Men make up the majority of non-elderly adults in the United States who lack health insurance, according to an analysis of the 2009 March Current Population Survey.
The study shows that men stand to gain the most from health insurance reform, as there are 4 million more uninsured men than women in the United States.
"This disparity in health insurance between men and women is a serious problem for families," said Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for Women's Policy Research. "Men are often bread-winners for their families, and family members often depend on them for access to health insurance."
The information, released by the IWPR and the Center for Economic Policy Research, shows that one in five men ages 18-64 – about 21.2 million – are uninsured. This compares to 17.2 million women in the same age group.
The gap in coverage is consistent across demographic groups. Those most likely to lack health insurance are younger, unmarried men. In general, they are less likely to have health insurance than women at every age range.
Data show that married men lack health insurance more often than married women before the age of 65. About 18 percent of married men between the ages of 26 and 34 lack insurance.