Description

For all persons, SURGNOMC reports if the person had a health insurance plan for surgical care (surgeons' bills for operations), other than through Medicare.

Insurance included all types plans, including plans which paid extra cash in the event of hospitalization, but excluding plans which paid only for accidents. Persons were general told by the interviewer that Medicare was a "Social Security health insurance program for disabled persons and persons 65 years and older."

Please use the IPUMS NHIS drop down menu and search functions for related variables

Comparability

Apart from changes in the universe, there are no comparability issues. 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.

Universe

Availability

• 1970, 1978

Weights

• 1970, 1978 : PERWEIGHT