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Current Population Survey (CPS) Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage

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 March 1988 CPS), or as a starting point to generate estimates based on a sub-population of your own interest.

Health insurance coverage status

    if cov_hi = 1 or mcare = 1 or mcaid = 1 or champ = 1 then assign 1
    else assign 2

    1 = covered/insured
    2 = not covered/uninsured

  •  

      Note: If you are using data from 1994 CPS or earlier years, substitute this variation: if cov_hi = 1 or mcare = 1 or mcaid = 1 or champ = 1 or ch_mc = 1 or ch_hi= 1 or ch_hi = 2 then assign 1 else assign 2

Private health insurance (coverage through an employment-based or direct-purchase plan)

    if cov_hi =1 then assign 1
    else assign 2

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

  •  

      Note: If you are using data from 1994 CPS or earlier years, substitute this variation: if cov_hi =1 or ch_hi =1 or ch_hi = 2 then assign 1 else assign 2

Employment-based health insurance (provided through employer or union)

    if hi = 1 or dephi = 1 or (out = 1 and outtyp = 1) then assign 1
    else assign 2

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

  •  

      Note: If you are using data from the 2013 CPS or earlier, substitute this variation: if cov_gh =1 or ch_hi = 2 then assign 1 else assign 2

Direct-purchase health insurance (purchased by an individual from a private insurance company or through an exchange)

    if priv = 1 or depriv = 1 or (out = 1 and outtyp = 2) then assign 1
    else assign 2

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

  •  

      Note: If you are using the data from the 2001 CPS to the 2013 CPS, substitute this variation: if priv = 1 or depriv = 1 or othstyp* = (12 or 13) or ahityp* = (12, 13, or 15)

      Note: If you are using data from the 2000 CPS, substitute this variation: if priv = 1 or depriv = 1 or othstyp* = (11 or 12) or ahityp* = (11, 12, or 14) then assign 1 else assign 2

      Note: If you are using data from the 1999 CPS or earlier years, substitute this variation: if priv = 1 or depriv = 1 or othstyp* = (11 or 12) then assign 1 else assign 2

Government health insurance program

    if mcare = 1 or mcaid =1 or champ = 1 then assign 1
    else assign 2

    1 = covered by a government health insurance program
    2 = not covered by a government health insurance program

Medicare

    if mcare = 1 then assign 1
    else assign 2

    1 = covered by Medicare
    2 = not covered by Medicare

Medicaid (includes coverage by any state-sponsored plan: Medicaid, CHIP, or other state plan)

    if mcaid = 1 = 1 then assign 1
    else assign 2

    1 = covered Medicaid
    2 = not covered Medicaid

Military health care (includes coverage by TRICARE, CHAMPVA, or VA Care)

    if champ = 1 then assign 1
    else assign 2

    1 = covered by a military health care plan
    2 = not covered by a military health care plan

* interviewers can report up to 6 coverage types per respondent from the question.

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
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