Who Are the Uninsured in Illinois?

This was written in 2001 as an analysis of the state of healthcare in Illinois in the year 2000. We think it's appropriate to continue to publish it, for the purposes of comparison. The statistics have grown even more dramatic now, two years later.

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In General:

  • Roughly 1 in 7 people (1,690,000) in Illinois do not have health insurance
  • 1 in 5 people (690,000) in the City of Chicago do not have health insurance
  • More than 1 in 10 people (570,000) who live in the Chicago suburbs are uninsured

By Ethnicity:

  • Nearly 1 in 10 whites (9.2%) in Illinois are uninsured
  • 1 out of every 3 Latinos (30.9%) in the Chicago Metro Area do not have health insurance
  • 1 in 4 African Americans (24.5%) living in the Chicago Metro Area lack health insurance
  • 41.7% (180,000) of all Non US Citizens of all races living in the City of Chicago do not have health insurance

By Income Level:

  • Among households in the Chicago suburbs with income more than $50,000 per year there are more than one-quarter million uninsured households (270,000)
  • One quarter of all households in Illinois with income less than $25,000 per year are uninsured (25.3%)
  • More than 1 in 5 children (ages 17 and younger) in the Chicago Metro Area living in families who are within 200% of the Federal Poverty Level do not have health insurance (22.3%)

By Work Status:

  • 1 in 5 workers in Illinois employed by firms with 100 to 1000 employees do not have health insurance (510,000)
  • 1 out of every 7 full time working adults in Illinois are uninsured (14.1%)
  • 1 in 5 part time working adults in the Chicago Metro Area do not have health insurance (23.6%)
  • Nearly 1 in 4 adults in the Chicago Metro Area who work for businesses with less than 100 employees are not insured (23.6%)


By Age:

  • Among Illinois children ages 17 and under of all income levels, 1 in 10 do not have health insurance (10.6%)
  • There are more than ½ million uninsured young adults ages 18-29 in Illinois (520,000)
  • More than 1 in 7 adults in Illinois between the ages of 55-64 are uninsured (13.0%)

 

A Young Adults Age 18-29-520,000 Uninsured
(24.1% of All Young Adults)
B Adults Age 55-64-130,000 Uninsured
(13% of Illinois Adults of these Ages)
C Households with Income under $25,000-640,000 Uninsured
(25.3% of Households Under $25000)
D Suburban* Households over $50,000-270,000 Uninsured
(7.5% of all Households* over $50,000)
E People of Color-960,000 Uninsured
(24.6% of All People of Color in Illinois)
F Employees of Firms with Fewer than 100 Employees-
510,000 Uninsured (21.1% of Workers in Small Businesses)
G Children**-260,000 Uninsured
(18.7% of Children**)

Estimated Number of Uninsured in Illinois, 2000: 1,690,000 (13.4%)
*Refers to Chicago Suburban Households
** Children in families with income below 200 percent of federal poverty line
Sources: Current Population Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Prepared by Danielle Walters, MPH, for the Gilead Outreach and Referral Center with Northwestern University 10/2001.