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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2008.152413v1 99/12/2282    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chou, C.-F. Articles by Blewett, L. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chou, C.-F. Articles by Blewett, L. A. Related Collections Health Administration Insurance Health Professionals Public Health Workers

Chiu-Fang Chou, DrPH, Pamela Jo Johnson, PhD, MPH, Andrew Ward, PhD, MPH and Lynn A. Blewett, PhD

At the time of the study, all authors were with the Division of Health Policy and Management and the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Andrew Ward was also with the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota.

Correspondence: Correspondence should be sent to Chiu-Fang Chou, DrPH, Division of Health Policy and Management and the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 2221 University Ave SE, Suite 345, Minneapolis, MN 55414 (e-mail: cchou{at}cdc.gov). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints/Eprints" link.

Objectives. We examined rates of uninsurance among workers in the US health care workforce by health care industry subtype and workforce category.

Methods. We used 2004 to 2006 National Health Interview Survey data to assess health insurance coverage rates. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the odds of uninsurance among health care workers by industry subtype.

Results. Overall, 11% of the US health care workforce is uninsured. Ambulatory care workers were 3.1 times as likely as hospital workers (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.3, 4.3) to be uninsured, and residential care workers were 4.3 times as likely to be uninsured (95% CI = 3.0, 6.1). Health service workers had 50% greater odds of being uninsured relative to workers in health diagnosing and treating occupations (odds ratio [OR] = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.0, 2.4).

Conclusions. Because uninsurance leads to delays in seeking care, fewer prevention visits, and poorer health status, the fact that nearly 1 in 8 health care workers lacks insurance coverage is cause for concern.