Understanding the New Current Population Survey Health Insurance Questions

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Estimating health coverage is crucial for public health policy.
• The Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement is a key source of health coverage data.
• Previous survey designs may have led to underreporting of coverage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare health coverage estimates from the pre- and post-redesign of the CPS Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
• To evaluate the impact of survey redesign on the accuracy and completeness of health coverage data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the CPS 2013 Content Test, comparing old and new survey versions.
• Employed a parallel telephone interview design with a control and test panel.
• Assessed outcomes including uninsured status and coverage type, comparing calendar year versus point-in-time estimates.

Main Results:

• The redesigned CPS showed higher odds of reported past year health coverage compared to the previous version.
• Calendar year coverage estimates were higher and distinct from point-in-time estimates within the new CPS.
• Few statistically significant differences in coverage were observed across demographic subgroups.

Conclusions:

• The redesigned CPS effectively reduced presumed underreporting of past year health coverage.
• The integrated questionnaire successfully generated distinct measures for both point-in-time and calendar year coverage.