State Survey Workshop Recap

January 26, 2009. On Tuesday, January 13th SHADAC hosted a meeting in DC on, "Current Issues in Survey Methods for State Health Surveys" The two key topics for the day were: (1) the increasing use of cell phones and the barriers they create when conducting Random Digit Dial (RDD) telephone surveys; and (2) the Medicaid undercount. The meeting was very well received with more than 60 people attending including representatives from 15 states.

Our key take way from the meeting is that even with the economic downturn, it is clear that states need and want their state-level data and for most states data collection will continue. With the policy implications of the topics we covered our nation’s capital proved to be a perfect setting (not to mention a welcomed escape from thermometers reading 16 below in St. Paul/Minneapolis).

A few highlights from the event:

• Stephen Blumberg gave an overview of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) estimates of wireless-only households, now at 17.5% of all U.S. households and showing no signs of decline.
• Mike Brick from Westat and Scott Keeter from Pew Research Center provided information on how to include a cell-phone sample in an RDD survey and estimate the costs of a cell phone survey at about 2 to 2.5 times the cost of a traditional landline RDD survey.
• A discussion of the persistent issue of the Medicaid undercount. Estimates of the Medicaid undercount range from 10-20 percent. All surveys undercount Medicaid enrollment and Kathleen Call and Mike Davern at SHADAC have several studies underway on why this occurs and how to adjust health coverage estimates.

In addition to discussions of RDD and the Medicaid undercount we were also treated to great presentations from the states, presentations by researchers at the key federal surveys that produce state-level estimates and presentations on Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American Consumer Survey (ASC).

All presentations are posted on SHADAC’s website and we will soon release a new issue brief on the wireless substitution issue and will send an announcement when that is available. We hope you find this information helpful to you in understanding the measurement of health insurance coverage through state and national survey efforts. We continue to find ways to help states conduct the best surveys that they can and to assist state analysts in the use of federal state survey data. Let us know how we can help!