Codes and Frequencies
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Description
For persons who did not have health insurance coverage (in the previous month) through Medicare, private insurance (which included single service plans), military health care, the Indian Health Service, or Medicaid or other public assistance, this variable indicates whether the person did not have insurance because the employer did not offer family coverage. Respondents were handed a card which listed reasons or could specify "other," and were asked to pick all that applied.
For 1993 to 1996, persons may have had coverage through "some other plan" as indicated by this response category on the card. Individuals may also have received health care through Aid to Families with Dependent Children or received Supplemental Security Income and such recipients were automatically covered by Medicaid. In other words, the individual was not necessarily uninsured.
Persons with single service insurance plans are not included in the universe (they were not asked reasons for no insurance). Individuals with such plans were considered to be covered by insurance.
Comparability
Apart from changes in the universe, this variable is comparable over time. Persons with single service insurance plans are not included in the universe (they were not asked reasons for no insurance). Individuals with such plans were considered to be covered by insurance.
Users should not compare this variable with variables for reasons for no insurance for 1997 forward. HINORFAMCOV is not directly comparable with variables for 1997 forward, such as HISTOP8), which indicates the employer does not offer coverage. Persons with single service insurance plans are not included in the universe (they were not asked reasons for no insurance). Individuals with such plans were considered to be covered by insurance. In addition, respondents in the 1993 or 1996 surveys may have been covered by "some other plan," or were covered through Aid to Families with Dependent Children or received Supplement Security Income, because persons in those programs were automatically enrolled in Medicaid.
Users who wish to compare HINORFAMCOV with surveys for 1997 forward should see the variable HINOFAMR,which indicates an employment-related reason for no insurance and has been recoded to increase comparability over time.
[show more]In addition to comparability issues above, for 1997 forward, the NCHS began editing the insurance coverage variables to ensure accuracy (see variable description for HINOTCOVE, for example). During the course of data editing, the NCHS discovered many errors in the responses to questions about insurance coverage. Often, respondents misclassified the type of insurance they had. This might be shown, for example, by a mismatch between the verbatim name of an insurance plan and the type of insurance coverage the person selected from the categories on the card. The variables for 1997 forward reflect editing that ensured the individual lacked any insurance coverage.
Other differences which reduce comparability are changes in the universe. For 1997 the universe includes only those without insurance for less than 3 years and for all years from 1997 forward, those with single service plans are asked about reasons for no insurance.
Universe
- 1993: Persons in quarters 3 or 4 not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, other public assistance, Indian Health insurance, CHAMPUS/CHAMP-VA, other military health care, or any private health insurance plan.
- 1994-1996: Persons not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, other public assistance, Indian Health insurance, CHAMPUS/CHAMP-VA, other military health care, or any private health insurance plan.
Availability
- 1993-1996
Weights
- 1994-1996 : PERWEIGHT
- 1993 : SAMPWEIGHT
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