The ranks of the uninsured have leveled off, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
In 2004, 42 million Americans of all ages lacked health insurance, about the same level as in 1997, the first year this survey began tracking these statistics. One in five adults (aged 18–64 years) were without health insurance last year; this also leveled off in 2004. Coverage for children improved: 7 million children under 18 years lacked health insurance in 2004, compared with 10 million children in 1997.
Joyce Frieden