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Children under age 19 without health insurance in Maine

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Why This Indicator Matters

Having health insurance is important for individual families for several reasons. Uninsured people receive less medical care and less timely care, they have worse health outcomes, and lack of insurance is a fiscal burden for them and their families. When the uninsured do have to seek medical treatment, often costs are borne by hospitals providing free care and eventually these costs are passed on resulting in higher health costs for everyone. See: Health.gov Improving health by raising rates of health insurance coverage

What the data shows
For Maine as a whole, the rate of uninsured children ages 19 and under in 2021 was 4.3%, well lower than the 5.6% rates in 2019 and 2020. It was the lowest rate since at least 2006. It is also lower than the national average of 5.0% uninsured children.

For 2021, the counties varied between 3.5% of children being uninsured to 6.2%, with the counties of Lincoln, Hancock, Waldo, Washington and Aroostook counties having more than 5% of children uninsured. Cumberland and Androscoggin had the lowest rates at 3.5% and 3.9% respectively.


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Definition and Source

PROVIDER

Definition

Children under age 19 who were not covered by health insurance at any point during the year.
The numerator is children ages 0 to18 years who did not have health insurance at some point in time and the denominator is all children ages 0 to 18 years.

Data Source

Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) for counties and states
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program produces  estimates for all counties and states by detailed demographic and income groups. 

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program produces single-year estimates for all counties and states by detailed demographic and income groups. The estimates use a model which combines survey data from several sources, including: the American Community Survey (ACS), demographic population estimates, aggregated federal tax returns, participation records for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), program, county Business Patterns, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participation records






Last Updated

August 2023