How Information was Gathered Regarding Michigan Health Insurance Coverage

Data Source

Three-year averages of Current Population Survey (CPS) data are used throughout this document because many researchers believe that CPS data produce relatively credible estimates when three years of data are combined for states and population subgroups.

For each analysis of the characteristics of the uninsured, there is a graph and a table. The graphs show the percentage of individuals with a certain characteristic as compared to the entire population. The tables depict the chances of an individual having a particular characteristic, such as being uninsured or having a specific type of coverage. For example, 12.5 percent of uninsured non-elderly Michiganians are children, while 5.7 percent of children are uninsured (see page 12). In addition, each analysis highlights how Michigan compares to the United States.

Limitations

The Current Population Survey (CPS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau is one of the most widely cited and available sources for data on health insurance or lack thereof. The national sample size is large and the response rate is high. Reliability for state and population subgroups can be enhanced by combining several years of data so three-year averages are used for most comparisons in this report.

CPS estimates on the uninsured are the most frequently used and accepted data for federal planning purposes and for state-to-state comparisons.

Additional information on the CPS can be found at: http://www.census.gov/. CPS information specific to health care as well as the revised estimates and information on the methodology is available at: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html.

Acknowledgement

Initial analysis of the CPS data was provided by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), which is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy research organization based in Washington, D.C.