Data

• Nearly four out of every 10 low-income parents (39 percent) lacked health insurance in 2005. The vast majority (82 percent) of low-income parents without coverage have at least one full-time worker in the family.

• The high uninsurance rate among low-income parents comes about due to a lack of both private and public insurance options. Among low-income uninsured parents in employed families, nearly 90 percent either had no offer of insurance or the insurance was too expensive to take up (Figure 2). The private coverage rates are low because so many low-wage parents are employed in small firms and at the kinds of jobs (construction, service sector, and agriculture) that are far less likely to offer health insurance. At the same time, many of these low-income parents do not qualify for publicly-funded coverage because the Medicaid income eligibility levels for parents is very low in many states.

Summary Framing the Issue Data Where States Stand Legislative Authority Strategies and Considerations Resources Download Brief (PDF)