The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday that 42.5 million U.S. residents of all ages were uninsured in the first half of 2007. There was no significant change in the percentage of people uninsured between this survey and the one conducted last year, CDC said.
The results were part of CDC's quarterly National Health Interview Survey and based on 41,823 interviews surveying insurance status of U.S. residents between January and June 2007.
The study revealed that unemployment continues to play a part in who is uninsured. Almost 52 percent of unemployed adults reported being uninsured for part of the past year compared to 22 percent of employed adults reporting they were uninsured for part of 2007. Thirty-three percent of the unemployed in the 2007 survey reported they had been uninsured for more than a year.
Working-age adults reported uninsured rates twice that of children under the age of 18.
CDC reports that 8.6 percent of children under age 18 were uninsured at survey time. Uninsured rates for children have not changed significantly over last year, CDC reported, with uninsured rates dropping from 13 percent in 2006 to 12.3 percent in the 2007 survey. The percentage of children reported uninsured during the second half of 2007 decreased from 18.1 percent in 1997 to 12.3 percent in 2007. Since 2002, the percentage of children uninsured for more than a year has remained relatively steady, CDC reported.
In related news, a memo released Monday by the Congressional Budget Office said Congress would need to pass an additional $1.4 billion to maintain the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) over and above the current $5 billion proposed for 2008. CBO said it based its estimates on currently projected levels of enrollment for 2008. With the SCHP funding bill failing to pass President Bush's approval in October, the program runs on temporary funding to end Dec. 14. CBO's memo said the first states to run dry of funding will begin in March, if a new funding bill isn't passed.