Description

For persons with at least two private health insurance plans, HIP2MDSP indicates whether, for the second plan, the person (or persons in the family covered by the plan) needed referral or approval to seek special care from a different doctor or place. Interviewers instructed respondents not to include emergency care. For all years, persons with single service plans (such as those which only paid for accidents) were not asked this question.

Please see the Comparability and Universe tabs for changes to the universe between samples. Please see HIP1MDSP (Plan 1: Special service doctor needs referral) for more information on collection and editing of private health insurance plan data.

Comparability

This variable is mostly comparable over time.

Information was collected on up to four plans per family; for 2004 forward, only data for plans one and two are publicly available. However, this reduction in the number of plans publicly available does not greatly reduce comparability as very few individuals have more than two private insurance plans. Persons with more than two plans have a "yes" response to HIPRIVGT2 variable (available for 2004 forward).

Universe

Availability

• 1999-2014

Weights

• 1999-2014 : PERWEIGHT