The Census Bureau broadly classifies health insurance coverage as either Private (non-government) coverage or Government-sponsored coverage.
Private Health Insurance: Private health insurance is coverage by a health plan provided through an employer or union or purchased by an individual from a private health insurance company.
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Employment-based plans: Employment-based health insurance is coverage offered through one’s own employment or a relative’s. It may be offered by an employer or by a union.
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Own Employment-based plans: Own employment-based health insurance is coverage offered through one’s own employment and only the policyholder is covered by the plan.
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Direct-purchase plans: Direct-purchase health insurance is coverage though a plan purchased by an individual from a private company.
Government Health Insurance: Government health insurance includes plans funded by governments as the federal, state, or local level. The major categories of government health insurance are medicare, medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), military health care, state plans, and the Indian Health Service.
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Medicare: Medicare is the Federal program which helps pay health care costs for people 65 and older and for certain people under 65 with long-term disabilities.
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Medicaid: Medicaid is a program administered at the state level, which provides medical assistance to the needy. Families with dependent children, the aged, blind, and disabled who are in financial need are eligible for Medicaid. It may be known by different names in different states.
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SCHIP: SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, is a program administered at the state level, providing health care to low-income children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid. SCHIP may be known by different names in different states.
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Military health care: Military health care includes TRICARE/CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services) and CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs), as well as care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
