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Current Population Survey (CPS) Health Insurance Coverage Recoding Programming Code

This document shows how our computer program takes some key edited health insurance variables and recodes them into the variables we use most often to prepare our tables and reports.

For a detailed description of all CPS ASEC variables in a data dictionary, go to: //www.census.gov/apsd/techdoc/cps/cps-main.html



Using Data from 2014 CPS ASEC and later years

Private Health Insurance Status
Variable: COV_HI

    IF HI, DEPHI, PRIV, DEPRIV or OUT = 1 = 10-15
    THEN COV_HI = 1   "yes"
    ELSE COV_HI = 2   "no"

Medicare Status
Variable: MCARE

    IF CARE = 1
    THEN MCARE = 1
    ELSE MCARE = 2

Medicaid Status
Variable: MCAID

    IF CAID = 1 or PCHIP = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 2, 7, 9 or 15
    THEN MCAID =1
    ELSE MCAID = 2

Military Health Care Status
Variable: CHAMP

    IF OTYP(_1),(_2),(_3), or (_5) = 1
    THEN CHAMP = 1
    ELSE CHAMP = 2


Using Data from the 2001 CPS ASEC to 2013 CPS ASEC

Private Health Insurance Status
Variable: COV_HI

    IF HI, DEPHI, PRIV, DEPRIV or OUT = 1, or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 10-14, or AHITYP(1-6) = 10-15
    THEN COV_HI = 1   "yes"
    ELSE COV_HI = 2   "no"

Employment-based (Group) Health Insurance Status
Variable: COV_GH

    IF HI or DEPHI = 1, or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 10-11, or AHITYP(1-6) = 10-11
    THEN COV_GH = 1
    ELSE COV_GH = 2

Medicare Status
Variable: MCARE

    IF CARE = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 1 or AHITYP(1-6) = 1
    THEN MCARE = 1
    ELSE MCARE = 2

Medicaid Status
Variable: MCAID
IF CAID = 1 or PCHIP = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 2, 7, 9 or 15, or AHITYP(1-6) = 2,7 or 9


Military Health Care Status
Variable: CHAMP

    IF OTYP(_1),(_2),(_3), or (_5) = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 3-6 or AHITYP(1-6) = 3-6
    THEN CHAMP = 1
    ELSE CHAMP = 2


Using Data from the 2000 CPS ASEC

Private Health Insurance Status
Variable: COV_HI

    IF HI, DEPHI, PRIV, DEPRIV or OUT = 1, or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 9-13, or AHITYP(1-6) = 9-14
    THEN COV_HI = 1   "yes"
    ELSE COV_HI = 2   "no"

Employment-based (Group) Health Insurance Status
Variable: COV_GH

    IF HI or DEPHI = 1, or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 9-10, or AHITYP(1-6) = 9-10
    THEN COV_GH = 1
    ELSE COV_GH = 2

Medicare Status
Variable: MCARE

    IF CARE = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 1 or AHITYP(1-6) = 1
    THEN MCARE = 1
    ELSE MCARE = 2

Medicaid Status
Variable: MCAID

    IF CAID = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 2, 8, or 14, or AHITYP(1-6) = 2 or 8
    THEN MCAID =1
    ELSE MCAID = 2

Military Health Care Status
Variable: CHAMP

    IF OTYP(_1),(_2),(_3), or (_5) = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 3-6 or AHITYP(1-6) = 3-6
    THEN CHAMP = 1
    ELSE CHAMP = 2


Using Data from the 1995 CPS ASEC to 1999* CPS ASEC

Private Health Insurance Status
Variable: COV_HI

    IF HI, DEPHI, PRIV, DEPRIV or OUT = 1, or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 9-13
    THEN COV_HI = 1   "yes"
    ELSE COV_HI = 2   "no"

Employment-based (Group) Health Insurance Status




Medicare Status
Variable: MCARE

    IF CARE = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 1
    THEN MCARE = 1
    ELSE MCARE = 2

Medicaid Status
Variable: MCAID

    IF CAID = 1 or OTYP4 = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 2, 7, 8 or 14
    THEN MCAID =1
    ELSE MCAID = 2

Military Health Care Status
Variable: CHAMP

    IF OTYP(_1),(_2),(_3), or (_5) = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 3-6
    THEN CHAMP = 1
    ELSE CHAMP = 2

*Note: Beginning with the March 1998 CPS, people with no coverage other than access to Indian Health Service are no longer considered covered by health insurance. To reflect this change, you can substitute the following statement for MCAID when using CPS March 1998 or 1999 data files:

    IF CAID = 1 or OTHSTYP(1-6) = 2, 8, or 14

Page Last Revised - December 16, 2021
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