Children's Health Insurance Patterns: A Review of the Literature

TABLE III.3
REASONS CHILDREN UNDER AGE 22 LOST HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGEa
Reasons for Losing Employer Coverage Percentage
Laid off, lost job, or unemployed 11.7
Spouse or parent laid off, lost job or unemployed 28.8
Employer stopped offering coverage 1.4
Cut back to part-time status 0.6
Benefits from employer/former employer ran out 1.1
Subtotal: Job Related Reasons 43.6
Death of a spouse 0.6
Divorce or separation 1.6
Became ineligible because of age 17.7
Too expensive 22.5
Voluntary terminationb 1.5
Other 12.5
Total 100.0
a Includes all persons currently without health insurance coverage who lost their coverage within the past three years

b Voluntary termination includes: dissatisfied with previous insurance, do not believe in insurance, and free/inexpensive care available

Source: The Lewin Group (1997, Draft) tabulations of the 1993 NHIS Health Insurance Supplement.