Health Care Figures

NOTE: A child was considered uninsured if he or she did not have any private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a state-sponsored or other government-sponsored health plan, or a military plan. A child also was defined as uninsured if he or she had only Indian Health Service coverage or had only a private plan that paid for one type of service, such as accidents or dental care. Private health insurance includes children covered by any comprehensive private insurance plan (including health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations). These plans include those obtained through an employer, purchased directly, purchased through local or community programs, or purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace or a state-based exchange. Public health insurance includes children who do not have private coverage but who have Medicaid or other state-sponsored health plans, including CHIP. In 2019, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) questionnaire was redesigned, and other changes were made to weighting and design methodology. Therefore, data for 2019 onward are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years. For more information on the 2019 NHIS redesign, see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/2019_quest_redesign.htm.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.

NOTE: In 2019, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) questionnaire was redesigned, and other changes were made to weighting and design methodology. Starting in 2019, usual source of health care is based on the following question: "Is there a place that [child's name] USUALLY goes when [he is/she is/they are] sick and needs health care?" A follow-up question specified that these places may be a doctor's office or health center, an urgent care center, a clinic in a drug store or grocery store, a hospital emergency room, or some other place. Emergency rooms as a usual source of care were excluded. Due to the changes to the survey design and the specific question on usual source of care, data for 2019 onward are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years. For more information on the 2019 NHIS redesign, see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/2019_quest_redesign.htm. A child was considered uninsured if he or she did not have any private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), state-sponsored or other government-sponsored health plan, or a military plan. A child was also defined as uninsured if he or she had only Indian Health Service coverage or had only a private plan that paid for one type of service, such as accidents or dental care. Private health insurance includes children covered by any comprehensive private insurance plan (including health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations). These plans include those obtained through an employer, purchased directly, purchased through local or community programs, or purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace or a state-based exchange. Public health insurance includes children who do not have private coverage but who have Medicaid or other state-sponsored health plans, including CHIP.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.

NOTE: The combined 7-vaccine series consists of 4 doses (or more) of diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, and pertussis (DTP) vaccines, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (DT), or diphtheria, tetanus toxoids, and any acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines; 3 doses (or more) of poliovirus vaccines; 1 dose (or more) of any measles-containing vaccine; the full series of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines (3 or 4 doses, depending on product type); 3 doses (or more) of hepatitis B vaccines; 1 dose (or more) of varicella vaccine; and 4 doses (or more) of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV). The recommended immunization schedule for children is available at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html. Poverty status is based on family income and household size using U.S. Census Bureau poverty thresholds for the year of data collection. Data for the 2018 birth year are from survey years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, National Immunization Survey—Child.

NOTE: Before 2019, children were identified as having a dental visit in the past year by asking parents, "About how long has it been since [child's name] last saw a dentist?" Parents were directed to include all types of dentists, such as orthodontists, oral surgeons, and all other dental specialists, as well as dental hygienists. Starting in 2019, children are identified as having a dental visit in the past year by asking parents, "About how long has it been since [child's name] last had a dental examination or cleaning?" Parents are directed to include cleanings from all types of dental care providers, such as dentists, orthodontists, oral surgeons, dental hygienists, and all other specialists. In 2019, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) questionnaire was redesigned. Although the wording of the question identifying dental visits in the past year changed slightly in 2019, this change did not impact the measurement of dental visits. However, due to other changes to weighting and design methodology starting with the 2019 NHIS, data for 2019 onward are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years. Questions about dental care are on a rotating core scheduled to appear on the questionnaire for two consecutive years every three years starting in 2019. For more information on the 2019 NHIS redesign, see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/2019_quest_redesign.htm.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.

NOTE: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, data collection for the 2019–2020 cycle was not completed. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the 2017–2018 cycle to create a 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic file. This file covers 3.2 years of data collection. For more information, see: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/overviewbrief.aspx?Cycle=2017-2020.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.