WEDNESDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- In 2009, 15.4 percent of Americans did not have health insurance, according to a report released June 16 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
The report includes figures from the 2009 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which revealed that, among the 20 largest states, the percentage of individuals who were uninsured at the time of the interview ranged from 3.7 percent in Massachusetts to 24.6 percent in Texas. Also, 46.3 million individuals were uninsured at the time of being interviewed, with 58.5 million (19.4 percent) being uninsured for at least part of the year before the interview and 32.8 million (10.9 percent) having been uninsured for more than a year.
According to the report, the percentage of individuals between 18 and 64 years of age who lacked coverage increased from 19.7 percent in 2008 to 21.1 percent in 2009. In addition, the percentage of individuals between 18 and 64 years of age who lacked private insurance coverage decreased from 68.1 to 65.8 percent. The report also revealed that 22.4 percent of individuals under 65 with private health insurance had a high deductible health plan (HDHP) in 2009. Nearly 50 percent of individuals with private insurance from sources other than employment were enrolled in an HDHP.
"Based on data from the January to September 2009 NHIS, Hispanic persons were more likely than non-Hispanic white persons, non-Hispanic black persons, and non-Hispanic Asian persons to be uninsured at the time of interview, to have been uninsured for at least part of the past 12 months, and to have been uninsured for more than a year," according to the report.
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