What is behind the 8 percent drop in uninsurance: changes in CPS health insurance measurement and the effect on state policy

What is behind the 8 percent drop in uninsurance: changes in CPS health insurance measurement and the effect on state policy

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Series Title(s):
Issue brief (State Health Access Data Assistance Center, University of Minnesota)
Contributor(s):
State Health Access Data Assistance Center, University of Minnesota.
Publication:
[Minneapolis, Minn.] : State Health Access Data Assistance Center, University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, [2002]
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Health Care Surveys -- methods
Health Policy
Insurance Coverage -- statistics & numerical data
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
In March 2000, the Census Bureau added a verification component to the Current Population Survey (CPS) health insurance module. For the first time, respondents were asked directly whether they were uninsured. The Census Bureau found that using the verification items results in a more accurate estimate of the rate of uninsurance. Without the verification question, the 1999 estimate of the number of uninsured was 42.6 million; with the verification question, the 1999 estimate of the uninsured population was 39.3 million, a decrease of 7.7 percent. The change is attributable to a modification in how coverage is measured and does not represent an actual reduction in the rate of uninsurance. This issue brief describes the change in the Census Bureau's approach to estimating the number of uninsured, and the effect of the change on state policy.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-DC license. (More information)
Extent:
[4] leaves.
NLM Unique ID:
101259646 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101259646