Comprehensive documentation on the CPS-ASEC is available at the Census Bureau's health insurance web page.

SHADAC has a variety of resources and links, below, that focus on state-level estimation of health insurance coverage.

CPS Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage

• SHADAC's Data Center, to generate health insurance coverage tables and charts from calendar year 1987 to present.

• Uninsurance Estimates by State, Calendar Years 1987 to present, an Excel file of trend estimates using SHADAC's enhanced CPS adjustments.
   
• 2009-10 two-year average health insurance coverage estimates.

SHADAC's Enhanced CPS Estimates

SHADAC has developed and made available a Current Population Survey (CPS) data series (the "SHADAC-Enhanced CPS") that makes several adjustments to the CPS estimates to account for survey changes over time.  These resources describe the adjustments and explain how to use the adjusted microdata. 

• Comparing State Uninsurance Estimates: SHADAC-Enhanced CPS and CPS, issue brief released in September 2010.
   
• SHADAC-Enhanced Current Population Survey Health Insurance Coverage Estimates: A Summary of Historical Adjustments, technical brief released in November 2009.
   
• Using SHADAC-Enhanced Current Population Survey Health Insurance Coverage Microdata Variables, provides information on how to locate and use the enhanced variables.
   

CPS Sample Design

The CPS is a complex survey

• Summary Description of Weights in the CPS

• CPS sample size by state, 1988 to present (individuals and households).  This file includes observations for the 2001 sample expansion.

Historical changes to the CPS methodology

The CPS has collected health insurance coverage data since 1988.  In that time a number of methodological changes have been applied the the survey that affect how estimates trend over time.  SHADAC has compiled a timeline and description of these changes and how to adjust for them.  Furthermore, SHADAC has developed Stata programmed code to conduct these adjustments.

• "Modifications to the Imputation Routine for Health Insurance in the CPS ASEC: Description and Evaluation," Census Bureau working paper prepared by SHADAC (December 2011).
   
• "Historical Changes in Current Population Survey Health Insurance Coverage Items," SHADAC Issue Brief #19 (October 2009)
   
• "SHADAC-Enhanced CPS Health Insurance Coverage Estimates," SHADAC technical brief describing how adjustments are applied to CPS (November 2009).
   
• "Using SHADAC-Enhanced Current Population Survey Health Insurance Coverage Microdata Variables," SHADAC technical brief describing how to access microdata to run your own adjusted estimates.

SHADAC's Annual Data Release Conference Call Summaries

Each year upon release of the annual CPS data (late August or early September), SHADAC hosts a conference call featuring experts from the U.S. Census Bureau.  The calls are open to the public and the purpose is to discuss any issues or concerns.  A summary of each year's call is below.  To get information on future calls please sign up for our mailing list (lower right corner of our home page) or check our news page in mid- to late August.

• 2011 ACS and CPS State Health Insurance Estimates Webinar, September 25, 2012
• 2010  ACS and CPS State Health Insurance Estimates Webinar, September 2011
• 2009 ACS and CPS Health Insurance Estimates Webinar, October 2010.
• 2008 Data Release Conference Call, September 2009.
• 2007 Data Release Conference Call, August 2008.
• 2006 Data Release Conference Call, August 2007.
• 2005 Data Release Conference Call, August 2006.
• 2004 Data Release Conference Call, August 2005.
• 2003 Data Release Conference Call, August 2004.
• 2002 Data Release Conference Call, August 2003.

County-level health insurance estimates (SAHIE)

Many analysts seek sub-state (county, metro area) health insurance estimates.  The Census Bureau has developed modeled estimates, formerly using the CPS and based on multiple years of data, and most recently using the American Community Survey single years of data.  SHADAC's October 2011 issue brief on new SAHIE estimates explains the methodology.

• SHADAC issue Brief, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates from the Census Bureau: 2008 and 2009, October 2011
• U.S. Census Bureau SAHIE web pag, including the most recent estimates
• Summary of SHADAC's October 2008 conference call to discuss the 2005 model-based Small Area Health Insurance Estimates.

Medicaid "undercount"

The Medicaid "undercount" is the phenomena resulting from a disparity between administrative reports and survey respondent self-reporting of Medicaid enrollment.  Typically surveys under-report the number of enrollees, for a variety of reasons.  These resources explain the findings from SHADAC's research and provide a correction tool.

• Medicaid Under-reporting in the CPS and One Approach for a Partial Correction

SHADAC Issue Briefs Featuring the CPS

SHADAC Journal Articles Featuring the CPS

SHADAC Presentations Featuring the CPS