A Preliminary Evaluation of Health Insurance Coverage in the 

2008 American Community Survey^

Joanna Turner 

U.S. Census Bureau 

Michel Boudreaux 

University of Minnesota 

State Health Access Data Assistance Center 

Victoria Lynch 

Health Policy Center 

Urban Institute 

September 22, 2009 

^

 This paper is released to inform interested parties of ongoing research and to encourage discussion of 

work in progress. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the U.S. Census 

Bureau. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

The U.S. Census Bureau added a question about health insurance coverage to the 2008 

American Community Survey (ACS) leading to the release of the first set of estimates in 

September 2009. The purpose of adding health insurance content was to enable the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies to more accurately 

distribute resources and better understand state and local health insurance needs. 

Measuring health insurance coverage status in a survey is difficult because the topic is 

often confusing for survey respondents. Changing public programs, complex insurance 

and other health financing products, and employment benefits that vary over time make it 

difficult for even astute health consumers to interpret survey items. The optimal methods 

for collecting coverage data are not fully known. Given these difficulties it is not 

surprising that health insurance estimates vary widely between surveys and often disagree 

with administrative records (Congressional Budget Office, 2003 and Davern et al). Also, 

surveys that undergo design changes have been shown to impact the estimates of 

coverage (Nelson, 2001). Survey mode, reference period, coverage definitions, and 

overall survey complexity contribute to these variations. 

The purpose of this paper is to introduce data users to the ACS health insurance data and 

to foster an understanding of the methodological challenges of collecting these data on 

the ACS. The first section describes how the Census Bureau will disseminate the data. 

The second section provides a brief overview of the ACS so that data users can 

understand the context of these new data. That section also discusses how the health 

insurance question was structured. The third section briefly covers challenges in 

collecting health insurance coverage in the ACS. The final section presents results from 

a preliminary evaluation of the new data. Study goals were to identify any anomalies 

apparent in the data, study reporting patterns, and show key estimates from the ACS 

alongside estimates from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current 

Population Survey (CPS ASEC) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The 

study was not meant to be comprehensive. The full report of the study is forthcoming. 

Dissemination of ACS Data 

While the ACS includes the total population in its data collection, tabulations of health 

insurance coverage are of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. This 

population is comparable with other survey estimates of health coverage. These tables 

are available from American FactFinder, the main dissemination mechanism for ACS 

data.1

 Because some types of group quarters populations may have health insurance 

coverage distributions that are different from the household population, the distributions 

in the published tables may differ slightly from how they would look if the total 

population were represented. The tables available from American FactFinder may be 

expanded in future years. 

1 Available on the Internet at http://factfinder.census.gov. 

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The Census Bureau publishes ACS single-year estimates for areas with populations of 

65,000 or more, 3-year estimates for areas with populations of 20,000 or more, and 5-

year estimates will be published for all statistical, legal, and administrative entities. The 

health insurance coverage data and all new content added to the 2008 questionnaire will 

have the first 3-year estimates released in 2011, based on 2008-2010. The first release of 

5-year estimates will be in 2013, based on 2008-2012. 

ACS health insurance data can also be obtained from the 2008 Public Use Microdata 

Sample (PUMS) file, available from American FactFinder. The PUMS file is a sample of 

respondents from the full ACS microdata file. The one-year file represents roughly one 

percent of the U.S. population.2 

ACS Overview

The ACS is a nationwide survey designed to collect and produce economic, social, 

demographic, and housing information annually. The ACS is part of the reengineered 

decennial census program, providing detailed information every year instead of every ten 

years. 

The ACS is conducted in all U.S. counties and in all Puerto Rico municipios. About 

three million housing unit addresses are sampled annually throughout the United States 

and Puerto Rico. There are separate housing unit (HU) and group quarters (GQ) samples. 

Group quarters include nursing homes, correctional facilities, military barracks, and 

college/university housing among others. 

ACS data are collected continuously using independent monthly samples (each 

approximately one-twelfth of the annual sample). ACS uses three modes of data 

collection for housing units: mailout, telephone nonresponse follow-up, and personal visit 

nonresponse follow-up.3 During the mailout phase respondents are asked to fill out a 

paper questionnaire and return it to the Census Bureau for processing. During the 

telephone nonresponse follow-up, Census Bureau personnel contact people at addresses 

for which a telephone number could be identified and from which no mailback 

questionnaire was received. After the telephone phase, the remaining nonresponse cases 

are subsampled at a rate of about 1-in-3 and all selected cases are contacted in person. 

These nonresponse interviews are completed using an automated data collection 

instrument. 

Respondents living in GQ facilities complete their forms using a different operation 

based on the size of the GQ. Some respondents fill out the paper form and some forms 

are completed by Field Representatives. For more details on the ACS, see the Design 

2 PUMS accuracy of the data documentation is available on the Internet at 

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/PUMS/pumsaccuracy_archived.html. 

3 Telephone nonresponse follow-up is conducted through Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing 

(CATI) and personal visit nonresponse follow-up is conducted through Computer Assisted Personal 

Interviewing (CAPI). 

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and Methodology report, and for program history and details on the entire ACS operation 

see the ACS Operations Plan.4 The ACS overall response rate was approximately 98 

percent in 2008 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). 

2008 Health Insurance Question Overview

The ACS questionnaire has two sections. In the housing characteristics section, the 

respondent answers questions for the household. In the personal characteristics section, 

the respondent answers a set of person-level questions for each member of the household. 

Health insurance coverage data from the 2008 ACS were derived from answers to 

Question 15, which was asked of all respondents.5 The respondent was instructed to 

report each person’s current coverage by marking “yes” or “no” for each of the eight 

types listed (labeled as subparts a to h). The question text is reproduced below. To see 

an image of the actual item as it appears on the mail form see the Fact Sheet on Health 

Insurance Coverage or the full ACS Questionnaire.6 

Is this person CURRENTLY covered by any of the following types of health 

insurance or health coverage plans? Mark "Yes" or "No" for EACH type of 

coverage in items a – h. 

a. Insurance through a current or former employer or union (of this person or 

another family member) 

b. Insurance purchased directly from an insurance company (by this person or 

another family member) 

c. Medicare, for people 65 and older, or people with certain disabilities 

d. Medicaid, Medical Assistance, or any kind of government-assistance plan for 

those with low incomes or a disability 

e. TRICARE or other military health care 

f. VA (including those who have ever used or enrolled for VA health care) 

g. Indian Health Service 

4 The Design and Methodology report is available on the Internet at 

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/desgn_meth.htm and the ACS Operation Plan is available on the 

Internet at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/OpsPlanfinal.pdf. 

5 On the 2009 questionnaire, health insurance coverage is asked in Question 16. 

6 Available on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/SQuest/factsheet.htm and 

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/SQuest08.pdf, respectively. 

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h. Any other type of health insurance or health coverage plan – Specify

A space to write-in a response to subpart h 

For each person, the health insurance coverage question occurs towards the beginning of 

the person-specific set of questions, before questions on disability, work, and income. 

The health insurance coverage question asks about current coverage at the time of the 

survey. Because the ACS continuously collects data, a one-year estimate is based on data 

collected during twelve months of the calendar year. As with all content, ACS estimates 

combine data collected throughout the year and this is referred to as a period estimate.7 

The health insurance question is designed to capture comprehensive plans. Plans that 

only cover specific health services, such as dental plans, are not considered health 

insurance coverage. Furthermore, it is important to note that subpart ‘d’ intends to 

capture all public means-tested health insurance programs and is not just an estimate of 

Medicaid coverage. 

Missing responses to the question subparts ‘a’ to ‘g’ were assigned a “yes” or “no” 

response through editing and imputation (hot-deck allocation). During the editing 

process, write-in answers describing or naming the type of other health insurance or 

health coverage plan in subpart ‘h’ were classified into one of the first seven categories. 

Hence, only the first seven types of health coverage were part of the microdata file; 

subpart ‘h’ and the write-in were not included. 

Using the complete edited data, people were considered insured if they had a “yes” in at 

least one of the coverage types: employer- or union-based plan; a private plan purchased 

directly; military health care; Medicare; Medicaid or other public; or VA health care. 

People who had no reported health coverage or those whose only health coverage was 

Indian Health Service were considered uninsured. Indian Health Service alone is not 

considered comprehensive coverage. 

For reporting purposes, the Census Bureau broadly classifies health insurance coverage 

as private coverage or public coverage. Private health insurance is a plan provided 

through an employer or union; a plan purchased by an individual from a private 

company; or TRICARE or other military health care.8 Public health coverage includes 

Medicare, Medicaid, Medical Assistance, or any kind of government assistance plan for 

those with low incomes or a disability, and the VA (including those who have ever used 

or enrolled for VA health care). The types of health insurance are not mutually 

exclusive; people may be covered by more than one type at the same time. 

7 More detail on the interpretation of ACS estimates is available in “Statistical Issues of Interpretation of 

the American Community Survey’s One-, Three-, and Five-Year Period Estimates” at 

http://acsweb2.acs.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/MYE_Guidelines.pdf. 

8

 Private health insurance includes individuals covered by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget 

Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Under COBRA, employees and their families have the opportunity for a 

temporary extension of group health benefits provided by their group health plans in certain instances 

where coverage under the plan would otherwise end. 

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Challenges in the collection of health insurance information on the ACS 

The ACS is the first major federal mailout/mailback survey to include health insurance 

questions. While it is true that the ACS uses a set of health insurance questions that are 

similar in scope to other surveys like the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the 

Current Population Survey (CPS ASEC), there are differences that highlight the 

limitations of soliciting health coverage information in a mailout/mailback environment. 

The ACS, since it utilizes a paper survey instrument, does not allow the customization of 

questions to reflect the specific state health programs (or Medicaid/Children’s Health 

Insurance Program funding programs) that residents of a particular state or locality can 

access. The CPS ASEC, for example, which is conducted entirely through a computerassisted instrument, is able to use state-specific public program names in its questions. 

This should help respondents identify public coverage and differentiate between public 

and private coverage. 

Item Completeness and Imputation Rates 

In 2006, a Content Test was conducted which provided a preliminary indication of how 

respondents would interpret and answer the question and demonstrated the viability of 

asking questions on health insurance coverage in the ACS.9 While the accuracy of 

responses and the underlying reason for missing data is beyond the scope of this research, 

examining reporting patterns provides some information on how people dealt with a 

health insurance question in the full ACS environment. This section examines patterns of 

nonresponse and imputation rates for the 2008 ACS. 

This analysis of nonresponse and reporting patterns does not include write-in responses. 

The purpose is to describe how respondents approached the set of “yes” and “no” choices 

to the series of health insurance types. The part of the analysis which focuses on 

imputation rates is post-editing and is meant to inform people about how the editing rules 

accommodated partial response. 

This part of the analysis focuses on the U.S. population and excludes respondents that 

were sampled in 2007 and returned their paper survey in 2008. Just over 27,000 forms, 

while included in the 2008 data, actually used the 2007 instrument. Thus, they could not 

answer the health insurance question and their values were fully imputed. In order to 

better assess the quality of item response, and to supply a benchmark that could be used 

to generalize about future ACS years, the 2007 mail respondents were omitted from the 

response analysis. 

9 For additional information, see the “2006 American Community Survey Content Test Report P.8: 

Evaluation Report Covering Health Insurance” available on the Internet at 

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/AdvMeth/content_test/P8_Health_Insurance.pdf. 

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Respondents with complete item response had a “yes” or “no” to each of the first seven 

types (a through g on the paper questionnaire). Respondents with no complete items had 

neither a “yes” nor a “no” to all seven items. The remainder had partial response, 

meaning that the response had at least one item with “yes” or “no”, but not all. 

The percentage of people with responses (either ‘yes’ or ‘no’) to all, some, and none of 7 

of the item subparts is described in Table 1. Across all modes, 73.0 percent of people had 

a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response to each item; 23.2 percent responded to at least one, but not all 

items, and 3.8 percent left all items blank. 

This varied by mode, with mail respondents the least likely to provide complete item

response at 51.8 percent. In the GQ population, 81.0 percent had complete health 

insurance data. People in housing units interviewed through CATI and CAPI were the 

most likely to give complete item response at 96.1 percent. This pattern reflects both 

differences in the instruments and differences in the composition of people in each mode. 

These data show that the trained staff at the telephone centers and in the field are able to 

get more complete responses. 

In addition to classifying the write-in responses, the editing process applied logical edit 

rules. If a respondent marked “yes” to one and only one of the types and all other 

subparts were left blank, the types associated with the blanks were assigned values of 

“no.” For example, a respondent marked “yes” for employer provided coverage (subpart 

‘a’) and left the rest blank. The edited final response for that person would be a “yes” for 

employer- or union-based coverage and a “no” to all of the others: direct purchase, 

Medicare, Medicaid, military health care, VA, and Indian Health Service. The 

assumption was made that if a respondent checked one of the types of coverage as “yes” 

and left the rest blank, that these blanks were implied no’s. This process turned some 

partial responses into complete responses and they were not considered imputed. This 

editing choice was the result of analysis of respondents to the paper form. Additional 

analysis suggests this rule could be applied to respondents who checked “yes” to two 

types and left the rest blank. The Census Bureau is investigating further to determine 

whether a change is appropriate for the 2009 ACS. 

Table 1 also presents the weighted allocation rate – the percentage of people who had an 

answer to at least one of the health insurance types obtained through hot deck allocation. 

In the population considered, 9.7 percent had at least one imputed health insurance 

variable. 

The percentages of persons with any imputation, by mode, were: 14.7 percent for the 

mail population, 3.8 percent for the CATI and CAPI population and 15.6 percent for the 

GQ population. 

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Health Insurance Coverage Estimates by Selected Characteristics 

The remainder of the analysis focuses on the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized 

population. This is the population most commonly used when estimating the rate of 

health insurance coverage in the U.S. People who listed their employment with the 

armed forces or who were living in military GQs are excluded from the tabulation 

universe. The institutionalized population, primarily composed of the population in 

correctional institutions and nursing homes, is also excluded from the tabulation universe. 

Table 2 describes health insurance coverage rates by selected demographic subgroups. 

The health insurance coverage rate is the percentage of people with some type of 

coverage – public or private or both. Private and public coverage rates are also included. 

Because people may be covered by both private and public coverage, the sum of these 

two rates may be greater than the overall health insurance coverage rate. The uninsured 

rate is also presented. While people may have both private and public coverage, covered 

and not covered are mutually exclusive. 

The percentage of people with health insurance coverage was 84.9 percent; 69.6 percent 

had private health insurance and 25.5 percent had public coverage. The uninsured rate 

was 15.1 percent. 

At 89.4 percent, non-Hispanic Whites were more likely to have health insurance coverage 

than any other racial group.10 Those reporting ‘some other race’ were the least likely to 

have coverage, 66.0 percent. The health insurance coverage rates for the remaining 

single-race groups fell in that range – 85.5 percent for Asians, 83.8 percent for Native 

Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, 82.0 for Blacks, and 68.4 percent for American 

Indians and Alaska Natives. The health insurance coverage rate for Hispanics was 68.5 

percent.11 

As has been found in previous studies and surveys, the ACS also found that health 

insurance coverage varied by age. People 65 and over were the most likely to have 

health insurance coverage, 98.6 percent. Medicare is a key component of that result, and 

the 2008 ACS found that 92.6 percent of people 65 and over were covered by Medicare.12 

People under age 18 had a health insurance coverage rate (90.1 percent) that was lower 

than the rate for the older population and higher than the rate for people 18 to 64 years. 

This may be due, in part, to the government-sponsored programs that serve as a safety net 

for children. The 2008 ACS estimated that 28.3 percent of children under 18 had public 

health insurance – higher than the rate for adults 18 to 64 years (Table 2). 

10 The ACS allows respondents to choose more than one race. Except for the Multiple Race category, race 

groups discussed in this report refer to people who indicated only one racial identity among the six major 

categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and 

Other Pacific Islander, and Some other race. The use of single-race population in this report does not imply 

that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The Census Bureau uses a variety of 

approaches. 

11 The health insurance coverage rate for Hispanics was not statistically different from the rate for 

American Indians and Alaska Natives. 

12 Based on tabulations not shown in this paper. 

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Table 2 presents a variety of other characteristics that show differences in health 

insurance coverage rates. For instance, among adults age 18 and over, those who were 

married were more likely to have health insurance coverage (88.6 percent) than their nonmarried counterparts (77.1 percent). Employed people were covered at a rate of 82.7 

percent, whereas just over one half of unemployed people had coverage. 

Table 3 presents the number and percentage of people who are uninsured for each state, 

the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.13 The state with the lowest uninsured rate was 

Massachusetts (4.1 percent). Nine states (Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, 

Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin) and Puerto 

Rico had uninsured rates below 10 percent. The state with the highest uninsured rate was 

Texas (24.1 percent). Five states had uninsured rates 20 percent or above (Alaska, 

Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas). Table 4 presents similar statistics for 

children under 18 and is provided for reference. 

Figure 1 shows how states compare with the ACS national uninsured rate of 15.1 percent. 

One state (Utah) had an uninsured rate that was not statistically different from the 

national uninsured rate. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia had uninsured 

rates that were lower than the national figure. All of the states in the Midwest and 

Northeast are included in this group. Nineteen states had uninsured rates higher than the 

national figure of 15.1 percent; ten of these states were located in the South and the other 

nine were located in the West. 

Comparison of ACS to Other National Surveys 

The previous sections reviewed the quality of ACS data and described the results with 

regard to health insurance coverage rates by demographic characteristics, socioeconomic 

characteristics, and by state. These showed that the new data are consistent with 

expected national and state health insurance coverage patterns. Another method for 

evaluating the quality and consistency of ACS health insurance estimates is to compare 

them to other federal surveys that gather data on health insurance coverage. The 

following section presents coverage estimates from the ACS side-by-side with estimates 

from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey 

(CPS ASEC) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). 

Neither the CPS ASEC nor the NHIS is a gold standard. Both surveys (described briefly 

below) produce estimates that are particular to their own contexts, question wording, and 

processing regimens. Several studies have been published comparing national estimates 

of health insurance coverage. These studies found that, compared with other surveys 

such as the NHIS, the CPS ASEC estimate of uninsured for the entire year more closely 

approximates the number of people who are uninsured at a specific point in time 

13 To our knowledge the only other federal survey to collect health insurance data in Puerto Rico is the 

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. 

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(Congressional Budget Office, 2003). The reference section of this paper contains 

several papers covering this topic in addition to describing other national surveys. 

The CPS is a monthly survey that the Census Bureau conducts for the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics to provide data on labor force participation and unemployment. Data on health 

insurance coverage are collected through the ASEC, which is administered February 

through April. Data are collected through a combination of telephone and in-person 

modes using computer-assisted instruments. The CPS ASEC income and health 

insurance coverage questions are asked at the household level, ie. "Does anyone in the 

household... ?" If the answer is "yes," the CPS ASEC goes on to ask "Who... ?" This is 

distinct from the ACS questionnaire that asks all the questions about each person 

individually, ie. "Does this person... ?" From a cognitive and operational perspective, 

each approach has benefits and challenges. The CPS ASEC universe is the civilian 

noninstitutionalized population of the U.S.14 

The CPS ASEC is both nationally and state representative and includes approximately 

76,200 households per year. It is the most widely used source for estimates of health 

insurance coverage at both the national and state level. 

The CPS ASEC asks respondents to recall their insurance status for the prior calendar 

year (January through December). Hence, respondents need to recall insurance coverage 

for a period that began 14 to 16 months prior to the interview. The question series covers 

a comprehensive list of insurance types that include public program names specific to the

state in which the interview is conducted. Finally, if the person does not indicate 

coverage, a verification question asks specifically about his/her coverage status.15 The 

CPS ASEC health insurance question set and editing result in an estimate intended to be 

of those uninsured for all of the previous calendar year. Previous research has indicated 

that the long reference period is a limitation of the CPS ASEC methods and the estimate 

of the uninsured is too high for a “full year” measure. See appendix C of “Income, 

Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007” P60-235, for more 

information about the quality of the CPS ASEC health insurance estimates.16 

The NHIS is an ongoing survey conducted throughout the year by the National Center for 

Health Statistics to monitor the health of the nation. It has been conducted since 1957. 

Data are collected through an in-person survey using computer-assisted interviewing. 

The NHIS is a household survey and the universe is the civilian noninstitutionalized 

population of the U.S. The NHIS consists of a Basic Module, including the Family Core, 

the Sample Adult Core, and the Sample Child Core, as well as several supplements that 

vary from year to year. 

14 Members of the Armed Forces living off post or with their families on post are included if at least 

one civilian adult lives in the household. 

15 For more information on health insurance in the CPS ASEC, see 

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html. 

16 Available on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p60-235.pdf. 

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The sample for the NHIS represents the 50 states and the District of Columbia. However, 

the lowest level of geography available is Census region. Hence, comparisons in this 

study are at the national level only. In recent years slightly less than 35,000 households 

were interviewed. 

Like the ACS, the NHIS asks the respondent about insurance status and coverage type at 

the time of the survey. The NHIS also asks if the respondent has been uninsured for at 

least part of the year prior to the interview, and if the respondent has been uninsured for 

more than a year at the time of the interview. The question series includes a 

comprehensive list of insurance options that include public program names specific to the 

state in which the interview is conducted, as well as open-ended response options. A 

verification question is included to confirm that respondents who did not respond that 

they were enrolled in any insurance program are, in fact, uninsured. The NHIS also edits 

variables based on plan names and insurance cards that respondents display. 17 

In order to compare 2008 ACS data with data from the 2009 CPS ASEC (2008 calendaryear estimates) and the 2008 NHIS public use files, the study team defined health 

insurance characteristics in the CPS ASEC and the NHIS similar to ACS rules.18 In this 

way, variables for each of the 7 ACS defined health insurance types were created for the 

CPS ASEC and the NHIS. 

Comparisons are made for illustration to see how the ACS estimates of the uninsured fit 

in with these other national surveys. Differences in survey design may influence the 

results. All comparative statements have undergone statistical testing and are significant 

at the 90 percent confidence level unless otherwise noted. 

It is important to note that the ACS edits for non-response did not use a rules-based 

assignment of health insurance coverage (called coverage or consistency edits). For 

example, in the CPS ASEC, if a person was 65 years old or over and reported Social 

Security income, but had not selected Medicare coverage, the person was automatically 

assigned Medicare coverage. In the ACS, these types of edits are being considered for 

implementation in future years.19 

Table 5 shows the baseline rates of health insurance coverage from the three surveys. 

The ACS health insurance coverage rate was 84.9 percent, not statistically different from 

the NHIS rate of 85.2 percent. This high level of consistency is a good sign for the ACS, 

which is conceptually similar to the NHIS as they both measure current coverage. The 

CPS ASEC health insurance coverage rate was 84.6 percent. Although the statistical test 

of the difference between the ACS and the CPS ASEC showed evidence of difference, 

these two estimates do not appear meaningfully different – both round to 85 percent of 

the population. 

17 For more information on the NHIS, see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm. 

18 For example, the CPS ASEC estimate of Military health care was separated into TRICARE/other military 

health care and VA. 

19 Applying CPS ASEC type coverage edits to the ACS reduced the overall uninsured rate about 0.5 percent 

and reduced the uninsured rate for children under 18 about 0.3 percent. 

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The ACS had a higher percentage of people with employer-sponsored insurance (58.7 

percent) than the NHIS (56.3 percent), but the estimates were reasonably close. The ACS 

rate of people with employer-sponsored insurance was not statistically different from the 

CPS ASEC rate (58.5 percent).20 The ACS estimate of the percentage of people with 

direct purchase coverage (14.2 percent) was higher than the CPS ASEC (8.9 percent) and 

the NHIS (6.6 percent). It is possible that the ACS direct-purchase estimate is higher 

because some people who respond on paper may say yes to both employment-based 

coverage and direct-purchase coverage, but actually have only one health insurance plan. 

This respondent confusion would not impact the percentage of people with any private 

coverage. Future analysis will explore the extent to which the ACS may be 

overestimating direct purchase. 

The health insurance coverage rates for children under 18 are also shown in Table 5. 

Both the ACS and CPS ASEC estimate 90.1 percent of children have health insurance 

coverage, while the NHIS estimates that 91.0 percent of children have health insurance 

coverage. 

The ACS had a higher percentage of children under 18 with employer-sponsored 

insurance (56.2 percent) than the NHIS (54.0 percent) – consistent with the finding for 

people of all ages. The ACS had a lower percentage of children under 18 with employersponsored insurance than the CPS ASEC (58.9 percent). The ACS estimated a higher 

proportion of children with direct purchase coverage (9.2 percent) than the CPS ASEC 

(5.1 percent) or the NHIS (3.4 percent). 

The ACS found fewer children under 18 with coverage from a public means-tested health 

insurance program (27.8 percent) than the CPS ASEC (30.3 percent) or the NHIS (31.4 

percent).21 This difference may reflect methodological differences in the data collection 

process – including the fact the ACS does not include a consistency edit. If all lowincome children in families receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) 

or other government support were assigned health insurance coverage, the ACS estimate 

might be higher. Future research will examine the impact of consistency edits on the 

coverage rates for children and determine whether these are appropriate for the ACS. 

Table 6 presents health insurance coverage rates by selected demographic characteristics 

for each survey. The ACS had a higher rate of health insurance coverage for Whites 

(86.7 percent) than the CPS ASEC and NHIS (both at 85.5 percent). 

Overall and for key subgroups, the ACS coverage estimates are highly consistent with the 

CPS ASEC and NHIS estimates. Future research will further explore the ACS and how it 

compares to other national surveys. 

20 The CPS ASEC rate of employer-sponsored insurance was statistically different from the NHIS rate. 

21 The CPS ASEC Medicaid coverage rate for children under 18 was not statistically different from the 

NHIS rate. 

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References

Bhandari, Shailesh. 2004. “People with Health Insurance: A Comparison of Estimates 

from Two Surveys,” SIPP Working Paper No. 243. 

Blewett, L.A., M.B. Good, K.T. Call, and M. Davern. 2004. Monitoring the Uninsured: 

A State Policy Perspective.” Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law 29(1):107-145. 

Congressional Budget Office. 2003. “How Many People Lack Health Insurance and for 

How Long?” 

Davern, M., et al., “A Comparison of the Health Insurance Coverage Estimates from Four 

National Surveys and Six State Surveys: A Discussion of Measurement Issues and 

Policy Implications,” SHADAC Working Paper. SHADAC, University of Minnesota, 

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Davern M., T.J. Beebe, L.A. Blewett, and K.T. Call. 2003. “Recent changes to the 

Current Population Survey: Sample expansion, health insurance verification and state 

health insurance coverage estimates.” Public Opinion Quarterly 67(4): 603-26. 

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2009. 

Fronstin, Paul. 2000. “Counting the Uninsured: A Comparison of National Surveys,” 

Employee Benefit Research Institute. 

Lewis, Kimball, Ellwood, M., and Czajka, J. July 1998. “Counting the Uninsured: A 

Review of the Literature,” The Urban Institute, Assessing the New Federalism: 

Occasional Paper No. 8, Washington, D.C. 

Nelson, Charles T. and Robert J Mills. 2001. “THE MARCH CPS HEALTH 

INSURANCE VERIFICATION QUESTION AND ITS EFFECT ON ESTIMATES OF 

THE UNINSURED,” U.S. Census Bureau Working Paper. 

Short, Pamela Farley. 2001. “Counting and Characterizing the Uninsured,” Economic 

Research Initiative on the Uninsured, Working Paper 2. 

U.S. Census Bureau. 2009. American Community Survey “How to Use the Data: 

Quality Measures” web page. Available at: 

http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/sse/. 

13 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 1. Item Nonresponse and Allocation Rates for Health Insurance Coverage: 2008 

Universe: U.S. Population, all people who responded to a 2008 questionnaire 

All Modes HU - Mail HU - CATI/CAPI GQ 

Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error1 

(+/-) Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error1 

(+/-) Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error1 

(+/-) Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error1 

(+/-) 

All People (number in thousands) 

Before Editing 

Percentage with Complete Item Response 

Percentage with at least One but not All Response 

Percentage with No Complete Items (All Nonresponse) 

After Editing 

Percentage with at least One Health Insurance 

Type Allocated 

300,349 51 

73.0 0.24 

23.2 0.23 

3.8 0.03 

9.7 0.07 

153,826 1,765 

51.8 0.08 

43.8 0.09 

4.4 0.04 

14.7 0.06 

138,276 1,795 

96.1 0.05 

1.2 0.03 

2.7 0.05 

3.8 0.05 

8,247 (x) 

81.0 0.46 

7.1 0.27 

11.8 0.37 

15.6 0.41 

1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate's variability. The 

larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added to and 

subtracted from the estimate forms the 90-percent confidence interval. 

Note: Subpart 'h' of the question (Any other type of health insurance or health coverage plan) is excluded from the nonresponse 

calculation. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey. 

14 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2. People with Health Insurance Coverage by Selected Characteristics: 2008 

Universe: U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 

Total 

(in thousands) 

Percentage with Health Insurance Coverage Percentage 

Any Health Uninsured 

Insurance 

Private Health 

Insurance1 

Public Health 

Coverage2 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

Estimate (+/-) 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

Estimate (+/-) 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

Estimate (+/-) 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

Estimate (+/-) 

All People 298,575 

Mode 

84.9 0.08 69.6 0.12 25.5 0.05 15.1 0.08 

Mail 157,071 90.7 0.06 78.9 0.10 25.9 0.07 9.3 0.06 

CATI/CAPI 137,828 78.2 0.10 59.1 0.13 25.1 0.08 21.8 0.10 

GQ (noninstitutional) 3,676 

Age 

88.3 0.70 65.4 0.64 27.1 0.69 11.7 0.70 

Under 18 years 73,786 90.1 0.10 64.1 0.18 28.3 0.14 9.9 0.10 

18 to 24 years 29,207 71.4 0.20 61.9 0.21 10.9 0.11 28.6 0.20 

25 to 34 years 39,145 73.3 0.18 65.0 0.19 9.8 0.10 26.7 0.18 

35 to 44 years 41,860 80.8 0.14 73.8 0.15 8.9 0.07 19.2 0.14 

45 to 64 years 77,368 86.6 0.10 77.9 0.11 13.0 0.07 13.4 0.10 

65 years and over 37,209 

Sex 

98.6 0.04 69.4 0.16 92.6 0.08 1.4 0.04 

Male 146,112 83.4 0.10 69.3 0.13 23.8 0.06 16.6 0.10 

Female 152,462 

Race and Hispanic Origin 

86.4 0.07 69.9 0.12 27.1 0.06 13.6 0.07 

White Alone 224,573 86.7 0.08 74.0 0.12 24.5 0.05 13.3 0.08 

White Alone, not Hispanic 195,716 or Latino 89.4 0.07 78.0 0.10 24.3 0.05 10.6 0.07 

Black or African American Alone 36,247 82.0 0.15 55.5 0.22 33.6 0.21 18.0 0.15 

American Indian and 2,381 Alaska Native Alone 68.4 0.72 43.7 0.80 30.4 0.66 31.6 0.72 

Asian Alone 13,327 85.5 0.25 72.6 0.33 17.6 0.19 14.5 0.25 

Native Hawaiian and 416 Other Pacific Islander Alone 83.8 1.33 67.9 1.66 21.4 1.43 16.2 1.33 

Some Other Race Alone 14,754 66.0 0.37 42.0 0.45 26.6 0.30 34.0 0.37 

Two or More Races 6,876 85.4 0.30 63.3 0.43 27.6 0.36 14.6 0.30 

Hispanic or Latino (any race) 46,202 

Citizenship Status 

68.5 0.21 45.4 0.26 26.6 0.14 31.5 0.21 

U.S. citizen 277,161 87.3 0.07 71.7 0.11 26.4 0.05 12.7 0.07 

Not a U.S. citizen 21,414 53.8 0.25 42.0 0.27 13.8 0.15 46.2 0.25 

See footnotes at end of table. 

15 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2. People with Health Insurance Coverage by Selected Characteristics: 2008 - Continued 

Universe: U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 

Total 

(in thousands) 

Percentage with Health Insurance Coverage Percentage 

Any Health Uninsured 

Insurance 

Private Health 

Insurance1 

Public Health 

Coverage2 

Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

(+/-) Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

(+/-) Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

(+/-) Estimate 

Margin 

of 

Error3 

(+/-) 

People Age 18 and Over 

Marital Status 

224,788 

Not Married 105,386 77.1 0.11 60.7 0.13 27.8 0.09 22.9 0.11 

Married 

Educational Attainment 

119,402 88.6 0.07 80.9 0.09 21.8 0.05 11.4 0.07 

Less than high school graduate 33,592 68.1 0.18 40.9 0.21 41.6 0.14 31.9 0.18 

High school graduate 

(includes equivalency) 64,296 79.7 0.12 65.7 0.14 29.4 0.09 20.3 0.12 

Some college or associate's degree 69,324 85.3 0.11 76.7 0.12 19.6 0.08 14.7 0.11 

Bachelor's degree or higher 57,577 93.5 0.06 89.3 0.09 15.3 0.07 6.5 0.06 

People Age 18 to 64 

Employment Status 

187,579 

Employed 138,389 82.7 0.10 79.2 0.10 5.3 0.04 17.3 0.10 

Unemployed 9,114 51.9 0.32 35.8 0.30 18.0 0.23 48.1 0.32 

Not in Labor Force 40,076 77.8 0.16 54.5 0.19 29.5 0.14 22.2 0.16 

1 Private coverage includes employer/union provided, direct purchase, and TRICARE/Military. 

2 Public coverage includes Medicare, Medicaid, and VA. 

3 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate's variability. The 

larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added to and 

subtracted from the estimate forms the 90-percent confidence interval. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey. 

16 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table 3. Number and Percentage of People Without Health Insurance Coverage by State: 2008 

(Numbers in thousands) 

Universe: Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 

State 

Total Uninsured 

Number Margin of Error1 (+/-) Number Margin of Error1 (+/-) Percentage Margin of Error1 (+/-) 

United States 298,575 20 45,080 236 15.1 0.08 

Alabama 4,574 2 642 17 14.0 0.38 

Alaska 659 3 132 6 20.1 0.94 

Arizona 6,403 3 1,196 25 18.7 0.40 

Arkansas 2,802 2 505 15 18.0 0.54 

California 36,161 7 6,430 56 17.8 0.15 

Colorado 4,853 2 834 20 17.2 0.41 

Connecticut 3,441 1 311 14 9.0 0.41 

Delaware 856 2 88 7 10.3 0.77 

District of Columbia 580 1 47 4 8.0 0.66 

Florida 17,996 4 3,749 40 20.8 0.22 

Georgia 9,473 4 1,780 31 18.8 0.33 

Hawaii 1,237 3 83 6 6.7 0.52 

Idaho 1,499 1 267 11 17.8 0.71 

Illinois 12,709 2 1,623 31 12.8 0.24 

Indiana 6,271 2 871 22 13.9 0.35 

Iowa 2,951 1 268 11 9.1 0.37 

Kansas 2,739 2 333 12 12.2 0.44 

Kentucky 4,188 2 590 15 14.1 0.37 

Louisiana 4,313 3 767 16 17.8 0.37 

Maine 1,299 1 142 7 10.9 0.56 

Maryland 5,530 3 611 15 11.1 0.28 

Massachusetts 6,399 1 264 13 4.1 0.20 

Michigan 9,866 1 1,132 21 11.5 0.22 

Minnesota 5,151 1 447 13 8.7 0.25 

Mississippi 2,868 3 512 17 17.9 0.57 

Missouri 5,795 2 756 19 13.0 0.32 

Montana 950 2 176 8 18.5 0.85 

Nebraska 1,750 1 194 9 11.1 0.49 

Nevada 2,568 2 548 18 21.3 0.69 

New Hampshire 1,299 1 140 8 10.8 0.61 

New Jersey 8,557 2 1,059 23 12.4 0.27 

New Mexico 1,952 2 419 11 21.4 0.57 

New York 19,207 3 2,258 36 11.8 0.19 

North Carolina 9,004 5 1,434 25 15.9 0.28 

North Dakota 624 1 66 5 10.5 0.79 

Ohio 11,296 2 1,330 28 11.8 0.25 

Oklahoma 3,550 2 692 14 19.5 0.40 

Oregon 3,746 1 615 19 16.4 0.50 

Pennsylvania 12,209 2 1,152 23 9.4 0.19 

Rhode Island 1,030 4 108 7 10.5 0.71 

South Carolina 4,373 3 761 17 17.4 0.38 

South Dakota 784 1 92 6 11.7 0.73 

Tennessee 6,113 2 834 22 13.6 0.36 

Texas 23,827 5 5,745 41 24.1 0.17 

Utah 2,705 2 419 15 15.5 0.56 

Vermont 615 -- 56 4 9.1 0.57 

Virginia 7,520 5 899 21 12.0 0.28 

Washington 6,428 4 842 20 13.1 0.30 

West Virginia 1,788 1 283 10 15.8 0.58 

Wisconsin 5,540 1 506 13 9.1 0.24 

Wyoming 523 1 73 5 13.9 0.92 

Puerto Rico 3,922 1 338 12 8.6 0.31 

-- Represents or rounds to zero. 

1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate's variability. The 

larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added to and 

subtracted from the estimate forms the 90-percent confidence interval. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey. 17
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table 4. Number and Percentage of Children Under 18 Without Health Insurance Coverage by State: 2008 

(Numbers in thousands) 

Universe: Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 

State 

Total Uninsured 

Number Margin of Error1 (+/-) Number Margin of Error1 (+/-) Percentage Margin of Error1 (+/-) 

United States 73,786 31 7,329 74 9.9 0.10 

Alabama 1,120 2 90 7 8.0 0.62 

Alaska 180 1 23 3 12.9 1.46 

Arizona 1,706 1 276 13 16.2 0.75 

Arkansas 701 2 61 6 8.7 0.79 

California 9,348 3 1,011 26 10.8 0.28 

Colorado 1,204 2 173 10 14.4 0.83 

Connecticut 810 1 40 4 4.9 0.53 

Delaware 206 -- 16 3 7.8 1.57 

District of Columbia 111 1 5 2 4.3 1.61 

Florida 3,996 6 701 21 17.5 0.52 

Georgia 2,536 4 291 14 11.5 0.54 

Hawaii 284 -- 10 3 3.6 0.95 

Idaho 413 1 56 5 13.7 1.32 

Illinois 3,176 3 179 10 5.6 0.33 

Indiana 1,580 3 160 11 10.2 0.67 

Iowa 708 2 40 4 5.6 0.60 

Kansas 698 2 58 5 8.3 0.73 

Kentucky 1,004 3 70 6 7.0 0.59 

Louisiana 1,106 2 86 7 7.7 0.62 

Maine 275 1 20 3 7.4 1.21 

Maryland 1,339 1 70 6 5.3 0.48 

Massachusetts 1,427 1 30 4 2.1 0.27 

Michigan 2,389 3 124 7 5.2 0.31 

Minnesota 1,248 1 79 5 6.3 0.39 

Mississippi 763 2 97 8 12.7 1.07 

Missouri 1,418 3 101 6 7.1 0.39 

Montana 222 2 32 3 14.5 1.54 

Nebraska 445 2 31 3 6.9 0.72 

Nevada 667 1 135 8 20.2 1.25 

New Hampshire 293 1 15 3 5.1 0.88 

New Jersey 2,045 1 148 9 7.2 0.44 

New Mexico 501 1 69 5 13.7 0.96 

New York 4,402 3 255 12 5.8 0.26 

North Carolina 2,237 3 219 11 9.8 0.49 

North Dakota 141 1 11 2 7.7 1.40 

Ohio 2,728 3 197 11 7.2 0.42 

Oklahoma 903 3 117 6 12.9 0.68 

Oregon 865 2 110 8 12.8 0.97 

Pennsylvania 2,757 2 169 11 6.1 0.40 

Rhode Island 228 1 13 2 5.7 0.99 

South Carolina 1,064 2 134 8 12.6 0.73 

South Dakota 196 1 17 2 8.4 1.11 

Tennessee 1,476 3 106 8 7.2 0.51 

Texas 6,714 5 1,196 24 17.8 0.36 

Utah 849 1 111 8 13.1 0.94 

Vermont 129 1 5 1 4.0 0.95 

Virginia 1,815 3 138 9 7.6 0.47 

Washington 1,540 2 130 9 8.5 0.56 

West Virginia 385 1 26 4 6.7 0.92 

Wisconsin 1,309 2 68 5 5.2 0.41 

Wyoming 127 2 11 2 8.7 1.70 

Puerto Rico 981 1 54 5 5.5 0.50 

-- Represents or rounds to zero. 

1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate's variability. The 

larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added to and 

subtracted from the estimate forms the 90-percent confidence interval. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey. 18
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I I I I I 

Table 5. Health Insurance Coverage by Survey: 2008 

Universe: U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 

ACS CPS ASEC NHIS 

Estimate 

Margin of 

Error2 (+/-) Estimate 

Margin of 

Error2 (+/-) 

ACS-CPS 

Difference Estimate 

Margin of 

Error2 (+/-) 

ACS-NHIS 

Difference 

All People 

Any Coverage 

Insured 84.9 0.08 84.6 0.2 * 85.2 0.4 

Uninsured 

Coverage Type 

15.1 0.08 15.4 0.2 * 14.8 0.4 

Employer Sponsored 58.7 0.10 58.5 0.2 56.3 0.7 * 

Direct Purchase 14.2 0.05 8.9 0.1 * 6.6 0.3 * 

Medicare 13.5 0.02 14.3 0.2 * 13.9 0.4 

Medicaid 13.4 0.05 14.1 0.2 * 13.9 0.4 * 

TRICARE/Military Health Care 2.5 0.02 2.7 0.1 * 2.1 0.2 *

 VA 2.1 0.01 1.2 -- * 1.0 0.1 * 

Indian Health Service1 

People Under 18 Years 

Any Coverage 

0.5 0.01 0.3 -- * 0.3 0.1 * 

Insured 90.1 0.10 90.1 0.3 91.0 0.7 * 

Uninsured 

Coverage Type 

9.9 0.10 9.9 0.3 9.0 0.7 * 

Employer Sponsored 56.2 0.17 58.9 0.5 * 54.0 1.1 * 

Direct Purchase 9.2 0.08 5.1 0.2 * 3.4 0.5 *

 Medicare 0.7 0.02 0.8 0.1 * 0.3 0.1 * 

Medicaid 27.8 0.14 30.3 0.4 * 31.4 1.1 * 

TRICARE/Military Health Care 2.3 0.04 2.6 0.1 * 2.1 0.4

 VA 0.1 0.01 0.4 0.1 * 0.1 0.1 

Indian Health Service1 0.6 0.01 0.4 0.1 * 0.4 0.2 

* Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level. 

-- Represents or rounds to zero. 

1 Indian Health Service is not considered coverage for the purpose of tabulating summary coverage measures. 

2 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate's variability. The 

larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added to and 

subtracted from the estimate forms the 90-percent confidence interval. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey. 

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I I I I I 

Table 6. Health Insurance Coverage by Selected Characteristics in the ACS, CPS ASEC, and NHIS: 2008 

Universe: U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 

ACS CPS ASEC NHIS 

Estimate 

Margin of 

Error1 (+/-) Estimate 

Margin of 

Error1 (+/-) 

ACS-CPS 

Difference Estimate 

Margin of 

Error1 (+/-) 

ACS-NHIS 

Difference 

Percentage of People with Coverage 

Age 

84.9 0.08 84.6 0.2 * 85.2 0.4 

Under 18 years 90.1 0.10 90.1 0.3 91.0 0.7 * 

18 to 64 years 80.2 0.10 79.7 0.2 * 80.1 0.5 

65 years and over 

Sex 

98.6 0.04 98.3 0.2 * 99.4 0.1 * 

 Male 83.4 0.10 83.0 0.3 * 83.6 0.5 

Female 

Race and Hispanic Origin 

86.4 0.07 86.2 0.2 86.7 0.5 

White Alone 86.7 0.08 85.5 0.2 * 85.5 0.5 * 

White Alone, not Hispanic or Latino 89.4 0.07 89.2 0.2 * 89.4 0.5 

Black or African American Alone 82.0 0.15 80.9 0.6 * 83.4 0.8 * 

Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 

People Age 18 and Over 

Marital Status 

68.5 0.21 69.3 0.7 * 68.4 1.2 

Not Married 77.1 0.11 75.5 0.4 * 77.2 0.7

 Married 88.6 0.07 88.8 0.2 87.9 0.5 * 

* Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level. 

1 Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate's variability. The 

larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added to and 

subtracted from the estimate forms the 90-percent confidence interval. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey. 

20
 

Figure 1. 

AK Uninsured Rates by State: 2008 

Uninsured rate 

Higher than U.S. rate 

Not statistically different from U.S. rate 

TX 

NM 

WA 

NV 

MI 

IL 

MO 

MT 

WY 

ID 

UT 

CO 

HI 

NE 

KS 

OK 

WI 

IA 

LA 

ME 

VT 

IN 

KY 

TN 

AL GA 

OH 

WV 

NC 

SC 

NJ 

MD 

CT 

RI 

MA 

DE 

SD 

VA 

AR 

CA 

AZ 

NY 

DC 

OR 

PA 

ND 

MN 

MS 

FL 

NH 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey. 

Below U.S. rate 

21