Health Insurance for Children Improved in 2005; Overall Coverage Varies by State

For Immediate Release: June 21, 2006

Contact: CDC National Center for Health Statistics Press Office (301) 458-4800

Health Insurance Coverage: Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2005 [PDF – 353 KB]

Early Release of Selected Estimates Based on Data From the 2005 National Health Interview Survey

New estimates of health insurance coverage and other major indicators of health and health care were released today in two new reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition to health insurance, the reports present the latest data on health habits, such as smoking, preventive health care including immunizations, and prevalence of diabetes, asthma, and psychological distress.

Highlights of the reports include:

In 2005, 41.2 million persons of all ages (14.2 percent) were currently without health insurance, down from 15.4 percent in 1997.
In the same time period, children experienced the greatest increase in coverage with only 8.9 percent without insurance in 2005 compared with 13.9 percent in 1997.
Insurance coverage varied widely among the 20 states for which data are now available, from 6 percent without health insurance in Massachusetts to over 24 percent lacking health insurance in Texas.
Both diagnosed diabetes and asthma are on the rise, up to 7.4 percent and 7.8 percent of the population respectively.
The 2005 estimates of influenza vaccinations reflected the shortage that occurred during the 2004-05 flu season, but rates for those 65 years of age or older rebounded quicker than for other age groups.

The reports, which are produced on a fast track by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics to speed the release of major findings, are available on the NCHS website.