Table 2

This report contains estimates of mental health treatment expenditures and selected population characteristics by health insurance status among low income individuals in the community population from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).

Table 2. Sociodemographic characteristics, mental health utilization and expenditures by insurance coverage, adults aged 18-64 with family incomes less than 150 percent of poverty, civilian non-institutionalized population, 2004-2006

Characteristics	Medicare	Private	Medicaid	Uninsured part-year	Uninsured full-year	Total
Total Population Aged 18-64 under ≤150% of FPL
2006 Population (1000s)	3,119	9,474	6,784	8,318	15,604	43,300
% white	61.8%	63.5%	44.4%	53.4%	44.2%	51.4%
% black	22.9%	16.1%	27.5%	20.3%	16.7%	19.5%
% Hispanic	11.4%	14.1%	22.7%	20.7%	34.2%	23.8%
% other race/ethnicity	3.9%	6.2%	5.4%	5.6%	4.8%	5.3%
% rural (non-MSA)	23.3%	17.6%	17.8%	18.9%	19.4%	18.9%
% poor or fair physical health	71.3%	16.1%	39.9%	25.6%	22.9%	28.1%
% poor/fair mental health	53.6%	9.7%	30.0%	16.6%	15.1%	19.4%
% serious psychological distress	27.7%	5.1%	16.8%	11.3%	9.3%	11.3%
mean per capita MH spending $ 2006	$1,520	$185	$652	$232	$113	$338
% with any MH treatment	46.1%	14.0%	25.0%	14.1%	7.5%	15.7%
mean MH expenditures if treatment	$3,246	$1,309	$2,625	$1,840	$1,495	$2,181
% with Medicaid coverage	62.4%	4.3%	100.0%	49.7%	0.0%	31.6%
% of MH spending paid by Medicaid	31.8%	----^a	87.5%	32.8%	0.0%	43.1%
Serious Psychological Distress (K6≥13)
% white	63.2%	63.3%	50.0%	58.7%	58.3%	57.6%
% black	20.9%	15.2%	23.4%	17.5%	17.0%	19.2%
% Hispanic	13.1%	14.2%	21.9%	16.2%	21.6%	18.5%
% other race/ethnicity	----^a	----^a	----^a	----^a	----^a	4.7%
% rural (non-MSA)	25.2%	22.9%	18.4%	21.8%	22.6%	21.9%
% poor or fair physical health	88.7%	49.1%	75.4%	59.9%	55.7%	66.3%
% poor/fair mental health	82.5%	48.8%	71.9%	58.8%	52.7%	63.3%
mean per capita MH spending $ 2006	$2,650	$804	$1,698	$1,003	$490	$1,282
% with any MH treatment	67.9%	41.6%	58.2%	42.4%	26.7%	45.9%
mean MH expenditures if treatment	$3,902	$1,930	$2,917	$2,367	$1,836	$2,793
% with Medicaid coverage	66.0%	9.8%	100.0%	65.7%	0.0%	49.4%
% of MH spending paid by Medicaid	30.4%	----^a	86.6%	27.7%	0.0%	43.4%
No Serious Psychological Distress (K6<13)
% white	61.2%	63.6%	43.3%	52.8%	42.8%	50.6%
% black	23.7%	16.2%	28.3%	20.7%	16.7%	19.6%
% Hispanic	10.7%	14.1%	22.9%	21.2%	35.5%	24.5%
% other race/ethnicity	4.3%	6.1%	5.5%	5.3%	5.0%	5.3%
% rural (non-MSA)	22.6%	17.4%	17.6%	18.6%	19.1%	18.6%
% poor or fair physical health	64.7%	14.4%	32.7%	21.2%	19.5%	23.3%
% poor/fair mental health	42.6%	7.6%	21.6%	11.2%	11.2%	13.7%
mean per capita MH spending $ 2006	$1,088	$152	$440	$135	$74	$217
% with any MH treatment	37.8%	12.6%	18.2%	10.5%	5.6%	11.9%
mean MH expenditures if treatment	$2,880	$1,208	$2,410	$1,283	$1,331	$1,828
% with Medicaid coverage	60.6%	3.9%	100.0%	47.2%	0.0%	29.0%
% of MH spending paid by Medicaid	31.1%	----^a	87.5%	44.1%	0.0%	42.4%

Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2004-2006, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
a. Cell suppressed because it does not meet AHRQ standards for statistical reliability.

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Page last reviewed May 2009

Internet Citation: Table 2. May 2009. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://archive.ahrq.gov/policymakers/health-initiatives/meps/lowinc/lowinctab2.html