Uninsured adults with chronic conditions or disabilities: gaps in public insurance programs.
Among nonelderly U.S. adults (ages 25-61), uninsurance rates increased from 13.7 percent in 2000 to 16.0 percent in 2005. Despite the existence of public insurance programs, rates remained high for low-income people reporting serious health conditions (25 percent across years) or disabilities (15 percent). Residents of southern states had even higher rates (32 percent with health conditions, 22 percent with disabilities). Those who did not belong to a federally mandated Medicaid eligibility category were about twice as likely as others to be uninsured overall, and uninsurance among this group increased more rapidly over time. These regional and categorical differences reflect gaps in current policy that pose challenges for incremental health reform.
US Department of Veterans Affairs in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Pizer@bu.edu
Steven D
SD
Pizer
Austin B
AB
Frakt
Lisa I
LI
Iezzoni
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008483:Medical Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult