Description

For persons with at four private health insurance plans, and who were able to choose any doctor through their fourth private insurance plan, HIP4MDLIS reports if the person's fourth plan gives them the option of choosing a doctor from a preferred or select provider list at a lower cost. For all years, persons with single service insurance plans (such as those which paid only for accidents) were not asked this question.

Please see the Comparability and Universe tabs for changes to the universe between samples. Please see HIP1MDLIS (Plan 1: Doctor from preferred list) for more information on collection and editing of private health insurance plan data.

Comparability

In 1993, the question was only asked in quarters 3 and 4. 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 IPUMS NHIS weights.

This variable is completely comparable for 1998 forward and is completely comparable for 1993 to 1996. Because of the editing process that occurred from 1998 forward that verified the accuracy of report for private insurance coverage, users may want to avoid comparing the surveys for prior to 1997 with those that came after. See HIPRIVATEE for more details on the recoding.

Universe

Availability

• 1993-1996, 1998-2003

Weights

• 1994-1996, 1998-2003 : PERWEIGHT
• 1993 : SAMPWEIGHT