Health Insurance

About Health Insurance

The Census Bureau collects health insurance data from three surveys. Depending on your needs, one survey may be more suitable than another. The following is a list of surveys from the Census Bureau:

1. CPS ASEC: The Annual Social and Ecomonic Supplement to the Current Population Survey
2. ACS: The American Community Survey
3. SIPP: The Survey of Income and Program Participation

The surveys differ in length and detail of the questionnaire, the number of households interviewed, the methodology used to collect and process the data, and, consequently, in the health insurance estimates produced. As a result, it is important to understand that different surveys and methods produce different results, and consequently when it is appropriate to use each survey or method. More information on each survey can be found in the Health Insurance Survey Comparison table. [XLS - 23k]

CPS ASEC
The Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the Current Population Survey (CPS)

The CPS a monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics mainly to estimate the unemployment rate. The Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the CPS is a survey of about 78,000 households and includes detailed health insurance questions asked of the household respondent for every household resident. Respondents are asked whether they had any coverage during the previous calendar year based on interviews conducted in February-April of the following year.

The CPS ASEC:

• provides a consistent historical time series at the national level.
• can be used to examine state-level trends and differences (through multi-year averages), though the large sampling errors of state-level data limit its usefulness.
• is mainly useful for examining timely estimates of the insured and uninsured population at the national level.
• is useful as a source of estimes of the insured and uninsured populations at the state level.
• is the most widely used source of data on health insurance coverage in the United States.

Links:

• CPS Main Page
• CPS ASEC Page
• CPS ASEC Questionnaire

ACS
The American Community Survey

The ACS is an ongoing nationwide survey. In the United States and Puerto Rico, about 250,000 addresses per month receive the ACS. Respondents are asked whether they are currently covered at the time of interview, based on interviews conducted throughout the year.

The ACS:

• is recommended to be used to examine state-level data.
• can be used to examine local-area estimates including counties, places, metropolitan areas, congressional districts, and other geographies. The one-year ACS data is capable of generating estimates for geographies with populations of 65,000 or more while the three-year ACS data is capable of generating estimates for those with 20,000 or more. The five-year ACS data can be used for estimates at the sub-county level including census tracts and block groups in addition to all counties, places and other geographies.

Links:

• ACS Main Page
• ACS Questionnaire

SIPP
The Survey of Income and Program Participation

The SIPP is a longitudinal survey which interviews the same respondents three times a year over the course of three to four years, with sample size ranging from approximately 14,000 to 36,700 interviewed households. The SIPP provides national-level data.

The SIPP can show:

• how long a given person remains uninsured,
• how many people obtain coverage, or
• any changes in a person's coverage within a given year.

Links:

• SIPP Main Page
• SIPP Questionnaire

Other non-Census Bureau surveys which currently collect or have collected health insurance data can be found on our link to Related Sites Page. Please note, the list of external surveys is not exhaustive.