VISIT STATE HEALTH COMPARE
Publication
Disparities in Public Use Data Availability for Race, Ethnic, and Immigrant Groups: National Surveys for Healthcare Disparities Research
Background: Disparities in healthcare coverage and access have a prominent place on the national health policy agenda. It is, therefore, essential to understand strengths and limitations of national surveys that provide annual or periodic data for population-based healthcare disparities research and monitoring. Importantly, publicly available data on healthcare coverage and access are needed for disparities populations defined by race, ethnicity, or immigrant group (REI).
Objective: To document public use data availability for REI groups, insurance coverage, and access to care measures in selected national surveys used for healthcare disparities research.
Design: We examined public use data for general population surveys that collect information on healthcare coverage and access on an annual or periodic basis for the nation. Data sources examined include the following: Current Population Survey, Survey of Income and Program Participation, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), National Health and Nutrition Examining Survey, National Survey of Children's Health, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component.
Results: Although each survey has strengths for healthcare disparities research, there is no single survey that has detailed REI group identifiers, comprehensive measures of coverage and access, and geographic identifiers.
Conclusions: Current Population Survey and NHIS have detailed REI identifiers. NHIS and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component have comprehensive measures of coverage and access but are limited by smaller samples and no geography. Findings summarized in this article will assist with identifying existing data to examine healthcare coverage and access disparities and highlight areas for improvement in public use data availability.
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Publication
Counting Uninsurance and Means-Tested Coverage in the American Community Survey: A Comparison to the Current Population Survey
Objective. To compare health insurance coverage estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS-ASEC).
Data Sources/Study Setting. The 2008 ACS and CPS-ASEC, 2009.
Study Design. We compare age-specific national rates for all coverage types and state-level rates of uninsurance and means-tested coverage. We assess differences using t-tests and p-values, which are reported at <.05, <.01, and <.001. An F-test determines whether differences significantly varied by state.
Principal Findings. Despite substantial design differences, we find only modest differences in coverage estimates between the surveys. National direct purchase and state-level means-tested coverage levels for children show the largest differences.
Conclusions. We suggest that the ACS is well poised to become a useful tool to health services researchers and policy analysts, but that further study is needed to identify sources of error and to quantify its bias.
Publication
Summary of State-level Data and Information in Reports Released by MACPAC
SHADAC compiled this summary of state-level data and information released by MACPAC in the Medicaid and CHIP Program Statistics (MACStats) section of the March and June 2011 MACPAC reports to Congress.
This serves as a quick reference tool for state analysts and policymakers. The tables identified in this document provide state-level information about Medicaid/CHIP enrollment, spending, benefit levels, and managed care status.
The MACPAC reports to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP are available at this link.
Publication
SHADAC State Reform Survey Workgroup Report
SHADAC assembled a State Survey Reform Workgroup in the fall of 2010 to share information between states that are considering how state health surveys can best capture progress on national and state health reform efforts. This report provides a summary of the workgroup membership and activities, and provides results from a brief survey conducted among workgroup members.
In addition to the report you can download the health reform questions document that the Workgroup has compiled.
Publication
Trends in U.S. Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
This report examines state-level trends in employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) and the factors that influence ESI. Download the report.
Most nonelderly Americans who have health insurance are covered through an employer, and ESI will continue to be a major source of health insurance even after 2014, when major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that expand Medicaid and provide subsidies for the purchase of private coverage through health insurance exchanges are fully implemented. In addition to reviewing recent trends, this report establishes a state-level baseline for monitoring key trends in ESI into the future.
The report is accompanied by state-level summary tables of key ESI characteristics. These can be downloaded as one file for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, or chosen individually from this drop-down list.
Select a state from the drop-down menu below to view state-specific ESI fact sheets:
View the June 21, 2011 webinar that discusses this report.
