Health insurance information collected in the SIPP’s Event History Calendar section uses feedback data based on prior wave responses (also known as dependent interviewing) in Wave 2+ cases. Feedback helps reduce respondent burden and reduce potential seam bias across waves.

Beginning in 2021 SIPP, data processing was modified to address false transitions in coverage resulting from incomplete health insurance feedback data. Cases impacted by the health insurance spell fix can be identified where the beginning spell month allocation flag is coded as ‘1=In universe, as reported’ and the ending spell month allocation flag is coded as ‘2=Statistical imputation (hot deck)’.

The impacted end month health insurance variables are as follows:

EPR1EMONTH: End month of the private health insurance spell (line 1)

EPR2EMONTH: End month of the private health insurance spell (line 2)

EMC_EMONTH: End month of Medicare spell

EMD_EMONTH: End month of Medicaid/Medical Assistance spell

EML_EMONTH: End month of military health insurance spell