September 16, 2014: The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released health insurance coverage estimates for January through March of 2014 from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the estimates indicate widespread coverage gains.
These estimates are the first federal survey estimates available for 2014. The following are selected highlights from the report.
In the first three months of 2014:
- The percent of people of all ages who were uninsured at the time of the survey fell to 13.1 percent (41.0 million), from 14.4 percent (44.8 million) in 2013.
- The percent of non-elderly adults (18 to 64 years) who were uninsured at the time of the survey fell to 18.4 percent (35.8 million), from 20.4 percent in 2013.
- The percent of young adults (19 to 25 years) who were uninsured at the time of the survey fell to 20.9 percent (6.3 million), from 26.5 percent in 2013.
- Non-elderly adults (18 to 64 years) in Medicaid expansion states were less likely to be uninsured than their counterparts in non-expansion states: In expansion states, uninsurance among non-elderly adults dropped to 15.7 percent in the first three months of 2014, from 18.4 percent in 2013. In non-expansion states, there was no significant corresponding decrease.
The full NCHS report also provides estimates by coverage type (public vs. private), income, demographic characteristics, geographic region, state marketplace type, and state Medicaid expansion status. For its 2014 coverage estimates, the NHIS uses new questions about marketplace-based coverage. For a description of how the NHIS classifies individuals’ coverage as public or private based on their answers to these new questions, read the survey’s “Procedures for Classifying Exchange-Based Coverage.”