Description

For sample adults and sample children who currently have at least one private health insurance plan (HIPRIVATEE) and whose first private insurance plan is not obtained through their workplace or the Affordable Care Act (HIP1HOWGOT), PRIVXCHG1 reports if the person's first private health insurance plan was obtained through a state or federal insurance marketplace (e.g. Healthcare.gov or a state Health Insurance Marketplace). Prior to 2019, this variable was available for all persons with private insurance that was not obtained through their workplace or the Affordable Care Act.

The 2019 sample adult and sample child codebooks warn, "Do not use this variable alone to determine whether a private plan was obtained through an exchange." More specifically, users should use PRIVXCHG1 in conjunction with HIP1HOWGOT, which since 2015 has had "Through healthcare.gov or the Affordable Care Act" as a response option, to determine whether a private plan was obtained through an exchange.

New questions were added to the Health Insurance section of the NHIS Family core in 2014 to obtain details about whether plans (both private and public) were obtained through Healthcare.gov or the person's state Health Insurance Marketplace, whether there is an enrollment fee or premium (public plans only), and whether the premium is based on income (expanded to include public plans). For more information on these questions, please refer to MCAIDXCHG.

Comparability

This variable is mostly comparable over time. Frequencies for "Yes" (2) are higher in 2014 than in later years due to the introduction of the "Through healthcare.gov or the Affordable Care Act" as a response option for HIP1HOWGOT in 2015. In 2015 forward when a respondent indicated "Through healthcare.gov or the Affordable Care Act" on HIP1HOWGOT, they were "NIU" (0) for PRIVXCHG1.

The NHIS questionnaire was substantially redesigned in 2019 to introduce a different data collection structure and new content. For more information on changes in terminology, universes, and data collection methods beginning in 2019, please see the user note.

Universe

Availability

• 2014-2023

Weights

• 2014-2018 : PERWEIGHT
• 2019-2023 : SAMPWEIGHT