Codes

This variable is not available for any of the currently selected samples.

Description

PHISELF indicates that the "private" (i.e., employment-based or privately-purchased, not governmental) insurance plan of a household member age 15 and older covered the policyholder only, during the previous calendar year.

The data for PHISELF were collected via a series of questions. First, persons were asked whether they were covered by private insurance during the previous calendar year (see PHINSUR) and, if yes, whether such insurance coverage was in the respondent's own name (see PHIOWN). If the answer to the second question was also yes, the policyholder was asked about other people covered by this same private insurance policy. PHISELF identifies cases in which policyholders of private insurance plans reported that only they themselves were covered by their private (i.e., nongovernmental) insurance plans.

If dependents of the policyholder were covered by the private insurance plan in question, this is indicated in other variables: PHISPOUS (coverage for the policyholder's spouse); PHIHHKID (coverage for children in the household); PHINHKID (coverage for children outside the household); and PHIOTHR (coverage for others). However, if PHISELF is coded "Yes" (i.e., only the policyholder is covered by the plan), then these variables relating to the coverage of dependents should be coded "No."

PHISELF and the related variables PHIHHKID, PHINHKID, PHISPOUS, and PHIOTHR may be of interest to researchers studying who had insurance coverage of a particular type. The primary reason for collecting these data, however, was to allow the Census Bureau to allocate insurance coverage to dependents as well as policyholders in the COVERPI and COVERGH variables.

Comparability

User Note: For a set of variables that addresses many of the comparability issues in the CPS health insurance measures, see the summary health insurance variables created by the University of Minnesota's State Health Access Data Assistance Center.

This variable is comparable over time.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables

• UH_WHOHI5_A1