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Share of nonelderly with no health insurance
varies
considerably among States
Timothy
Parker
An average of 17.3
percent (44 million people) of the U.S.
population younger than 65 had no health
insurance between 2004 and 2006. Most
people 65 or older are eligible for
Medicare, a health insurance program
administered by the U.S. Government.
Health insurance varies considerably
among States. State differences are
largely attributable to variations in
the rate of private employer-sponsored
insurance and in State and local levels
of spending on public programs, such
as Medicaid and the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Decisions
on the extent of coverage in public
programs, except for Medicare, are primarily
a State responsibility. The States with
the highest uninsured rates generally
have larger low-income populations.
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