Codes and Frequencies
Description
For persons who did not have private health insurance, or were not covered by any public program or Indian Health Services, this variable indicates whether the person had some "other" insurance plan. Persons were handed a card which listed reasons, including "covered by some other health plan," and were asked to pick all that applied. For 1993 to 1996, single service plans were considered to be a form of health care coverage. Thus persons with these plans are not in the universe.
Please use the IPUMS NHIS drop-down menus and search function for related variables.
Comparability
Apart from changes in the universe, this variable is comparable over time. Changes in survey design (e.g., quarters in which the supplement was collected) may affect raw frequencies, but do not affect comparability of the variable. As always, data users should use the prescribed IHIS weights.
Users should not compare this variable with variables for reasons for no insurance for 1997 forward.
Because persons with single service coverage were not asked about reasons for no insurance, HINOROTHPLAN and related variables are not comparable with variables for 1997 forward which indicate reason (such as HISTOP22, some other reason why coverage stopped).
In addition, for 1997 forward, the NCHS began editing the insurance coverage variables to ensure accuracy (See variable description for HINOTCOVE, for example). 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 verified the respondent's coverage status. For 1997, only persons without coverage for less than 3 years received the question on reason 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
