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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the proportion of people with health insurance — AHS‑01 Data Methodology and Measurement

This objective is a Leading Health Indicator (LHI). Learn about LHIs.

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 88.0 percent of persons under 65 years had medical insurance in 2019

Target: 92.4 percent

Numerator
Number of persons under 65 years who report coverage by any type of public or private health insurance.
Denominator
Number of persons under 65 years.
Target-setting method
Projection
Target-setting method details
Linear trend fitted using weighted least squares and a projection at the 25 percent prediction interval.
1
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective. Using historical data points, a trend line was fitted using weighted least squares and the trend was projected into the next decade. This method was used because three or more comparable data points were available, the projected value was within the range of possible values and a projection at the 25 percent prediction interval was selected because the proportion of persons with health insurance has steadily increased since 2010. The Healthy People 2030 Workgroup Subject Matter Experts viewed this as an ambitious yet achievable target assuming current trends continue for the next decade.

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)
Numerator:
What kind of health insurance or health care coverage [do you/does ALIAS] have? INCLUDE those that pay for only one type of service (nursing home care, accidents, or dental care). EXCLUDE private plans that only provide cash while hospitalized.
  1. Private health insurance
  2. Medicare
  3. Medigap
  4. Medicaid
  5. SCHIP (CHIP/Children's Health Insurance Program)
  6. Military health care (TRICARE/VA/CHAMP-VA)
  7. Indian Health Service
  8. State-sponsored health plan
  9. Other government program
  10. Single Service plan (e.g., dental, vision, prescription)
  11. No coverage of any type
  12. Refused
  13. Don't know

Methodology notes

Health care coverage is defined as having any type of health insurance or health care plan, including those obtained by employment, direct purchase, and government programs such as Medicare, Medigap, Medicaid, military healthcare/VA, CHAMPUS/TRICARE/CHAMP-VA, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and other state-sponsored or government-sponsored health plans. Private plans that only provide cash while hospitalized or only pay for one type of service (e.g., nursing home care, accidents, dental care) are excluded. Persons with Indian Health Service coverage only are considered to have no coverage.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.
Revision History
Revised. 

In 2021, due to the 2019 NHIS redesign, the baseline was revised from 89.0% in 2018 to 88.0% in 2019. The target was revised from 92.1% to 92.4% using the original target setting method.

1. Because Healthy People 2030 objectives have a desired direction (e.g., increase or decrease), the confidence level of a one-sided prediction interval can be used as an indication of how likely a target will be to achieve based on the historical data and fitted trend.