Age- and state-specific prevalence estimates of insured and uninsured persons--United States, 1995-1996.

Lack of health insurance has been associated with delayed health care and increased mortality. Underinsurance (i.e., the inability to pay out-of-pocket expenses despite having insurance) also may result in adverse health consequences. Insurance coverage varies with age and locality, but state-specific estimates of insurance status by age are not regularly published. To characterize insurance coverage status by age, CDC analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 1995-1996. Because persons aged 55-64 years are not yet eligible for Medicare, may be in fair or poor health, risk eroding retirement savings if they incur major medical expenses, and must pay high individual health premiums, characteristics of uninsured persons aged 55-64 years also were examined. This report summarizes the results of the analysis and indicates that a substantial proportion of all adults are either uninsured or underinsured.