Twenty years of coverage: an enhanced current population survey-1989-2008.
OBJECTIVE
To create a consistent time series to understand coverage trends by harmonizing 20 years of insurance coverage estimates from the Current Population Survey (CPS) that are an available public resource.


METHODS
1990-2009 CPS Annual Social and Economic Supplement data.


METHODS
CPS data are enhanced to account for methodological and conceptual changes in health insurance measurement and population control totals.


RESULTS
The enhancements to the CPS result in an approximately 1 percent reduction in uninsurance rates. Reductions vary over time and by age group. Changes over the last two decades differ slightly using the two data sources. For example, the enhanced data show a greater erosion of private coverage.


CONCLUSIONS
The enhanced data provide the most consistent measure of health insurance coverage over the past two decades.
Ziegenfuss
Jeanette Y
JY
Division of Health Care Policy and Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55902, USA. Ziegenfuss.jeanette@mayo.edu
Davern
Michael E
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult