Health insurance coverage improves for American children. (Recent Health Care Developments).

Fewer children in the United States lacked health insurance in the first half of 2001 than at any other time in the past 4 years, according to the latest survey of insurance coverage from the CDC. Overall, some 11.2 percent of children under 18 years of age were without health insurance coverage,

The CDC survey also found that the percent of children with public coverage rose from 20 percent in 1998 to 23.1 percent by January-June 2001. Children were more than twice as likely as adults aged 18-64 to have public coverage.

In the overall population, 14.1 percent--approximately 38.9 million Americans of all ages--were without health insurance coverage in the first half of 2001, down from 15.4 percent in 1997, meaning about 2 million fewer Americans lacked health insurance by early 2001. Working-age adults were more likely than seniors or children to lack health insurance coverage, with 17.9 percent of those aged 18-64 without coverage.

In early 2001, approximately one in three Hispanics lacked health insurance, a far greater percent than the non-Hispanic black population, at 18.8 percent, and non-Hispanic white population, at 10 percent.

Lack of health insurance coverage is 1 of the 11 health indicators covered by the Early Release Program of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a household interview survey conducted annually by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Findings for January-June 2001 should be considered preliminary. Other indicators include influenza vaccination, pneumococcal vaccination, obesity, leisure time physical activity, health status, smoking, alcohol consumption, HIV testing, having a usual source of medical care, and obtaining needed medical care.