Health insurance is a critical factor in making health care accessible to women. Women with coverage are more likely to obtain preventive, primary, and specialty care services, and have better access to many of the new advances in women's health. Most of the 95 million women ages 18 to 64 have some form of coverage. However, the patchwork of different private sector and publicly-funded programs in the U.S. leaves nearly one in five non-elderly women uninsured. Nearly all women 65 and older are covered by Medicare.

This fact sheet provides updated statistics on health coverage and describes the major sources of health insurance for non-elderly adult women ages 18–64, including employer-sponsored coverage, Medicaid, individually purchased insurance, and Medicare. It also summarizes the major policy challenges facing women in obtaining health coverage, and provides data on the more than 17 million women who are uninsured.

Fact Sheet: October 2009 (.pdf)

Previous Versions:

 October 2008 (.pdf)

 December 2007 (.pdf)

 February 2007 (.pdf)

 March 2006 (.pdf)

 November 2004 (.pdf)

 June 2004 (.pdf)

 July 2001 (.pdf)