According to the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS, often called the March Supplement), in 2010, 90.0% of children had health insurance and 10.0% were uninsured. The CPS data show that the uninsured rate among children across the states ranges from 17.3% in Texas to 3.2% in Massachusetts. Private insurance includes employer-sponsored insurance and nongroup insurance (insurance purchased in the individual market); public coverage includes Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and any other means-tested public programs, as well as Medicare and military health care (e.g., TRICARE and Veterans Administration [VA] Health Care). Children may have more than one source of coverage, and those coverage types could be different. Sources of health insurance coverage vary according to a child's demographic and family characteristics. This report presents estimates of health insurance coverage of children under age 19 in the United States. The CPS is a monthly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and is representative of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States. All estimates in this report at the national level are created using the most recent annual CPS data (representing data from 2010), as well as historical annual data from previous years. All estimates in this report at the state level are created using three-year averages of the three most recent years of CPS data (representing data from 2010, 2009, and 2008). For those children who have insurance, the source of coverage also varies by demographic characteristics, as discussed below. The higher rate of private coverage among older children does not off-set the lower rate of public coverage; children aged 13 to 18 are more likely to be uninsured compared with children under age six and children aged 6 to 12. Characteristics of Uninsured Children

As noted in the preceding discussion, health insurance coverage of children is likely influenced by children's demographic and family characteristics as well as state-specific factors (e.g., eligibility criteria for programs such as Medicaid). Children not living with at least one parent represent 4.3% of all children and 10.9% of uninsured children. The percentage of children who were uninsured fluctuated slightly during the period, between 2000 and 2010, decreasing 1.1 percentage points, from 11.1% to 10.0%. The slight fluctuations of the percentage of children who were uninsured were likely affected by the larger changes in the percentage of children who had private health insurance and those who had public coverage over the time period. Over that same period, the percentage of children with public coverage increased from 23.7% in 2000 to 37.2% in 2010, a 57% increase in public coverage for children.
In 2010, 90% of children had health insurance coverage in the United States, and 10% of children were uninsured. Among children with coverage, private health insurance, including employer-sponsored insurance and nongroup insurance, was the predominant source of coverage, followed by public coverage, including Medicaid and other means-tested public programs (e.g., the State Children's Health Insurance Program—CHIP), as well as Medicare and military health care.
These estimates, and the estimates detailed in this report, are from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS, commonly known as the March Supplement). The CPS is representative of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States. National-level estimates in this report are created using the most recent CPS data, representing data from 2010, as well as historical data from previous years. State-level estimates are created using a three-year average of CPS data (representing data from 2008 to 2010), which provide reliable state estimates.
The national-level estimates provide only a limited understanding of the health insurance coverage of children under age 19. To better understand this population, the report provides an analysis of the variation in coverage by selected demographic and family characteristics, including age, race, ethnicity, citizenship status, poverty status, and family composition. For example, in 2010, non-citizen children, Hispanic children, and children not living with at least one parent/guardian were more likely to be uninsured compared with other children.
Another important factor affecting uninsurance rates among children is the variation across states. During the 2008-2010 period, the percentage of uninsured children ranged from a high of 17.3% in Texas to a low of 3.2% in Massachusetts. Not only does coverage vary by states, but the source of insurance coverage also varies by states. The percentage of children covered by private health insurance ranged from 80.1% in New Hampshire to 46.9% in Mississippi, and the percentage of children covered by public coverage ranged from 50.6% in the District of Columbia to 18.3% in Utah.
Finally, examining changes in coverage and source of coverage over time provides additional insight into insurance and sources of coverage for children. Between 2000 and 2010, the uninsured rate among children decreased by about 1 percentage point, while the percentage of children with private insurance decreased by more than 11 percentage points and the percentage with public coverage increased by 13.5 percentage points.
As Congress focuses on allocating limited resources to programs such as Medicaid and CHIP, a deeper understanding of the characteristics of uninsured children may prove useful to inform this discussion.