New estimates of health insurance coverage were released in a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2005, 41.2 million people--14.2% of the U.S. population--were without health insurance, down from 15.4% in 1997, according to the National Health Interview Survey of 98,300 residents. In the same time period, children experienced the greatest increase in coverage with only 8.9% without insurance in 2005 compared with 13.9% in 1997. But for at least part of 2005, over 56% of currently unemployed adults and over 21% of employed adults went without insurance. Hispanics were the most likely to be uninsured--one-third had no insurance at the time of the survey’s interview--as were young adults age 18 to 24 (28.7%). Insurance coverage varied widely among the 20 largest states, from 6.5% in Massachusetts to 24.6% in Texas. The survey found that 70% of adults and 62% of children were covered with private health insurance.
