Women's Health Care Utilization and Expenditures Amy K. Taylor and Sharon Larson and Rosaly Correa-de-Araujo

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Working Paper No. 05014 June 2005

Suggested citation: Taylor AK, Larson S, Correa-de-Araujo R. Women's Health Care Utilization

and Expenditures. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Working Paper No. 05014, June

2005, http://gold.ahrq.gov.

AHRQ Working Papers provide preliminary analysis of substantive, technical, and methodological

issues. The papers have not undergone external peer review. They are distributed to share

valuable experience and research. Comments are welcome and should be directed to the

authors. The views expressed are those of the authors and no official endorsement by the

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the Department of Health and Human Services is

intended or should be inferred.
Women’s Health Care Utilization and Expenditures 

Amy K. Taylor, PhD, Sharon Larson, PhD, Rosaly Correa-de-Araujo, MD, MSc, PhD 

March 2005 

Abstract 

This study examines women’s use of and expenditures for medical care in the United 

States. In 2000, 91% of women aged 18 years and older used any health care services. 

Overall 82% of adult women reported an ambulatory care visit, while 11% had an 

inpatient hospital stay. Mean expense per person with expense was $3219 for that year. 

We examined use and expenditures by sociodemographic characteristics. The most 

notable findings indicate that women with private insurance, and those on Medicaid, are 

more likely to use health services than uninsured women. White women, compared to 

Black and Hispanic women, are more likely to have an ambulatory care visit, buy 

prescription drugs, and use preventive health care services. In addition, white and 

Hispanic women pay a higher proportion of medical care expenses out-of-pocket than do 

Black women. Finally, nearly 30% of older women in fair or poor health spent 10% or 

more of their income out-of-pocket on medical care. In order to reduce disparities and 

improve the quality of health care for all women, it is important for policy makers to 

understand the factors that influence their utilization and expenditures for medical care. 

Corresponding author: 

Amy K. Taylor, PhD 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

540 Gaither Road 

Rockville, MD 20850 

Phone (301) 427-1660 / Fax (301) 427-1276 

ataylor@ahrq.gov 

Dr. Correa-de-Araujo is AHRQ’s Senior Advisor on Women’s Health 

2
 
Introduction 

There have been very few studies reported in the literature that provide an 

overarching examination of women’s health care use and expenditures in relation to their 

social, demographic and health characteristics. Increased knowledge about which women 

have high health expenditures and their utilization patterns will aid policy makers and 

health care providers in developing services for specific populations of women. It is 

important to understand which health services are the most costly for women and how 

women finance their health care. As the U.S. population continues to age the 

ramifications of older women’s health care expenditures will also become increasingly 

important to policy makers concerned with Medicare spending. Medicare expenditures 

are likely to rise given the demographic trend of an aging population and an increased 

risk for chronic conditions in aging women. 

This study presents descriptive data on utilization of medical care and spending 

for health care by women in the United States during calendar year 2000. Our main 

purpose was to identify differences in women’s health care utilization and expenditure by 

sociodemographic characteristics. There are a number of reasons that it is important to 

look at categories of health expenditures between different groups of women. Poor 

women may have less access and therefore less utilization of certain kinds of health care. 

Those who are uninsured have generally been found to have less access to health care 

services. It is unclear, however, how lack of access translates into differences in 

expenditures between subpopulations of women. Also, little is known about how 

women’s increased longevity may be differentially experienced by subpopulations of 

women with respect to their health care expenses. 

3
 
 

Findings presented here include the proportion of women who reported 

ambulatory medical care in office-based and hospital based settings, inpatient hospital 

stays, home health services, prescription drugs and preventive care. Data on utilization 

and annual expenditures for health care are shown by characteristics of users. Mean 

expenses and sources of payment including out-of-pocket, Medicare, Medicaid, and 

private insurance are examined by selected demographic, socioeconomic and insurance 

characteristics. The proportion of income spent on health care is also shown by these 

characteristics. Specific comparisons are made by age, race/ethnicity, perceived health 

status, health insurance coverage, income, metropolitan versus non-metropolitan 

residence, and level of education. 

Data and Methods 

The data used in this study come from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel 

Survey (MEPS), conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 

conjunction with the National Center for Health Statistics. MEPS is a nationally 

representative survey of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population and includes 

detailed information on health care use and expenditures (including sources of payment), 

as well as demographic characteristics, health conditions, health status, access to care, 

health insurance coverage, income, and employment. Detailed descriptions of the survey 

and its methodology have been previously published (Cohen JW, et al, 1996; Cohen JW, 

1997; Cohen SB, 2003). Expenditure data in MEPS are obtained from both the 

household interview and the Medical Provider Component, which collects data from a 

4
 
 

sample of respondents’ hospitals, physicians, home health care providers, and pharmacies 

(see Machlin SR and Taylor AK, 2000 for more details). 

The findings presented in this study are for women 18 years and older in the 

civilian non-institutionalized population of the United States during calendar year 2000. 

Bivariate descriptive analysis was used to examine health care use and expenditures and 

related sociodemographic characteristics of varying subgroups of women. Only 

differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the .05 level are 

discussed in the text. 

Results 

Women’s Health Care Service Utilization in the United States 

Table 1 shows the percent of adult women who used various health services by 

socioeconomic and personal characteristics. Table 2 shows use of medical care services, 

including ambulatory care visits, inpatient hospital stays, and prescription drug use. 

Ninety-one percent of women, 18 years or older, reported the use of any health services 

during 2000. Eighty-two percent of these women received ambulatory visits. For 

women reporting these visits there was an average of 8.4 ambulatory visits during the 

year. Only about 11% of women reported a hospital stay during 2000 and of those 

women who had a hospital stay the average length of stay was 6.3 days. Ninety-four 

percent of women received preventive health care during the year, while three-fourths of 

women reported filling at least one prescription. Only 3% of women received home 

health services during the year. 

5
 
Sociodemographic Characteristics 

As expected, the percent of the population who used any health services increased 

with age. By age 65 at least 96% of the population reported any use of health services 

during the year. Women over 65 were more likely to use ambulatory care services than 

younger women. Women age 65 -74 were more likely to have had an inpatient hospital 

stay than younger women and a higher percentage of women age 75 or older had 

inpatient hospitalization than women under age 75. The proportion of women reporting 

inpatient care began to increase significantly after age 65, while the proportion reporting 

home health care increased significantly after age 75. A higher percentage of women 

over age 65 reported use of prescription drugs than did women less than 65 years of age. 

Health care utilization patterns for never married women differed significantly 

from those of other women. Compared to other women, never married women were less 

likely to use any health services. They were also less likely to have had any ambulatory 

care services or an inpatient hospital stay. 

A lower percentage of Black1 and Hispanic women reported use of any health 

services, ambulatory care, and prescription drugs than did white women2

. Black women 

(13%) were more likely to report an inpatient stay than Hispanic women (9%). On 

average, for those who had any visits, Black and Hispanic women reported seven 

ambulatory visits during the year compared to an average of nine visits for white women. 

Women with more than 12 years of education had a higher probability of using any 

medical care (93%) and ambulatory care (84%), but a lower likelihood of an inpatient 

hospital stay (9%) or home health service use (2%) when compared to women with less 

than 12 years of education. Women with higher education (97%) were also more likely 

to report using preventive health services than women with 12 years of education (92%) 

6
 
and those with less than 12 years of education (90%). In addition these women reported 

fewer average numbers of prescriptions (14) compared to women with high school 

graduation (16) and women with less than 12 years of education (20). There were no 

significant differences in the length of hospital stays by educational status. 

Women from the South (90%) and West (90%) were less likely to report use of 

any health services compared to women in the Midwest (94%). Women in the West 

(78%) were less likely to have an ambulatory visit than women in the Midwest (86%) or 

the Northeast (83%). Women who lived in the West (9%) were less likely to report a 

hospital stay than women in the Midwest (13%) and South (12%). Women who resided 

in the West (72%) were less likely to buy prescription drugs than women from any other 

region (76%-79%). 

For those who did use ambulatory services the mean number of ambulatory visits 

was less for women in the South (8 visits) than the Northeast (10 visits). Women in the 

West reported fewer hospital days (5 days) than women from all other regions (6-7 days). 

Finally, women in the West (14) reported a fewer number of prescriptions purchased 

compared to women from the South (16) and the Midwest (17). 

Women who lived in rural counties were less likely to use any health services, 

have an ambulatory visit or obtain prescriptions than women in near rural places. Ninety 

percent of rural women used any health services compared to 94% of near rural women. 

In a similar pattern, 80% of rural women and 86% of near rural women had an 

ambulatory care visit during the year. Finally, 76% of rural women reported obtaining a 

prescription during the year in comparison to 83% of near rural women. Rural women 

also obtained more prescriptions, an average of 19 during the year, significantly more 

than metropolitan women (15 during the year), for those who had a prescription expense. 

7
 
Insurance and Income Characteristics 

Women’s health insurance status was associated with differences in utilization of 

medical care. Women under age 65 who were uninsured all year were significantly less 

likely to use any health services (71%) compared to women with either public (94%) or 

private (92%) coverage. Similarly, uninsured women were less likely to use ambulatory 

care services (60%) than their publicly (86%) or privately (82%) insured counterparts. 

This same pattern was observed in the use of prescription drugs and preventive health 

services. Uninsured women under 65 were no less likely than women with private 

insurance to report inpatient hospital and home health services. Women under age 65 

with public insurance were more likely to use inpatient hospital care and home health 

services than women who were uninsured or those who had private health insurance. 

Over one quarter of women with Medicaid only throughout the year had an inpatient 

hospital stay (26 percent), compared to 8 percent of those with private insurance and 6 

percent of uninsured women. 

Women with Medicare and other public insurance were significantly more likely 

(24%) to use home health services than those with Medicare only (9%) or Medicare and 

private insurance (8%). There were generally no other significant differences in the 

likelihood of reporting health services use for women over age 65 years by insurance 

status. 

Poor and near poor women were less likely to have reported use of any health 

care services (88%) or ambulatory care (79%) than women in the highest income 

category (94%, 84%). However, poor and near poor women were similar to low and 

middle income women in their likelihood of reporting any health service use or 

8
 
ambulatory care. Women in the lowest income category were also less likely to have used 

preventive health services (88%) when compared to middle (93%) or high income (97%) 

women. Poor /near poor (18%) and low income (15%) women were more likely to have 

reported a hospital stay than middle (10%) or high (7%) income women. Middle income 

women were more likely to have had a hospital stay than high income women. High 

income women also reported shorter length of stays (5 days) compared to all other 

women (~7 days). A larger proportion of poor/ near poor (6%) and low income (5%) 

women reported having used home health services than middle (2%) and high income 

(1%) women. 

Health Status 

Not surprisingly, women in fair or poor health, regardless of age, were more 

likely to have used all health services except preventive care than did women who 

reported their health as good, very good or excellent. 

Annual Expenses for Personal Health Expenditures 

Table 3 describes annual expenses for personal health expenditures. In most cases 

mean expenditures for personal health expenses reflect the differences seen in the 

previous section on utilization of health services. 

Sociodemographic Characteristics 

Total annual expenditures per person on average were lower for those under age 

65 than for those 65 years and older, ranging from $2118 for women age 18-44 years of 

9
 
age to $6893 for women 85 years and older. Inpatient hospitalization accounted for the 

largest fraction of expenditures by type of service for women age 75 years and older 

(46%). Ambulatory care made up the largest proportion of expenditures for women 

younger than age 65 (37% to 39%). Prescription drugs made up a larger fraction of total 

expenses for women age 45-64 and 65-74 than for those aged 18-44 and those aged 85 

and older. 

Age differences also emerged by marital status. Widows had higher mean 

expenses ($5683) than other women, probably reflecting the higher average age of 

widows. Likewise, never married women had lower average expenditures ($2023), 

perhaps due to their younger average age. 

Mean total expenses were higher for whites ($3333) than either blacks ($3060) or 

Hispanics ($2434) and mean expenses were higher for blacks than for Hispanics. 

Expenditures for inpatient hospital services accounted for 46% of expenditures for black 

women, which was significantly higher than the 32% reported by white women. Thus, 

the proportion of total expenditures for black women in other categories such as 

prescription drugs and ambulatory care was notably lower than for white women. There 

were no significant differences in the proportion of expenditures devoted to any one 

category of expenditures between white women and Hispanic women. 

Women with more than 12 years of education had significantly lower average 

annual medical expenses ($2892) than did women who had less than 12 years of 

education ($3928). For women with lower education, inpatient care represented a higher 

fraction of expenses and ambulatory physician care represented a lower fraction of 

expenses than for women with 12 or more years of education. 

10
 
There were no significant differences in mean expenditures per person by region. 

The only significant differences that emerged in the examination of women from 

different regions were that women in the Northeast spent a higher fraction (21%) of their 

expenses for prescription drugs than women in the West (16%); and ambulatory 

physician services accounted for a larger fraction of expenses for women in the West 

(36%) than for women in the South (30%). 

Insurance and Income Characteristics 

Under 65 years: Mean expenses were significantly higher for women who had 

public insurance throughout the year ($4675) than those who were uninsured ($1512). 

Not surprisingly, women with private insurance ($2460) also had higher average 

expenses than women who were uninsured for the entire year. 

Inpatient hospital services made up the largest fraction of expenses (39%) for 

women with public insurance only, whereas ambulatory physician services accounted for 

the largest proportion of expenses for women with private insurance (41%). Ten percent 

of total expenditures reported by women with public insurance were for home health 

services, which was significantly greater than for women with private insurance. 

Over 65 years: For women in this age group, those with Medicare and other public 

insurance had considerably higher expenses on average ($7822) than women who had 

Medicare alone ($5143) or Medicare and private insurance ($5773). For women with 

Medicare and other public insurance the percent of expenses accounted for by ambulatory 

physician services (20%) was lower than for those who had Medicare and private 

insurance (29%). The percent of expenses going to home health services was 

11
 
significantly higher for those on Medicare and other public insurance (20%) than women 

with Medicare (6%) or Medicare and private insurance (4%). 

Average expenses for women with lower family incomes (poor, near poor or low) 

were higher than expenses for women with middle and high incomes. Expenditures for 

women in middle and high income categories were not significantly different from one 

another. Women with lower incomes had a higher proportion of their expenses devoted 

to inpatient and home health expenses and a lower percent dedicated to ambulatory 

physician care than women with higher income status. There were no differences in the 

percent spent on prescription drugs across income categories. 

Health Status 

For all ages, women in fair or poor health reported significantly higher average 

expenses than those in excellent, very good or good health. For women over 65 years of 

age in fair or poor health the highest proportion of health expenditures were for inpatient 

hospital care (49%); this fraction was a significantly higher proportion than for women 

in the same age group who reported their health as good, very good or excellent (34%). 

Women of all ages who reported their health as good, very good or excellent spent a 

higher fraction of their health care dollars on ambulatory health care than did women in 

fair or poor health. Women 65 years or older in fair or poor health spent a significantly 

smaller proportion of their health care dollars on prescription drugs (17%) than did older 

women in good, very good or excellent health (21%). 

Younger women in fair or poor health spent a significantly higher proportion for 

prescription drugs (23%) when compared to younger women in good to excellent health 

(18%). 

12
 
Distribution of Health Expenditures by Source of Payment 

In previous tables use of services and annual expenditures for these services by 

sociodemographic characteristics were examined. Table 4 shows the distribution of total 

health expenditures by sources of payment for women in different segments of the 

population. Third party payers accounted for almost 80% of mean health expenses, while 

nearly 22% was paid out-of-pocket. 

Sociodemographic Characteristics 

Private insurance was the source of payment (52% - 56%) for the largest 

proportion of expenses for women under 65 years of age. Similarly for women 65 years 

and older, Medicare paid the largest proportion (51%-60%) of average expenditures. For 

women aged 45-64 almost one-quarter of medical expenses were paid out-of-pocket, a 

significantly higher proportion than for women 18-44 years. Medicaid paid a higher 

percent of expenses for women 18-44 years old (14%) than for older women (5%-9%). 

The effect of age can again be seen in marital status. Widows have a smaller 

percent paid by private insurance (14%) and a larger percent paid by Medicare (49%) 

compared to women from other marital categories. Never married (22%) and divorced or 

separated women (16%) had a higher proportion of health care expenditures paid by 

Medicaid than married women (5%). Married women had a higher percent (50%) of 

their health care expenses paid by private insurance than other women (14%-41%). 

White women paid a larger proportion of mean medical expenses out of pocket 

(23%) than black (15%) or Hispanic (18%) women; while Medicaid was the source of 

payment for a larger percentage of expenses for black (19%) and Hispanic (20%) women. 

13
 
Moreover, white women reported a significantly higher proportion of their health care 

expenses met by private insurance than black women. 

In comparison to women with higher education women with less education had a 

significantly higher proportion of their health expenditures paid by Medicare or 

Medicaid. 

Women from the Midwest reported a higher proportion of their health care 

expenses paid by private insurance (44%) than women from the Northeast or the South 

(36%). 

Insurance and Income Characteristics 

Under 65: There were significant differences in the proportion of expenses paid 

out of pocket by insurance status. On average the highest percent paid out of pocket was 

paid by uninsured3

 women who paid 51% of their expenses out of pocket4, in comparison 

to 11% paid by women with public insurance only and 23% paid by women with any 

private insurance. 

65 Years and Older: A significantly lower fraction of expenses was paid out-ofpocket on average by women with Medicare and other public sources (11%) than by 

those with Medicare plus private insurance (20%) or Medicare only (25%). 

Women in the highest income category paid a higher proportion of their 

expenditures out-of-pocket (26%) than women with lower incomes (18% to 20%). There 

was a significant and steady increase in the percent of health care expenditures paid by 

private insurance as income increased. Poor, near poor and low income women have a 

higher percent of health care expenditures paid by Medicaid and Medicare than did 

women who had middle or high income. 

14
 
 

Health Status 

Under 65: Women under age 65 who were in good to excellent health paid a 

higher proportion of their health care expenses out-of-pocket (24%) than women who 

were in fair or poor health (18%). Non-elderly women in fair or poor health had a higher 

proportion of their health care paid by Medicaid (20%) or Medicare (13%), while women 

who were in good, very good or excellent health had a higher proportion paid by private 

insurance (60%). 

65 years and older: Like younger women, women 65 years and older in good to 

excellent health paid a much higher proportion of their health expenses out-of-pocket 

(24%)than women in fair to poor health (16%). Women in this age group in fair or poor 

health had a higher percentage of their health care expenses met by Medicare (62%) than 

healthier women (52%). 

Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Personal Health Services 

Table 5 shows out-of-pocket expenses for personal health services for women in 

2000 as a percent of family income. The burden imposed by out of pocket expenses is 

best illustrated by the percentage spent relative to family income. In 2000 about 12% of 

women had no out of pocket health expenditures. Approximately 70% spent less than 

3% of family income on health care. On the other hand, approximately 6% had out of 

pocket expenses in excess of 10% of their family income. 

The distribution of out of pocket medical expenses as a fraction of income by 

sociodemographic characteristics is shown in Table 5. By age, the highest out of pocket 

expenses as a percent of family income were incurred by women age 75 or over; almost 

15
 
one quarter in this group (21-23%) spent ten percent or more of their income on health 

care in 2000. In the general population only six percent on average had out of pocket 

expenses at this level. Poor, near poor, and low income women, widows, women who 

lived in rural areas, those in fair or poor health, and those women with less than a high 

school education were also more likely to have spent ten percent or more of their incomes 

out of pocket for health care. Nearly 30% of older women in fair or poor health spent 

10% or more of their income out-of-pocket on medical care. In contrast married women, 

those who lived in MSA’s, women who were in excellent or good health, and those with 

more than twelve years of education were less likely to have had relatively high levels of 

spending as a percent of family income. Another important sociodemographic difference 

may be found in a comparison of white, black and Hispanic women. Proportionately 

fewer Hispanic women than white women spent ten percent or more of family income out 

of pocket for medical care. 

Variation in out of pocket expenses for health care as a percent of family income 

was also related to insurance status. Among women under age 65, the uninsured and 

those with public insurance only were more likely than the privately insured to have high 

levels of out of pocket expenses relative to income. A different distribution of out of 

pocket spending in relation to income was observed for women age 65 and older in 2000. 

Those with Medicare only and Medicare plus other public coverage were more likely to 

have had relatively high levels of out of pocket expense relative to income than those 

with Medicare plus private insurance. 

16
 
Discussion 

Analysis and interpretation of health care use and expenditure data are complex 

because of the many factors influencing both. Health care utilization and expenditures 

can be affected by barriers to care, the health care needs of each patient, and patients’ 

preferences. Income levels cannot be used to explain all the disparities in health care for 

women, and insurance coverage plays a key role in the decision to use medical care. 

Women with private insurance and those with Medicaid and/or Medicare are more likely 

to use health services than uninsured women. Lack of health insurance can be a serious 

problem in accessing medical care, particularly for minorities such as Hispanic and Black 

women who are more likely to be economically disadvantaged and less likely to have 

employer-based health insurance than white women (Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation, 

2001). One immediate consequence of lack of insurance coverage is that uninsured 

women are less likely to use preventive health services than women who are either 

privately or publicly insured. 

We found that nearly 30% of older women in fair or poor health spent 10% or 

more of their income out-of-pocket on medical care in 2000. High out-of -pocket health 

care expenses for those on Medicare can represent a hardship for women seeking needed 

medical care services. As the U.S. population ages, increases in the prevalence of chronic 

conditions and associated disabilities are expected. Consequently, older women’s health 

care expenditures will also become increasingly relevant to policy makers concerned with 

Medicare spending. 

Our findings show that disparities are evident across several areas including 

health status, health care coverage, access to preventive care, and out-of-pocket 

expenditures. White women remain more likely than Black and Hispanic women to have 

17
 
an ambulatory care visit, buy prescription drugs, and use preventive health care services. 

In addition, white and Hispanic women pay a higher proportion of medical care expenses 

out-of-pocket than do Black women. Disparities in health care utilization have been 

described in numerous reports (Trevino & Moss 1994; USDHHS, 1985; IOM, 1993, 

IOM 2002) and more recently in the national reports (2003 and 2004 NHQR/NHDR). In 

particular, the 2003 NHDR reported different patterns of health care utilization according 

to race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Racial and ethnic differences were also 

observed throughout all income groups in the 2004 NHDR (NHDR, 2004). 

National initiatives to eliminate disparities are ongoing (Closing the Health Care 

Gap Act of 2004). An important goal of public policy should be to reduce preventable 

disparities in access to and receipt of medical care (Frist 2005). In order to improve the 

quality of health care for all women, it is important for policy makers to understand the 

factors that influence their utilization and expenditures for medical care. Data collection, 

analysis and reporting by race, ethnicity, and primary language across federally supported 

health programs are essential for the identification, understanding, monitoring, and 

eventual elimination of disparities (Closing the Health Care Gap Act of 2004). 

Notes 

1.	 The race/ethnicity category Black is comprised of people who were not classified 

as Hispanic but whose race was reported as Black. 

2.	 The racial/ethnic category white/other includes non-Hispanic whites and 

those who reported their race as American Indian, Aleutian 

 Islander/Eskimo, Asian and Pacific Islander, or unspecified. Throughout this 

 paper, the term white refers to the category white/other. 

3. In MEPS, the uninsured are defined as people not covered by Medicare, 

TRICARE, Medicaid, other public hospital/physician programs, or private 

hospital/physician insurance at any time during the entire year or period of
 

18
 
 

 

 

eligibility for the survey. Individuals covered only by noncomprehensive Statespecific programs (e.g. Maryland Kidney Disease Program, Colorado Child 

Health Plan) or private single service plans (e.g., coverage for dental or vision 

care only, coverage for accidents or specific diseases) are not considered insured. 

4. The uninsured receive care funded by other public and other sources. Other public 

 includes Department of Veterans Affairs (except TRICARE); other Federal 

 Sources (Indian Health Service, Military Treatment facilities, and other care 

 provided by the Federal government); various state and local sources (community 

 and neighborhood clinics, state and local health departments, and state programs 

 other than Medicaid); and other public (Medicaid payments reported for persons 

who were not enrolled in the Medicaid program at any time during the year). 

Other includes payments from Worker’s compensation; other unclassified sources 

(automobile, homeowner’s, or liability insurance, and other miscellaneous or 

unknown sources); and other private insurance (any types of private insurance 

payments reported for people without private health insurance coverage during 

the years as defined in MEPS). 

19
 
 

References 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2003a). National Healthcare 

Disparities Report. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2003b). National Healthcare Quality 

Report. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2004a). National Healthcare 

Disparities Report. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2004b). National Healthcare Quality 

Report. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Closing the Health Care Gap Act of 2004. Bill introduced by Senator William Frist, 

MD. Accessed on March 21, 2005. Available from 

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_bills&docid=f:s2217is.txt 

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Cohen, SB. 2003. “Design Strategies and innovations in the Medical Expenditure 

Panel Survey”. Medical Care 41 (7):5-12 

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Trevino FM, Moss AJ. Health indicators for Hispanic, Black and White Americans. 

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22
 
Table 1. Use of Health Care Services by women: United States, MEPS Data 2000 

Total Percent with Percent Percent with P

Population any use of with any Percent with Percent with prescription p

health care 

servicesa

ambulatory 

care visitsb

any inpatient 

staysc

Home Health 

visitsd

drug 

expensese

h

Total 107,310 91.0 81.7 11.0 2.8 75.9 

Age in Years 

18 – 44 55,507 87.9 77.0 10.3 0.8 67.8 

45 – 64 31,993 92.4 83.6 7.6 1.6 80.2 

65 – 74 10,027 96.8 92.0 14.6 5.6 91.0 75 – 84 7,171 98.1 93.7 21.3 12.4 92.2 

85 and older 2,611 95.9 86.1 24.9 23.6 91.7 

Marital Status Married 57,068 92.1 83.1 11.3 1.6 76.2 

Divorced/ Separated 14,743 90.5 83.3 9.7 2.8 78.6 

Widowed 11,986 95.6 89.6 18.3 11.4 90.0 

Never Married 23,513 86.0 73.2 7.1 1.3 66.2 

Race/Ethnicity 

White/Other (non-Hispanic) 83,133 93.3 84.3 10.9 2.9 79.4 

 Black (non-Hispanic) 13,025 84.4 73.0 12.9 3.1 66.1 

Hispanic 11,152 81.3 72.0 9.1 2.1 61.2 

Education 

Less than 12 years 22,277 88.1 80.1 15.7 6.2 75.0 

12 years 35,533 89.6 79.7 11.0 2.3 75.2 

 More than 12 years 48,802 93.3 84.0 8.8 1.5 77.1 

Census Region 

Northeast 20,920 91.2 82.8 10.2 2.8 76.1 

 Midwest 24,378 93.8 85.9 12.6 3.3 79.2 

 South 38,297 89.6 80.5 11.8 2.7 76.1 

West 23,715 90.0 78.3 8.7 2.5 71.9 

Rural-Urban  Metro 87,158 91.0 81.3 10.6 2.8 74.9 

 Near Metro 7,796 91.3 82.8 11.7 2.5 80.0 

 Near Rural 7,479 93.8 86.3 12.6 2.8 83.4 

 Rural 4,876 89.8 79.7 14.7 3.4 76.2 

24
Table 1. Use of Health Care Services by women: United States, MEPS Data 2000 

Total Percent with Percent Percent with Percen

Population any use of with any Percent with Percent with prescription with 

(in thousands) 

health care servicesa 

ambulatory care visitsb 

any inpatient stays

c 

Home Health visitsd 

drug expensese 

prevenhealth service

Health Insurance Statusg 

Under 65 years 

Any private 68,123 92.1 81.9 7.9 0.6 75.1 96.2 

 Public only 8,018 93.5 86.0 26.4 5.6 80.0 90.4 

Uninsured 11,360 71.2 59.7 5.7 0.9 50.8 80.2 

Over 65 yr 

 Medicare only 6,736 96.7 91.1 16.7 9.1 90.0 92.0 

 Medicare & private 10,579 97.6 93.1 18.7 8.4 93.0 94.7 

 Medicare and other 

public 

Incomeh

2,396 96.6 90.3 21.8 23.8 91.9 90.0 

Poor or Near Poor 17,146 87.7 79.0 17.9 5.9 74.1 87.8 

Low Income 14,505 88.7 81.1 15.3 5.0 74.5 90.0 

 Middle Income 33,980 90.1 80.2 10.2 2.4 75.4 93.2 

High Income 41,679 93.8 84.2 7.3 1.2 77.5 97.3 

Self-reported Health Status 

Under 65 years

Ex,Very Good or Good 77,609 88.9 77.9 8.0 0.5 70.1 93.9 

 Fair or Poor 9,816 94.6 91.5 19.2 5.6 90.5 91.7 

65 or older 

 Ex,Very Good or Good 14,400 96.7 91.3 13.1 6.7 90.3 95.9 

 Fair or Poor 5,177 99.0 95.7 31.6 20.7 96.9 89.7 

24
Table 1 

a. Any use of health care services includes at least one event per type of service including inpatient hospital a

services, ambulatory physician and non-physician services, prescribed medicines, home health services, anmedical equipment, supplies and services purchased or rented during the year. Over the counter medicationservices, and telephone contacts are excluded. 

b. Ambulatory care visits include both physician and non-physician medical provider visits where patient is se

settings or clinics, hospital outpatient departments, emergency rooms (except visits resulting in an overnighclinics owned and operated by hospitals are included. 

c. Inpatient stays include all hospital admissions including those that did not involve an overnight stay. d. Home health includes care provided by home health agencies and independent home health providers. e. All prescribed medicines initially purchased or otherwise obtained during 2000, as well as refills and free s are included. f. Preventive health care services obtained during the two years preceding 2000 including blood pressure che

check, complete physical, flu shot, pap smear, breast exam, and mammogram for women aged 40 years or 

g. Uninsured refers to those uninsured during the entire year. Public and private insurance categories refer to 

public or private insurance at any time during the year; individuals with both public and private insurance aTRICARE (Armed Forces related coverage) are classified as having private insurance. 

h. Poor refers to incomes at or below the poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125% of the po

income, over 125% through 200% of the poverty line; middle income, over 200% through 400% of the povincome, over 400% of the poverty line. Note: Restricted to women 18 years and older in the civilian non-institutionalized population. 

Percents may not add to one hundred due to rounding. 

 Population estimates by education and health status exclude less than 1.2 percent of cases due to item 

Source: Center for Financing Access and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare and Quality; Medical Expen

Survey, 2000. 

25
Table 2. Use of Medical Services by Women—Ambulatory Care, Inpatient Hospital Stays and Prescription Drugs, 

United States, MEPS Data 2000 

Mean number Mean number 

Total Population (in thousands) 

ambulatory care visitsa

of inpatient hospital daysb

Mean number of prescriptionsc

Total 107,310 8.4 6.3 15.7 

Age in Years 

18 – 44 55,507 6.8 3.8 8.6 45 – 64 31,993 9.2 6.2 19.1 65 – 74 10,027 11.9 9.7 24.5 

75 – 84 7,171 11.1 10.2 26.8 85 and older 2,611 8.1 11.5 25.5 

Marital Status Married 57,068 8.4 5.0 14.6 Divorced/ Separated 14,743 8.8 7.3 17.1 

Widowed 11,986 11.0 9.6 26.9 

Never Married 23,513 6.6 6.0 9.9 Race/Ethnicity 

White/Other (non-Hispanic) 83,133 8.8 6.1 16.2 Black (non-Hispanic) 13,025 7.0 7.3 14.1 

 Hispanic 11,152 7.1 6.2 12.4 Education 

Less than 12 years 22,277 8.6 7.3 19.6 12 years 35,533 8.3 5.8 16.2 More than 12 years 48,802 8.4 5.9 13.5 Census Region 

Northeast 20,920 9.5 7.3 15.1 

Midwest 24,378 8.6 6.5 17.2 

 South 38,297 7.8 6.4 16.3 West 23,715 8.4 4.8 13.5 Rural-Urban 

 Metro 87,158 8.5 6.5 15.1 Near Metro 7,796 9.2 5.8 16.8 Near Rural 7,479 7.4 4.9 18.4 Rural 4,876 7.7 ----- 19.2 

26
Table 2. Use of Medical Services by Women—Ambulatory Care, Inpatient Hospital Stays and Prescription Drugs, 

United States, MEPS Data 2000 

Mean number Mean number 

Total Population (in thousands) 

ambulatory care visitsa 

of inpatient hospital daysb 

Mean number of prescriptionsc 

Health Insurance Status 

Under 65 yearsd

 Any private 68,123 7.6 4.0 11.8 

 Public only 8,018 11.2 5.3 23.3  Uninsured 11,360 5.6 6.8 10.8 

 Over 65 yr 

 Medicare only 6,736 10.0 11.1 24.1 

 Medicare & Private 10,579 11.6 9.5 24.2 

 Medicare & Other Public 2,396 12.5 11.4 35.2 

Incomee 

 Poor or Near Poor 17,146 9.0 6.9 19.9 

 Low Income 14,505 9.2 6.8 18.7 

 Middle Income 33,980 8.0 6.8 15.2 

High Income 41,679 8.3 4.7 13.4 

Self-reported Health Status Under 65 years Excellent, Very Good or Good 77,609 6.8 3.5 10.3 

 Fair or Poor 9,816 13.8 7.7 28.8  65 or Older  Excellent, Very Good or Good 14,400 9.8 10.0 21.7  Fair or Poor 5,177 15.0 10.5 35.5 

27
Table 2 

a. Ambulatory care visits include both physician and non-physician medical provider visits where patient is se

settings or clinics, hospital outpatient departments, emergency rooms (except visits resulting in an overnighclinics owned and operated by hospitals are included. Estimates of mean number of visits are conditional o

b. Inpatient stays include all hospital admissions including those that did not involve an overnight stay. Estim

of days are conditional on use. 

c. All prescribed medicines initially purchased or otherwise obtained during 2000, as well as refills and free s

Estimates of mean number of prescriptions are conditional on use. 

d. Uninsured refers to those uninsured during the entire year. Public and private insurance categories refer to 

public or private insurance at any time during the year; individuals with both public and private insurance aTRICARE (Armed Forces related coverage) are classified as having private insurance. 

e. Poor refers to incomes at or below the poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125% of the po

income, over 125% through 200% of the poverty line; middle income, over 200% through 400% of the povincome, over 400% of the poverty line. 

Note: Restricted to women 18 years and older in the civilian non-institutionalized population. 

 Percents may not add to one hundred due to rounding. 

 Population estimates by education and health status exclude less than 1.2 percent of cases due to item no

Source: Center for Financing Access and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare and Quality; Medical Expenditu

2000.

28
Table 3. Expenses for personal health services: Mean annual expense and distribution by type of service, women; United States, M

Type of service 

Population characteristics Percent with 

expense 

Mean expense 

per person with 

expense 

Inpatient 

hospital 

servicesa

Ambulatory 

physician 

contactsb

Prescription 

Drugsc

Home H

Percent distribution of expense 

Total 90.5 $3,219 33.9 33.5 19.1 4

Age in Years 

18 – 44 87.2 2,118 32.8 38.7 14.5 2

45 – 64 92.1 3,332 25.6 36.5 24.1 2

65 – 74 96.7 5,226 37.7 33.0 20.7 2

75 – 84 98.0 6,250 45.7 22.5 18.5 8

85 and older 95.9 6,893 46.1 15.4 14.6 2

Marital Status

 Married 91.8 3,129 33.7 36.3 18.2 1

Divorced/ Separated 90.2 3,258 29.1 34.9 21.9 3

Widowed 95.2 5,683 39.8 24.6 20.1 1

Never Married 85.1 2,023 29.9 35.1 17.9 6

Race/Ethnicity 

White/Other (non-Hispanic) 92.9 3,333 32.0 34.5 19.7 3

 Black (non-Hispanic) 83.7 3,060 45.8 26.5 15.1 7

Hispanic 80.4 2,434 37.7 32.5 18.3 3

Education

 Less than 12 years 87.5 3,928 41.7 28.4 19.3 5

12 years 89.2 3,141 33.1 33.5 20.7 4

 More than 12 years 92.8 2,892 29.8 36.9 18.2 2

Census Region

 Northeast 90.9 3,232 29.4 34.6 20.7 4

 Midwest 93.6 3,516 34.7 34.8 19.2 2

 South 89.0 3,119 38.1 30.2 19.7 3

West 89.3 3,049 30.1 36.3 16.3 7

Rural-Urban  Metro 90.2 3,152 33.8 33.7 18.8 3

Near Metro 90.8 3,594 34.1 37.4 18.3 2

Near Rural 93.7 3,537 33.6 27.4 21.4 1

 Rural 89.5 3,317 35.4 33.6 21.7 1

29
Table 3. Expenses for personal health services: Mean annual expense and distribution by type of service, women; United States, M

Type of service 

Mean expense Inpatient Ambulatory Home 

Population characteristics Percent with per person with hospital physician Health 

expense expense services contacts Rx Services 

Health Insurance Statusf

Percent distribution of expense 

Under 65 Years 

Any private 91.9 2,460 27.2 40.7 18.2 0.5 

 Public only 93.0 4,675 38.5 25.1 22.6 10.0 

Uninsured 68.6 1,512 28.5 34.5 22.0 3.3 

Over 65 Years 

 Medicare only 96.5 5,143 43.6 24.5 20.1 6.2  Medicare & Private 97.6 5,773 41.9 29.1 18.4 4.4 

Medicare & Other Public 96.5 7,822 38.2 20.4 19.1 20.3 

Incomeg

 Poor or Near Poor 86.8 3,923 44.1 24.0 20.6 6.6 

 Low Income 87.9 4,052 38.6 28.0 17.3 11.0 

 Middle Income 89.7 3,079 33.9 36.1 19.3 2.0 

High Income 93.5 2,787 26.0 39.1 19.0 1.5 

Self-reported Health Status 

Under 65 Years 

 Ex, Very Good or Good 88.3 2,088 26.7 40.1 17.9 0.9 

 Fair or Poor 94.3 6,138 34.8 31.8 22.6 6.1 

65 or Older 

 Ex, Very Good or Good 96.6 4,350 34.3 30.1 21.4 6.8 

 Fair or Poor 99.0 9,625 49.4 22.3 16.5 8.7 

30
Table 3 

a. Inpatient stays include all hospital admissions including those that did not involve an overnight stay. b. Ambulatory care visits include both physician and non-physician medical provider visits where patient 

settings or clinics, hospital outpatient departments, emergency rooms (except visits resulting in an overand clinics owned and operated by hospitals are included. 

c. All prescribed medicines initially purchased or otherwise obtained during 2000, as well as refills and fr

included. 

d. Home health includes care provided by home health agencies and independent home health providers. e. Other includes various other medical equipment, supplies and services purchased or rented during the yf. Uninsured refers to those uninsured during the entire year. Public and private insurance categories refe

public or private insurance at any time during the year; individuals with both public and private insuranTRICARE (Armed Forces related coverage) are classified as having private insurance. 

g. Poor refers to incomes at or below the poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125% of th

income, over 125% through 200% of the poverty line; middle income, over 200% through 400% of the high income, over 400% of the poverty line. 

Note: Restricted to women 18 years and older in the civilian non-institutionalized population. 

 Percents may not add to one hundred due to rounding.  Population estimates by education and health status exclude less than 1.2 percent of cases due to item noSource: Center for Financing Access and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare and Quality; Medical Expenditu2000. 

31
Table 4. Mean Expenditures and Sources of Payment for Health Services, Women: United States, MEPS Data 2000 

Source of Payment 

Mean Expense Private 

Percent with 

Expense 

per person with expenses 

Out of Pocket 

Health Insurancea Medicare Medicaid O

Percent distribution 

Total 90.5 $3,219 21.5 39.4 22.8 9.5 

Age in Years 

18 – 44 87.2 2,118 19.8 55.7 1.5 13.9 

45 – 64 92.1 3,332 24.9 51.9 7.1 9.0 

65 – 74 96.7 5,226 20.8 18.8 50.7 4.6 

75 – 84 98.0 6,250 19.4 9.4 60.2 6.6 

85 and older 95.9 6,893 20.7 7.8 60.3 7.9 

Marital Status 

Married 91.8 3,129 21.5 50.3 17.4 4.5 

Divorced/ Separated 90.2 3,258 22.2 34.6 18.6 15.7 

Widowed 95.2 5,683 20.7 14.1 49.4 10.2 

Never Married 85.1 2,023 22.3 40.5 6.1 21.8 

Race/Ethnicity 

White/Other (non-Hispanic) 92.9 3,333 22.8 40.7 23.0 7.4 

Black (non-Hispanic) 83.7 3,060 14.5 32.6 22.3 18.5 

Hispanic 80.4 2,434 18.1 34.3 20.1 20.4 

Education 

 Less than 12 years 87.5 3,928 17.3 20.5 35.3 18.4 

12 years 89.2 3,141 21.6 39.8 23.2 9.5 

 More than 12 years 92.8 2,892 24.4 51.2 14.8 3.5 

Census Region 

Northeast 90.9 3,232 22.1 35.6 26.2 11.5 

 Midwest 93.6 3,516 20.8 43.5 20.1 7.5 

 South 89.0 3,119 23.2 36.3 24.5 7.8 

West 89.3 3,049 19.3 42.8 20.0 12.8 

Rural-Urban  Metro 90.2 3,152 21.8 39.1 23.1 9.0 

Near Metro 90.8 3,594 21.1 42.9 22.3 7.9 

Near Rural 93.7 3,537 19.1 41.2 19.1 16.1 

 Rural 89.5 3,317 22.9 35.1 23.6 9.4 

32
Table 4. Expenditures and Source of Payment for Health Services, Women: United States, MEPS Data 2000 

Source of Payment 

Mean Expense per 

Percent with person with Out of 

Expense expenses Pocket Private Medicare Medicaid Oth

Percent distribution 

Health Insurance Statusd Under 65 yr 

Any private 91.9 2,460 22.6 70.1 1.2 1.3 

Public only 93.0 4,675 11.2 0.0 19.1 60.5 Uninsured 68.6 1,512 50.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 

Over 65 yr 

Medicare only 96.5 5,143 25.3 0.0 66.7 0.00 Medicare & private 97.6 5,773 20.2 25.1 52.6 0.9 Medicare and other public 96.5 7,822 11.4 0.0 49.5 33.6 

Incomee 

Poor or Near Poor 86.8 3,923 17.5 14.2 29.9 28.3 Low Income 87.9 4,052 18.7 23.4 35.2 17.5 Middle Income 89.7 3,079 20.3 46.9 20.4 3.5 High Income 93.5 2,787 26.1 53.9 15.0 0.8 

Self-reported Health Status 

Under 65 years 

Ex, Very Good or Good 88.3 2,088 24.3 60.3 1.0 7.8 Fair or Poor 94.3 6,138 17.5 38.1 12.6 20.3 

65 or older 

Ex, Very Good or Good 96.6 4,350 24.2 14.6 52.0 5.2 

Fair or Poor 99.0 9,625 16.0 11.4 61.5 7.0 

33
Table 4 

a. Private insurance includes TRICARE (Armed Forces related coverage). b. For source of payment, other public includes Department of Veterans Affairs (except TRICARE); other Fe

Health Service, Military Treatment facilities, and other care provided by the Federal government); various 

sources (community and neighborhood clinics, state and local health departments, and state programs other other public (Medicaid payments reported for persons who were not enrolled in the Medicaid program at anyear). 

c. For source of payment, other includes payments from Worker’s compensation; other unclassified sources (

homeowner’s, or liability insurance, and other miscellaneous or unknown sources); and other private insuraprivate insurance payments reported for people without private health insurance coverage during the years 

d. Uninsured refers to those uninsured during the entire year. Public and private insurance categories refer to 

public or private insurance at any time during the year; individuals with both public and private insurance aTRICARE (Armed Forces related coverage) are classified as having private insurance. 

e. Poor refers to incomes at or below the poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125% of the po

income, over 125% through 200% of the poverty line; middle income, over 200% through 400% of the povincome, over 400% of the poverty line. 

Note: Restricted to women 18 years and older in the civilian non-institutionalized population. 

 Percents may not add to one hundred due to rounding.  Population estimates by education and health status exclude less than 1.2 percent of cases due to item noSource: Center for Financing Access and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare and Quality; Medical Expenditu

2000.

34
Total 

Population No 

(in thousands) Income No Expense 0.01-0.99 1.00- 1.99 2.00-2.99 3.00-4.99 5.00

Total 107,310 0.8 12.2 49.4 13.1 6.6 5.9 6

Age in Years 

18 – 44 55,507 0.7 16.6 58.5 11.1 4.5 3.9 2

45 – 64 31,993 1.2 9.5 48.9 14.9 8.2 6.1 6

65 – 74 10,027 0.4 4.6 29.3 17.0 10.6 10.2 1375 – 84 7,171 1.2 4.2 18.0 14.9 10.5 12.9 17

85 and older 2,611 0.6 4.8 24.8 12.8 7.2 11.4 15

Marital Status

 Married 57,068 0.5 10.3 57.4 13.1 6.2 5.2 4

Divorced/ Separated 14,743 1.2 12.5 41.8 14.9 7.3 6.5 7

Widowed 11,986 1.4 5.6 21.3 14.4 9.5 12.7 13Never Married 23,513 1.2 19.9 49.0 11.3 5.9 3.9 4

Race/Ethnicity 

White/Other (non-Hispanic) 83,133 0.6 9.1 50.1 13.8 7.1 6.5 6

Black (non-Hispanic) 13,025 1.9 21.7 47.3 10.4 5.7 4.0 3

Hispanic 11,152 1.5 24.4 46.4 11.2 4.0 4.2 4

Education 

 Less than 12 years 22,277 1.6 16.7 36.9 11.6 7.7 7.7 7

12 years 35,533 0.9 13.7 47.4 12.8 6.1 5.8 6

More than 12 years 48,802 0.4 9.1 29.8 10.1 6.5 5.2 4

Census Region 

Northeast 20,920 0.9 12.2 49.9 12.0 6.5 6.0 6

Midwest 24,378 0.8 9.5 50.3 14.6 6.3 6.3 6

South 38,297 0.7 12.7 46.0 13.6 7.5 6.2 6

West 23,715 1.1 14.4 53.4 11.7 5.8 5.0 4

Table 5. Out-of-Pocket expenses for personal health services as a percent of family income, women; United States, MEPS Data 2

35
Metro 87,158 0.9 12.7 50.2 13.2 6.4 5.8 5.5 

Near Metro 7,796 0.6 11.6 44.2 13.8 8.2 7.3 7.6 

Near Rural 7,479 0.7 8.0 48.1 12.6 9.1 6.0 8.3 

Rural 4,876 1.0 12.1 45.8 10.7 5.3 5.7 7.7 

Health Insurance Statusa

Under 65Years 

Any private 68,123 0.2 10.0 61.6 13.0 5.8 4.4 3.1 

Public Only 8,018 3.9 21.5 33.8 9.7 6.1 6.9 7.8 

Uninsured 11,360 2.6 32.6 30.1 11.3 5.8 4.8 5.3 

Over 65 Years 

Medicare only 6,736 0.6 4.2 24.5 12.7 10.8 11.4 14.

Medicare & private 10,579 0.6 3.7 24.7 18.4 10.4 11.5 17.0 

Medicare and other public 2,396 1.4 7.9 25.2 13.1 6.5 9.0 11.5 

Incomeb

Poor or Near Poor 17,146 5.2 19.3 21.0 10.2 6.2 7.4 10.

Low Income 14,505 0.0 15.1 32.0 12.0 9.1 8.9 10.

Middle Income 33,980 0.0 12.2 48.4 15.8 7.8 6.7 6.6 

High Income 41,679 0.0 8.4 67.9 12.5 5.0 3.6 2.0 

Self-reported Health Status 

Under 65 years

Ex, Very Good or Good 77,609 0.7 14.7 57.9 12.4 5.4 4.0 2.9 

Fair or Poor 9,816 2.3 8.0 32.3 12.9 9.8 9.9 11.3 

65 or older 

Ex, Very Good or Good 14,400 0.7 5.1 27.0 16.7 9.9 11.5 15.3 

Fair or Poor 5,177 0.6 1.6 17.8 13.7 10.4 11.0 15.7 

Rural-Urban 

Population Income Expense 0.01-0.99 1.00--1.99 2.00-2.99 3.00-4.99 5.00-9

 Percent distribution

Total No No 

Table 5. Out-of-Pocket expenses for personal health services as a percent of family income, women; United States, MEPS Data 2

Annual out-of-pocket expenses as a percent of family income 

36
Table 5 

a. Uninsured refers to those uninsured during the entire year. Public and private insurance categories refer to 

public or private insurance at any time during the year; individuals with both public and private insurance aTRICARE (Armed Forces related coverage) are classified as having private insurance. 

b. Poor refers to incomes at or below the poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125% of the po

income, over 125% through 200% of the poverty line; middle income, over 200% through 400% of the povincome, over 400% of the poverty line. 

Note: Restricted to women 18 years and older in the civilian non-institutionalized population. 

 Percents may not add to one hundred due to rounding.  Population estimates by education and health status exclude less than 1.2 percent of cases due to item noSource: Center for Financing Access and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare and Quality; Medical Expenditu2000. 

37