time Data 2002 Ever During Year Data Earlier Years  
Fast Facts
 
   
Facts to Consider
 
 
Counting the Uninsured by Reference Period
All Year
Ever in Year
Point in Time
By Data Source
CPS
MEPS
SIPP
By Population
Total Non-Elderly
Adults
Children
Workers
Immigrants
By Additional Characteristics

Income
Education Level
Family Composition

Comparison Tables
CPS-SIPP
CPS-MEPS
Medical Utilization and
Expenditures Tables
 
Notes on Data Sources
and Variables
CPS
MEPS
SIPP
Data Dictionary
 
Table 15 - MEPS
Medical Utilization and Expenditures of the Uninsured: Workers
Calendar Year 2003 - Uninsured All Year
Characteristic
Population (Millions)
Distribution of Population
Uninsured (Millions)
Distribution of Uninsured
Percent Uninsured by Category
TOTAL POPULATION
117.3
100.0%
27.1
100.0%
23.1%
TOTAL HEALTH CARE SPENDING
None
18.4
15.7%
9.2
33.9%
49.9%
$1-100
6.9
5.8%
2.6
9.5%
37.6%
$100-250
11.1
9.5%
3.0
10.9%
26.7%
$250-500
13.2
11.3%
2.7
10.0%
20.4%
$500-1000
17.3
14.7%
3.5
12.9%
20.3%
$1000-2500
22.7
19.4%
3.0
11.2%
13.3%
$2,500-$5,000
14.1
12.0%
1.5
5.7%
11.0%
More than $5,000
13.7
11.7%
1.6
5.9%
11.6%
 
SELF/OUT OF POCKET SPENDING
None
22.9
19.5%
10.2
37.5%
44.4%
$1-100
22.2
18.9%
4.8
17.6%
21.6%
$100-250
19.5
16.6%
3.6
13.2%
18.4%
$250-500
18.4
15.7%
3.1
11.3%
16.7%
$500-1000
17.8
15.2%
2.6
9.6%
14.6%
$1000-2500
12.8
11.0%
2.1
7.6%
16.1%
More than $2500
3.7
3.2%
0.8
3.1%
22.7%
 
HOSPITAL SPENDING*
None
110.9
94.5%
26.0
96.0%
23.4%
$1-2,500
1.2
1.0%
0.3
1.2%
28.1%
$2,500-5,000
1.6
1.4%
0.3
1.1%
18.2%
$5,000-10,000
1.7
1.5%
0.3
1.1%
17.2%
$10,000-50,000
1.7
1.5%
0.1
0.5%
8.1%
 
AMBULATORY VISITS
None
33.9
28.9%
13.3
49.2%
39.3%
1-2
30.9
26.3%
6.6
24.2%
21.2%
3-5
22.1
18.9%
3.4
12.5%
15.3%
6 or more
30.4
25.9%
3.8
14.1%
12.6%
 
ER/ED VISITS
None
103.1
87.9%
23.5
86.6%
22.8%
1
11.7
10.0%
2.9
10.5%
24.4%
2 or more
2.5
2.1%
0.8
2.8%
30.9%
 
HOSPITAL DISCHARGES
None
110.8
94.5%
25.9
95.6%
23.4%
1
5.6
4.8%
1.1
3.9%
18.8%
2 or more
0.9
0.8%
0.1
0.5%
14.2%
           
* Annual hospital expenditures are below $50,000 for virtually all (99.8 percent or more) of the total population and the population of uninsured persons.
 

These estimates are based on ERIU tabulations of 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data collected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The MEPS employs an overlapping panel design and collects data on two calendar years for each respondent. The tabulations reported here are based on responses to interview Rounds 3, 4, and 5 of Panel 7 and Rounds 1, 2, and 3 of Panel 8, which cover calendar year 2003 for both panels. Coverage status is obtained at the initial interview. At each subsequent interview, respondents are asked about whether their coverage has changed since the last interview and, if so, how and when. Respondents report whether they were covered by any public or private source of health insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, TRICARE/CHAMPUS, other public coverage, employment-based private, other private health insurance). Respondents are considered uninsured if they respond “no” to all of the coverage options; they are not asked directly if they are uninsured. A person may gain or lose coverage during a year and these data permit estimates of the number lacking coverage at a particular point in time, at some time during the year, and throughout the entire year. We label those who are without health insurance for the entire year as “all-year uninsured,” and those without health insurance for at least one month and up to twelve months as “ever uninsured.” The “point-in-time uninsured” estimates include those without coverage in the first round of the calendar year (Round 3 for those who entered the survey in 2002 and Round 1 for those who entered the survey in 2003).

For further discussion of issues related to counting the uninsured see "Counting and Characterizing the Uninsured," (Adobe PDF) by Pamela Farley Short, and ERIU Research Highlight 1: A Revolving Door: How Individuals Move In and Out of Health Insurance Coverage (Adobe PDF)

Notes on MEPS Data Source and Variables (PDF)