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Codes

This is a 8-digit numeric variable.

Description

HIUID is constructed by the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) at the University of Minnesota. HIUID defines family as a "health insurance unit" (HIU). It differs from the general family definition of all related individuals within a household.

Health insurance coverage, whether through an employer or a public program, is often based on family relationships. An individual with access to employer-sponsored coverage may be able to cover his or her spouse and children through that policy. Public coverage often considers family ties in determining program eligibility, especially for children and families. Many analysts and researchers have adopted the use of a "health insurance unit" (HIU) in studying insurance coverage so as to focus on those individuals who would likely be considered a "family unit" in determining eligibility for either private or public coverage. Individual assignment to an HIU is detailed in HIURULE.

For more information about HIUs see "Defining 'Family' for Studies of Health Insurance Coverage" and "2020 Update of SHADAC's Health Insurance Unit".

The Stata and SAS code is available so that analysts who choose to can easily modify the HIU definition.

SHADAC has also provided information and example Stata and SAS code, available on their website, for using the HIU and FPG variables and replicating estimates available from the SHADAC Data Center.

Comparability

In 2020, SHADAC revised its definition of health insurance units to take changes in eligibility for various insurance programs and updated coding of family relationships in federal surveys. For more information on these updates and the reasons behind them, see "2020 Update of SHADAC's Health Insurance Unit."

Comparability with IPUMS-USA

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables