The MEPS is a nationally representative survey that collects detailed information on health status, health care use and expenses, and health insurance coverage of individuals and families in the United States. Estimates derived from MEPS data on noninstitutionalized children under 18 years of age indicated 15.4 percent of children had no health insurance during the first half of 1996, 20.8 percent had public coverage, and 63.9 percent had private health insurance. Hispanic children were the most likely to be uninsured, and white children were the most likely to have private health insurance. About 25 percent of children lived in single-parent families, and 19.8 percent of these families were uninsured. Children in single-parent families were three times more likely to have public insurance than children in two-parent families. Children living with two working parents were the most likely to have employment-related private health insurance. Adult educational level greatly influenced the probability of children being insured. Medicaid expansions between 1987 and 1996 resulted in more generous eligibility rules for children. During the same period, the proportion of children covered by Medicaid increased from 12.4 percent to 20.9 percent. Children between 13 and 17 years of age were less likely than younger children to have a usual source of health care. Hispanic and black children were less likely than white children to have a usual source of care and were less likely to have an office-based usual source of care. Of the 8.8 percent of children who had no usual source of care, about 70 percent seldom or never got sick and 10 percent could not afford medical care. Approximately 12.8 million families experienced difficulty or delay in obtaining health care. Roughly 80 percent of children were in excellent or very good health, children's health status varied by racial and ethnic group, and public coverage was a critical factor in providing insurance for children with health problems. 6 references, 4 notes, and 14 figures