The name is absent

Table 1: Distribution of private hospital cover choice categories in
2004 (Wave 4)

	________N_______	Sample %_____
Joined prior to lifetime health cover	3,539	38.5%
Joined in 2000 in response to LHC	567	6.2%
Joined after 2000	448	4.9%
Left after 2000	424	4.6%
Left prior to 2000	1,857	20.2%
Never held private hospital cover__________	________2,361_______	25.7%_______

Table 2: Comparison of selected demographic, financial, family
and health variables in 2001 (Wave1) across private hospital
cover groups

HILDA WAVE1 variables	Joined Prior	Joined Because of LHC	Joined After	Left After	Left Prior	Never	Total
N	3,539	567	448	424	1,857	2,361	9,196
%______________	38.5%	6.2%	4.9%	4.6%	20.2%	25.7%	100.0%
Mean age (years)	49.3	42.4	36.7	41.8	53.0	39.8	46.2
Female (%)	55.0	50.8	55.4	55.2	54.8	51.3	53.7
Major city (%)	63.7	62.3	69.2	59.2	46.0	51.9	57.1
Couple with children	36.2	51.2	27.5	31.8	25.6	33.6	33.7
Single no children Tertiary qualification	18.3	16.6	31.5	31.1	29.4	34.7	25.9
(%)	27.7	34.7	32.8	16.8	8.8	13.1	20.3
Smoker (%)	13.1	16.6	20.8	29.4	25.5	35.8	22.6
Long term health problem/disability (%) Self-assessed health	18.7	13.1	17.2	24.5	35.2	23.4	23.1
good or better (%)	87.9	88.9	92.1	85.6	74.9	81.2	83.7
Born in Australia	79.2	77.4	70.8	79.3	77.8	71.7	76.5
Self-reported finance worse prior 12 mths (%)	2.4	2.5	1.6	7.8	4.1	3.3	3.2
Household wages ($)	$60,130	$70,241	$61,341	$46,763	$25,717	$32,599	$46,179
Individual benefits	$1,886	$1,159	$1,995	$3,171	$5,787	$5,116	$3,523
Change in house wages 2001-02 ($)	$345	$3,183	$6,939	-$4,576	-$297	$634	$559
Change in household benefits 2001-02 ($)	$396	$307	-$553	$1,077	$628	$511	$452