A variety of sources of health insurance measurement data are available for analysis. Understanding the strengths, weaknesses and applicability of these sets is critical to developing useful information for policy development.
SHADAC offers information on the variety of national sources of data available to states and the general public. We also provide a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each survey for purposes of state policy.
These surveys differ in a variety of ways, particularly relating to survey and methodology design, sample design, timing, objectives and funding. This summary presents an overview of available national surveys as well as strengths and weaknesses for state policy use.
The following federally-sponsored surveys are described in the summary:
The following privately-sponsored surveys are described in the summary:
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
The BRFSS, the world’s largest telephone survey, tracks health risks in the United States. Information from the survey is used to improve the health of the American people.
Current Population Survey (CPS)
Link to SHADAC's CPS Center for a variety of resources.
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
MEPS collects data on the specific health services that Americans use, how frequently they use them, the cost of these services, and how they are paid for, as well as data on the cost, scope, and breadth of private health insurance held by and available to the U.S. population.
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
The NHIS provides information annually on the health status of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population through confidential interviews conducted in households. The NHIS is the nation’s largest household health survey, providing data for analysis of broad health trends, as well as the ability to characterize persons with various health problems, determine barriers to care, and compare health status, health related behaviors, and risk factors across racial and ethnic populations.
State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS)
SLAITS collects important health care data at the state and local levels. It supplements current national data collection strategies by providing in-depth state an local area data to meet various program and policy needs.
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
SIPP collects information about the labor force behavior, income, participation in public programs, basic demographic characteristics to measure the effectiveness of existing federal, state, and local programs. The survey is a continuous series of national panels, with sample size ranging from approximately 14,000 to 36,700 interviewed households.
Community Tracking Survey (CTS)
The CTS includes periodic national surveys of households (including an insurer followback), physicians and employers. The survey samples are concentrated in 60 communities that were randomly selected to provide a representative profile of change across the U.S. Among these communities, 48 are "large" metropolitan areas (with populations greater than 200,000), from which 12 communities were randomly selected to be studied in depth.
National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF)
The National Survey of America's Families produces quantitative measures of quality of life for people under age 65 in 13 states: Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. These states were chosen because they represent a broad range of fiscal capacity, child well being, and approaches to government programs. The survey provides a particular focus on health insurance coverage.
1993 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Family and Employer Health Insurance Surveys
The 1993 RWJF household survey was conducted in 10 states and provided new, detailed data on the uninsured in those states. It was one of a few household surveys that went door-to-door in an effort to reach individuals without phones, thus potentially increasing the accuracy of its uninsurance estimates. It was also one of the only sources of state-level data on insurance coverage for populations of color. Like the household survey, the employer survey was a well-designed survey that provided invaluable information to the 10 participating states.