Thursday, September 16, 2004
Putting a number on the uninsured
[Kenneth Daniel, "How Many Uninsured Are There?," KsSmallBiz.com, 15 September 2004.]
Kansas Health readers should certainly be familiar with varying interpretations of the number of uninsured in the U.S. Ken Daniel points out some problems with some of the major ways of determining that number in this recent column:
In August 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing that the number of people in America without health insurance rose to 45 million in 2003, 1.4 million more than in 2002. The data upon which this report was based showed 294,000 Kansans under 65 without insurance.
The report may overstate the number of uninsured. Last year’s version of the report shows that in Kansas in 2002 there were 235,030 uninsured adults under 65. Another survey and report based on data by the Centers for Disease Control shows the number as 213,068. If the CDC survey is correct, the Census Bureau statistics are overstated by 22,000. Nonetheless, the Census Bureau report is by far the most extensive and detailed survey on the uninsured, and it has been done since 1987.
In contrast, a report released in June by Families USA pegged the number at 81.8 million. This report showed 624,000 Kansans under 65 without insurance.
Which of the reports is correct?
The Census Bureau survey questions whether the respondent was insured in 2003, but doesn’t ask how for how long. A 2003 study by the Congressional Budget Office concludes that the number of uninsured, as determined by the survey, represents the number of people who were uninsured on a given day and not the number that were uninsured all year.
The Families USA report is titled “One in Three: Non-Elderly Americans Without Health Insurance, 2002-2003”. This is extremely misleading. If, based upon the title of the report, one assumes that one-third of Americans under 65 are uninsured, one would be very wrong. The statistics represent the number of people who said they were uninsured at any time during 2002 or 2003. In other words, if the surveyed person thinks they were uninsured for even one day during the two years, they are part of the “one in three”.
One problem with the annual surveys is that they don’t ask whether the respondent is insured right now, it asks about the preceding year or years. Respondents can easily be wrong about when they were uninsured. Another problem is that those insured under Medicaid, Medicare or military health benefits tend to say they were uninsured even though they are.
[Matthew Hisrich, "No Crisis Ahead for Uninsured," Letter to the Editor, The Wichita Eagle, 30 June 2004.]
[Kenneth Daniel, "How Many Uninsured Are There?," KsSmallBiz.com, 15 September 2004.]
Kansas Health readers should certainly be familiar with varying interpretations of the number of uninsured in the U.S. Ken Daniel points out some problems with some of the major ways of determining that number in this recent column:
In August 2004, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing that the number of people in America without health insurance rose to 45 million in 2003, 1.4 million more than in 2002. The data upon which this report was based showed 294,000 Kansans under 65 without insurance.
The report may overstate the number of uninsured. Last year’s version of the report shows that in Kansas in 2002 there were 235,030 uninsured adults under 65. Another survey and report based on data by the Centers for Disease Control shows the number as 213,068. If the CDC survey is correct, the Census Bureau statistics are overstated by 22,000. Nonetheless, the Census Bureau report is by far the most extensive and detailed survey on the uninsured, and it has been done since 1987.
In contrast, a report released in June by Families USA pegged the number at 81.8 million. This report showed 624,000 Kansans under 65 without insurance.
Which of the reports is correct?
The Census Bureau survey questions whether the respondent was insured in 2003, but doesn’t ask how for how long. A 2003 study by the Congressional Budget Office concludes that the number of uninsured, as determined by the survey, represents the number of people who were uninsured on a given day and not the number that were uninsured all year.
The Families USA report is titled “One in Three: Non-Elderly Americans Without Health Insurance, 2002-2003”. This is extremely misleading. If, based upon the title of the report, one assumes that one-third of Americans under 65 are uninsured, one would be very wrong. The statistics represent the number of people who said they were uninsured at any time during 2002 or 2003. In other words, if the surveyed person thinks they were uninsured for even one day during the two years, they are part of the “one in three”.
One problem with the annual surveys is that they don’t ask whether the respondent is insured right now, it asks about the preceding year or years. Respondents can easily be wrong about when they were uninsured. Another problem is that those insured under Medicaid, Medicare or military health benefits tend to say they were uninsured even though they are.
[Matthew Hisrich, "No Crisis Ahead for Uninsured," Letter to the Editor, The Wichita Eagle, 30 June 2004.]
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