This document shows how we create health insurance estimates for the different types of coverage reported in our tables and reports. You can use the code to duplicate our published estimates (for any year since the 2008 ACS), or as a starting point to generate estimates based on a sub-population of your own interest.

Health insurance coverage status = HICOV

if HINS1= 1 or HINS2 = 1 or HINS3 = 1 or HINS4= 1 or HINS5= 1 or HINS6= 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered/insured
2 = not covered/uninsured

Private health insurance / Private coverage = PRIVCOV (coverage through an employer or union plan, a direct-purchase plan, or TRICARE/CHAMPUS)

if HINS1= 1 or HINS2 = 1 or HINS5= 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered by private health insurance
2 = not covered by private health insurance

Public coverage = PUBCOV (coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or other means-tested public coverage, or VA Health Care)

If HINS3 = 1 or HINS4= 1 or HINS6= 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered by a public coverage program
2 = not covered by a public coverage program

Employer-based health insurance = HINS1 (coverage through a current or former employer or union)

if HINS1= 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered by employer-based health insurance
2 = not covered by employer-based health insurance

Direct-purchase health insurance = HINS2 (purchased directly by an individual from a private insurance company)

if HINS2= 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered by direct-purchase health insurance
2 = not covered by direct-purchase health insurance

Medicare = HINS3 (coverage for people 65 and older, or people with certain disabilities)

if HINS3= 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered by Medicare health insurance
2 = not covered by Medicare health insurance

Medicaid or other means-tested public coverage = HINS4 (coverage through Medicaid, Medical Assistance, or any kind of government-assistance plan for those with low incomes or a disability)

if HINS4 = 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered Medicaid or other means-tested public coverage
2 = not covered Medicaid or other means-tested public coverage

TRICARE or other military health coverage = HINS5 (coverage through TRICARE, CHAMPUS or active-duty military health coverage)

if HINS5= 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered by TRICARE or other military health coverage
2 = not covered by TRICARE or other military health coverage

VA Health Care = HINS6 (CHAMPVA, including those who have ever used or enrolled in VA Health Care)

if HINS6 = 1 then assign 1
else assign 2

1 = covered by VA Health Care
2 = not covered by VA Health Care