Codes and Frequencies
Description
For sample adults and sample children who currently have health insurance coverage through a public program other than Medicare (for sample adults only beginning in 2019), Medicaid, CHIP/SCHIP, Military health care/VA, TRICARE/CHAMPUS/CHAMP-VA, Indian Health Service, or a State-sponsored public health insurance plan (HIOTHGOVE), OTHGOVPREM reports if the person's government health insurance plan has an enrollment fee or premium. Prior to 2019, OTHGOVPREM was asked of all persons with health insurance coverage through a public program other than those listed.
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.
Persons included in the universe are persons who were classified as having other public health insurance coverage in the back-edited variable HIOTHGOVE. This is recommended as the most reliable source of information about the type of insurance coverage compared to that provided by respondents' original unedited answers about their insurance type.
Comparability
Prior to 2019, OTHGOVPREM is completely comparable. Beginning in 2019, sample children who indicated Medicare coverage were marked as affirmative on HIOTHGOVE, whereas sample adults with Medicare coverage were marked as affirmative on HIMCAREE. So, in 2019 forward, "other" includes Medicare coverage for sample children, but not for sample adults.
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.
Availability
- 2014-2023
Weights
- 2014-2018 : PERWEIGHT
- 2019-2023 : SAMPWEIGHT