Uninsured Growth

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2003 | US Census | 8.26.04

• Press Release
• Report (PDF)
• Highlights
  1. The number of people with health insurance coverage increased by 1.0 million in 2003, to 243.3 million (84.4 percent of the population).
  2. An estimated 15.6 percent of the population, or 45.0 million people, were without health insurance coverage in 2003, up from 15.2 percent and 43.6 million people in 2002.
  3. The percentage and number of people covered by employment-based health insurance fell between 2002 and 2003, from 61.3 percent and 175.3 million to 60.4 percent and 174.0 million.
  4. The percentage and number of people covered by government health insurance programs increased between 2002 and 2003, from 25.7 percent and 73.6 million to 26.6 percent and 76.8 million, driven by increases in the percentage and number of people covered by Medicaid (from 11.6 percent and 33.2 million to 12.4 percent and 35.6 million) and Medicare (from 13.4 percent and 38.4 million to 13.7 percent and 39.5 million).
  5. The proportion of children who were without health insurance did not change, remaining at 11.4 percent of all children, or 8.4 million, in 2003. With an uninsured rate at 19.2 percent, children in poverty were more likely to be uninsured than all children.