Order Code 96-979 EPW
Updated September 8, 2006
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Health Insurance: Uninsured by State, 2005
Chris L. Peterson
Specialist in Social Legislation
Domestic Science Policy Division
Summary
An estimated 15.9% of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population lacked health
insurance coverage in 2005. When examined by state, estimates of the percentage
uninsured ranged from a low of 8.4% in Minnesota to a high of 24.2% in Texas.
Generally, states in the Midwest and New England have lower rates of uninsured, while
states in the southern portion of the nation have higher shares of their populations
without coverage.
These state-level estimates are based on the March 2006 Current Population Survey
(CPS) and must be interpreted with caution because they are based on a sample of the
population. When sampling variation is taken into account, the uninsured rate in 13
states is not different statistically from the uninsured rate nationwide. The uninsured
rate is statistically lower than the national rate in 27 states and the District of Columbia,
and statistically higher in the remaining 10 states. In addition to estimates of
uninsurance, this report also presents state-level estimates of people’s coverage through
private health insurance and public health insurance.
This report will be updated every fall, when new data become available.
Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage by State
An estimated 15.9% of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population lacked health
insurance coverage in 2005. Table 1 shows that the estimated percentage of each state’s
population that lacked health insurance coverage in 2005 ranged from a low of 8.4% in
Minnesota to a high of 24.2% in Texas. Three states (Minnesota, Iowa and Hawaii) had
estimated uninsured rates of less than 10%. Four states (Texas, Florida, New Mexico and
Arizona) had uninsurance rates of 20% or more. Generally, states with the lowest rates
of uninsurance were located in the Midwest and Northeast; states with the highest rates
were in the southern portion of the country (Figure 1).
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

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CRS-2
Table 1 also ranks1 states according to which has the lowest percentage of private
health insurance,2 public health insurance,3 and uninsurance. The far right-hand column
of the table also shows whether the state’s uninsurance rate is significantly lower (shown
with a “-”) or significantly higher (shown with a “+”) than the national average of 15.9%.
Both private and public health insurance impact a state’s uninsurance rate. For
example, Minnesota and Maine have similarly low uninsurance rates.4 Minnesota’s
uninsurance rate is low because it ranks as having the highest rate of private health
insurance in the country (80.7%), even though it ranks as the fifth lowest in its public
health insurance rate (22.6%). On the other hand, Maine’s rate of private coverage
(66.5%) is significantly lower than Minnesota’s and ranks as 19th lowest in the country,
as shown in Table 1. However, Maine ranks as having the highest public coverage rate
in the country (35.4%). Thus, even though there are significant differences regarding
whether people in Maine and Minnesota obtain private or public health insurance, the
impact is that both have similarly low uninsurance rates.
The states with the highest-ranking uninsurance rates, led by Texas with nearly a
quarter of its population uninsured, have some of the lowest rankings for private
coverage. The 10 states with the highest uninsured rates, shown in the last 10 rows of
Table 1, rank in the lowest dozen states in terms of their private coverage. Interestingly,
the state ranked as having the lowest private-coverage rate (Mississippi, 56.4%) was not
among the states with the highest uninsured rates.5 This is because Mississippi, along
with Maine, had a rate of public coverage (35.4%) that ranked as highest in the nation.
Thus, even though Mississippi and Texas had similar rates of private coverage,
Mississippi’s much higher rate of public coverage led to its much lower rate of
uninsurance.
Estimates’ 95% Confidence Intervals. The estimates of health insurance
coverage in this report are based on data from the March supplement of the 2006 Current
Population Survey (CPS).6 The CPS is representative of the civilian, noninstitutionalized
population and is designed to produce reliable estimates at the national, regional and state
level.
1 Rankings do not connote statistically significant differences with other states.
2 “Private health insurance” consists of insurance obtained through an employer or purchased
directly from a private insurer.
3 “Public health insurance” consists of Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP), and other government-provided health insurance, as well as health insurance
related to employment in the military.
4 Their uninsurance rates are significantly below the national average and are not significantly
different from each other.
5 Mississippi's uninsurance rate (17.4%) is not significantly different than the national average
of 15.9%.
6 Because the supplement is now fielded from February through April, it has been officially
renamed the Annual Social and Economic supplement (ASEC) to the CPS, though many analysts
continue to refer to it by its traditional name.

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CRS-3
The small sample sizes available from the CPS for many states make it prudent to
consider state-level estimates in terms of a range of values. Like Table 1, Table 2 shows
the best point estimates, or single values, for the numbers of people covered and not
covered by health insurance. The table also reports a range in values — the 95%
confidence interval — for these estimates. The size of the range depends primarily upon
the sample size. A 95% confidence interval means that if repeated samples were collected
under essentially the same conditions and their confidence intervals calculated, in the long
run about 95% of those intervals would contain the true number of people with (or
without) health insurance.
Reasons for Differences in the Percent Uninsured
Figure 1 indicates that residents of the southern United States are more likely to lack
health insurance, and residents of the Midwest and New England are more likely to be
covered. Various characteristics of a state’s population may account for these differences.
Nationwide, the percent uninsured is related to age, race and ethnicity, employment, and
a number of other factors.7 The prevalence of particular population and employer
characteristics may account for some of the regional or state variation in percentages of
uninsured. Some factors related to the percent of a state’s population that is uninsured
may be affected by each state’s policies, such as eligibility criteria for the state’s Medicaid
program or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
Table 1. Estimates of the Number, Percentage and State Ranking of People
With and Without Various Forms of Health Insurance, 2005
Sorted by uninsured ranking (numbers in thousands)
Total
Private health insurance
Public health insurance
Uninsured
population
Number
Percent
Rank
Number
Percent
Rank
Number
Percent
Rank
U.S.
293,834
198,901
67.7%
80,249
27.3%
46,577
15.9%
Minnesota
5,129
4,139
80.7%
51
1,159
22.6%
5
431
8.4%
1 -
Iowa
2,909
2,323
79.9%
50
738
25.4%
13
251
8.6%
2 -
Hawaii
1,279
940
73.5%
39
417
32.6%
42
116
9.1%
3 -
Wisconsin
5,447
4,189
76.9%
46
1,422
26.1%
16
534
9.8%
4 -
Massachusetts
6,328
4,684
74.0%
40
1,701
26.9%
23
618
9.8%
5 -
New Hampshire
1,301
1,027
79.0%
49
285
21.9%
4
135
10.3%
6 -
Pennsylvania
12,281
9,357
76.2%
44
3,307
26.9%
24
1,287
10.5%
7 -
Kansas
2,695
2,075
77.0%
47
703
26.1%
17
290
10.8%
8 -
Maine
1,320
878
66.5%
19
467
35.4%
51
143
10.8%
9 -
Connecticut
3,487
2,662
76.4%
45
841
24.1%
8
394
11.3%
10 -
Michigan
9,982
7,435
74.5%
42
2,635
26.4%
18
1,133
11.4%
11 -
Vermont
622
426
68.5%
23
209
33.7%
47
73
11.7%
12 -
Nebraska
1,766
1,320
74.7%
43
461
26.1%
15
208
11.8%
13 -
Rhode Island
1,054
753
71.5%
33
315
29.9%
36
125
11.8%
14 -
Missouri
5,710
4,080
71.5%
31
1,570
27.5%
27
691
12.1%
15 -
North Dakota
626
483
77.2%
48
158
25.3%
12
76
12.2%
16 -
Ohio
11,334
8,240
72.7%
36
3,006
26.5%
19
1,394
12.3%
17 -
South Dakota
768
563
73.2%
38
221
28.8%
31
95
12.4%
18 -
Kentucky
4,052
2,775
68.5%
22
1,236
30.5%
38
514
12.7%
19 -
Delaware
844
602
71.3%
29
239
28.3%
29
110
13.0%
20 -
New York
19,022
12,822
67.4%
20
5,864
30.8%
39
2,559
13.5%
21 -
7 For additional information, see CRS Report 96-891, Health Insurance Coverage:
Characteristics of the Insured and Uninsured Populations in 2005, by Chris L. Peterson.

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Total
Private health insurance
Public health insurance
Uninsured
population
Number
Percent
Rank
Number
Percent
Rank
Number
Percent
Rank
DC
540
341
63.1%
13
179
33.2%
45
73
13.5%
22 -
Virginia
7,454
5,387
72.3%
35
1,981
26.6%
20
1,011
13.6%
23 -
Washington
6,250
4,462
71.4%
30
1,667
26.7%
21
866
13.8%
24 -
Indiana
6,141
4,369
71.1%
27
1,472
24.0%
7
871
14.2%
25 -
Maryland
5,569
4,054
72.8%
37
1,371
24.6%
11
788
14.2%
26 -
Tennessee
5,867
3,734
63.6%
14
1,966
33.5%
46
836
14.2%
27 -
Illinois
12,608
9,069
71.9%
34
3,060
24.3%
9
1,802
14.3%
28 -
New Jersey
8,725
6,471
74.2%
41
1,748
20.0%
1
1,324
15.2%
29
Idaho
1,442
1,003
69.6%
26
352
24.4%
10
222
15.4%
30
Alabama
4,524
2,956
65.3%
17
1,497
33.1%
44
696
15.4%
31
Oregon
3,627
2,495
68.8%
24
983
27.1%
25
579
16.0%
32
North Carolina
8,561
5,652
66.0%
18
2,532
29.6%
35
1,371
16.0%
33
Wyoming
511
348
68.1%
21
141
27.6%
28
82
16.1%
34
Utah
2,524
1,798
71.3%
28
535
21.2%
3
420
16.6%
35
Colorado
4,641
3,317
71.5%
32
948
20.4%
2
788
17.0%
36
Nevada
2,448
1,686
68.9%
25
579
23.7%
6
425
17.4%
37
Montana
928
606
65.2%
16
273
29.4%
33
162
17.4%
38
Mississippi
2,854
1,610
56.4%
1
1,009
35.4%
50
495
17.4%
39
South Carolina
4,181
2,657
63.6%
15
1,228
29.4%
32
741
17.7%
40
Alaska
659
401
60.9%
5
218
33.1%
43
117
17.7%
41
Arkansas
2,760
1,717
62.2%
8
873
31.6%
40
494
17.9%
42 +
West Virginia
1,799
1,127
62.7%
11
609
33.8%
48
322
17.9%
43 +
Oklahoma
3,505
2,189
62.5%
10
1,120
32.0%
41
647
18.4%
44 +
Louisiana
4,088
2,564
62.7%
12
1,163
28.5%
30
767
18.8%
45 +
Georgia
9,045
5,612
62.0%
6
2,460
27.2%
26
1,709
18.9%
46 +
California
35,940
22,307
62.1%
7
9,669
26.9%
22
6,961
19.4%
47 +
Arizona
6,047
3,576
59.1%
4
1,837
30.4%
37
1,219
20.2%
48 +
New Mexico
1,938
1,114
57.5%
2
662
34.2%
49
396
20.4%
49 +
Florida
17,886
11,152
62.4%
9
5,295
29.6%
34
3,703
20.7%
50 +
Texas
22,819
13,354
58.5%
3
5,866
25.7%
14
5,516
24.2%
51 +
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s March 2006 Current Population Survey, at [http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/
032006/health/h05_000.htm]. Rankings and significance testing computed by the Congressional Research Service.

Notes: Rankings do not connote statistically significant differences with other states. In the far right-hand column of
the table, “-” indicates percent uninsured is statistically lower than the national rate and “+” indicates percent u ninsured
is statistically higher than the national rate, at the 5% level of significance.

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CRS-5
Table 2. Estimates of Number and Percentage of People With and Without
Various Forms of Health Insurance, with 95% Confidence Intervals, 2005
(numbers in thousands)
Private health insurance
Public health insurance
Uninsured
Number
Percentage
Number
Percentage
Number
Percentage
U.S.
198,901 ± 811
67.7% ± 0.2%
80,249 ± 772
27.3% ± 0.2%
46,577 ± 631
15.9% ± 0.2%
Alabama
2,956 ± 104
65.3% ± 2.4%
1,497 ± 104
33.1% ± 2.4%
696 ±
78
15.4% ± 1.8%
Alaska
401 ±
18
60.9% ± 2.5%
218 ±
16
33.1% ± 2.5%
117 ±
14
17.7% ± 2.0%
Arizona
3,576 ± 135
59.1% ± 2.2%
1,837 ± 125
30.4% ± 2.2%
1,219 ± 110
20.2% ± 1.8%
Arkansas
1,717 ±
67
62.2% ± 2.4%
873 ±
65
31.6% ± 2.4%
494 ±
53
17.9% ± 2.0%
California
22,307 ± 325
62.1% ± 1.0%
9,669 ± 300
26.9% ± 0.8%
6,961 ± 267
19.4% ± 0.8%
Colorado
3,317 ± 108
71.5% ± 2.4%
948 ±
96
20.4% ± 2.2%
788 ±
90
17.0% ± 2.0%
Connecticut
2,662 ±
74
76.4% ± 2.2%
841 ±
76
24.1% ± 2.2%
394 ±
57
11.3% ± 1.6%
Delaware
602 ±
20
71.3% ± 2.4%
239 ±
20
28.3% ± 2.4%
110 ±
14
13.0% ± 1.8%
DC
341 ±
16
63.1% ± 2.7%
179 ±
16
33.2% ± 2.7%
73 ±
12
13.5% ± 2.0%
Florida
11,152 ± 218
62.4% ± 1.2%
5,295 ± 206
29.6% ± 1.2%
3,703 ± 182
20.7% ± 1.0%
Georgia
5,612 ± 153
62.0% ± 1.8%
2,460 ± 141
27.2% ± 1.6%
1,709 ± 123
18.9% ± 1.4%
Hawaii
940 ±
25
73.5% ± 2.2%
417 ±
29
32.6% ± 2.2%
116 ±
18
9.1% ± 1.4%
Idaho
1,003 ±
33
69.6% ± 2.4%
352 ±
31
24.4% ± 2.2%
222 ±
25
15.4% ± 1.8%
Illinois
9,069 ± 171
71.9% ± 1.4%
3,060 ± 163
24.3% ± 1.4%
1,802 ± 133
14.3% ± 1.0%
Indiana
4,369 ± 120
71.1% ± 2.0%
1,472 ± 112
24.0% ± 1.8%
871 ±
90
14.2% ± 1.6%
Iowa
2,323 ±
61
79.9% ± 2.2%
738 ±
67
25.4% ± 2.4%
251 ±
43
8.6% ± 1.4%
Kansas
2,075 ±
59
77.0% ± 2.2%
703 ±
63
26.1% ± 2.4%
290 ±
43
10.8% ± 1.6%
Kentucky
2,775 ±
98
68.5% ± 2.4%
1,236 ±
96
30.5% ± 2.4%
514 ±
69
12.7% ± 1.8%
Louisiana
2,564 ± 102
62.7% ± 2.5%
1,163 ±
94
28.5% ± 2.4%
767 ±
82
18.8% ± 2.0%
Maine
878 ±
33
66.5% ± 2.5%
467 ±
35
35.4% ± 2.5%
143 ±
22
10.8% ± 1.8%
Maryland
4,054 ± 112
72.8% ± 2.0%
1,371 ± 110
24.6% ± 2.0%
788 ±
88
14.2% ± 1.6%
Massachusetts
4,684 ± 114
74.0% ± 1.8%
1,701 ± 116
26.9% ± 1.8%
618 ±
78
9.8% ± 1.2%
Michigan
7,435 ± 145
74.5% ± 1.4%
2,635 ± 147
26.4% ± 1.6%
1,133 ± 106
11.4% ± 1.0%
Minnesota
4,139 ±
92
80.7% ± 1.8%
1,159 ±
98
22.6% ± 2.0%
431 ±
65
8.4% ± 1.4%
Mississippi
1,610 ±
71
56.4% ± 2.5%
1,009 ±
69
35.4% ± 2.4%
495 ±
55
17.4% ± 2.0%
Missouri
4,080 ± 116
71.5% ± 2.0%
1,570 ± 114
27.5% ± 2.0%
691 ±
82
12.1% ± 1.4%
Montana
606 ±
24
65.2% ± 2.4%
273 ±
22
29.4% ± 2.4%
162 ±
18
17.4% ± 2.0%
Nebraska
1,320 ±
39
74.7% ± 2.2%
461 ±
39
26.1% ± 2.4%
208 ±
29
11.8% ± 1.6%
Nevada
1,686 ±
59
68.9% ± 2.4%
579 ±
55
23.7% ± 2.2%
425 ±
49
17.4% ± 2.0%
New Hampshire
1,027 ±
27
79.0% ± 2.2%
285 ±
27
21.9% ± 2.2%
135 ±
20
10.3% ± 1.6%
New Jersey
6,471 ± 135
74.2% ± 1.6%
1,748 ± 125
20.0% ± 1.4%
1,324 ± 114
15.2% ± 1.4%
New Mexico
1,114 ±
53
57.5% ± 2.7%
662 ±
51
34.2% ± 2.5%
396 ±
43
20.4% ± 2.2%
New York
12,822 ± 221
67.4% ± 1.2%
5,864 ± 220
30.8% ± 1.2%
2,559 ± 163
13.5% ± 0.8%
North Carolina
5,652 ± 147
66.0% ± 1.8%
2,532 ± 141
29.6% ± 1.6%
1,371 ± 114
16.0% ± 1.4%
North Dakota
483 ±
14
77.2% ± 2.2%
158 ±
14
25.3% ± 2.2%
76 ±
10
12.2% ± 1.8%
Ohio
8,240 ± 157
72.7% ± 1.4%
3,006 ± 157
26.5% ± 1.4%
1,394 ± 116
12.3% ± 1.0%
Oklahoma
2,189 ±
86
62.5% ± 2.5%
1,120 ±
84
32.0% ± 2.4%
647 ±
71
18.4% ± 2.0%
Oregon
2,495 ±
90
68.8% ± 2.5%
983 ±
86
27.1% ± 2.4%
579 ±
71
16.0% ± 2.0%
Pennsylvania
9,357 ± 157
76.2% ± 1.4%
3,307 ± 165
26.9% ± 1.4%
1,287 ± 114
10.5% ± 1.0%
Rhode Island
753 ±
25
71.5% ± 2.4%
315 ±
25
29.9% ± 2.5%
125 ±
18
11.8% ± 1.8%
South Carolina
2,657 ± 102
63.6% ± 2.4%
1,228 ±
96
29.4% ± 2.4%
741 ±
80
17.7% ± 2.0%
South Dakota
563 ±
16
73.2% ± 2.2%
221 ±
16
28.8% ± 2.2%
95 ±
12
12.4% ± 1.6%
Tennessee
3,734 ± 123
63.6% ± 2.2%
1,966 ± 120
33.5% ± 2.0%
836 ±
88
14.2% ± 1.6%
Texas
13,354 ± 269
58.5% ± 1.2%
5,866 ± 239
25.7% ± 1.0%
5,516 ± 233
24.2% ± 1.0%
Utah
1,798 ±
53
71.3% ± 2.2%
535 ±
47
21.2% ± 2.0%
420 ±
43
16.6% ± 1.8%
Vermont
426 ±
16
68.5% ± 2.5%
209 ±
16
33.7% ± 2.5%
73 ±
12
11.7% ± 1.7%
Virginia
5,387 ± 127
72.3% ± 1.8%
1,981 ± 125
26.6% ± 1.8%
1,011 ±
98
13.6% ± 1.4%
Washington
4,462 ± 122
71.4% ± 2.0%
1,667 ± 120
26.7% ± 2.0%
866 ±
94
13.8% ± 1.6%
West Virginia
1,127 ±
41
62.7% ± 2.4%
609 ±
39
33.8% ± 2.2%
322 ±
33
17.9% ± 1.8%
Wisconsin
4,189 ± 106
76.9% ± 2.0%
1,422 ± 108
26.1% ± 2.0%
534 ±
73
9.8% ± 1.4%
Wyoming
348 ±
14
68.1% ± 2.5%
141 ±
12
27.6% ± 2.4%
82 ±
10
16.1% ± 2.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s March 2006 Current Population Survey (CPS), at [http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/
032006/health/h05_000.htm]. Confidence intervals computed by the Congressional Research Service.

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Figure 1. Percentage of U.S. Population Without Health Insurance, by State, 2005
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s March 2006 Current Population Survey (CPS), at [http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/health/h05_000.htm].

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