Description

For persons with at least four private health insurance plans who must select from a group or list of doctors for the fourth plan, this variable indicates if the plan will pay for any part of the cost if the respondent selects a doctor who is not in the plan. 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 HIP1MDOP (Plan 1: Doctor out of plan payment) 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