What Is Health Insurance Coverage?

Health insurance coverage in the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) refers to comprehensive coverage during the calendar year.I For reporting purposes, the Census Bureau broadly classifies health insurance coverage as private insurance or government insurance. The CPS ASEC classifies private health insurance as a plan provided through an employer or a union, or purchased by an individual from a private company. Government health insurance includes federal programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), individual state health plans, TRICARE, CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs), as well as care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the military.II In the CPS ASEC, people were considered “insured” if they were covered by any type of health insurance for part or all of the previous calendar year. They were considered uninsured if, for the entire year, they were not covered by any type of health insurance. Additionally, people were considered uninsured if they only had coverage through the Indian Health Service (IHS). For more information, see Appendix A, “Estimates of Health Insurance Coverage.”