U.S. Census Bureau

 Model-based Small Area Health Insurance Estimates
 for Counties and States

About SAHIE


The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) program was created to develop model-based estimates of health insurance coverage for counties and states. Data on health insurance coverage for counties are not available elsewhere, since neither the decennial census nor the American Community Survey contain questions on this topic. Our primary focus is to produce a consistent set of nation-wide estimates for sub-state areas, such as counties. The program builds on the work of the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program.

We currently have two experimental models under evaluation. Our age model creates county and state estimates of people with and without health insurance coverage by age in 2000 for:

Our demographic and income model creates state estimates of women with and without health insurance coverage by age, race, ethnicity, and income in 2001 for:

This research is partially funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The CDC have a congressional mandate to provide screening services for breast and cervical cancer to low-income, uninsured, and underserved women through the NBCCEDP. Each state NBCCEDP program defines low-income as 200 percent, 250 percent, or (for one state) 225 percent of the poverty threshold. We are also researching a county model to create estimates by age, sex, and income.

For more information, see the methodology page for details on the two models.

We welcome your feedback as we continue to research and improve our estimation methods. The SAHIE program's age model methodology and estimates have undergone internal U.S. Census Bureau review as well as external review. See the SAHIE review page for more details and a summary of the comments and our response.

The SAHIE program models health insurance coverage by combining survey data with population estimates and administrative records. Our estimates are based on data from the following sources:

For further information on these data sources see information about data inputs.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Data Integration Division, Small Area Estimates Branch
For assistance, please contact the Demographic Call Center Staff at 301-763-2422 or 1-866-758-1060 (toll free) or visit ask.census.gov for further information.