The Measurement of Medicaid Coverage in the Sipp: Evidence from California, 1990-1996

40 Pages Posted: 29 Sep 2001 Last revised: 8 Oct 2022

See all articles by David Card

David Card

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Economics; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Andrew K.G. Hildreth

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Economics

Lara D. Shore-Sheppard

Williams College - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: October 2001

Abstract

This paper studies the accuracy of reported Medicaid coverage in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) using a unique data set formed by matching SIPP survey responses to administrative records from the State of California. Overall, we estimate that the SIPP underestimates Medicaid coverage in the California population by about 10 percent. Among SIPP respondents who can be matched to administrative records, we estimate that the probability someone reports Medicaid coverage in a month when they are actually covered is around 85 percent. The corresponding probability for low-income children is even higher - at least 90 percent. These estimates suggest that the SIPP provides reasonably accurate coverage reports for those who are actually in the Medicaid system. On the other hand, our estimate of the false positive rate (the rate of reported coverage for those who are not covered in the administrative records) is relatively high: 2.5 percent for the sample as a whole, and up to 20 percent for poor children. Some of this is due to errors in the recording of Social Security numbers in the administrative system, rather than to problems in the SIPP.

Suggested Citation

Card, David E. and Hildreth, Andrew and Shore-Sheppard, Lara Dawn, The Measurement of Medicaid Coverage in the Sipp: Evidence from California, 1990-1996 (October 2001). NBER Working Paper No. w8514, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=285653

David E. Card (Contact Author)

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Economics ( email )

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Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Andrew Hildreth

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Economics ( email )

California Census Research Data Center
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Lara Dawn Shore-Sheppard

Williams College - Department of Economics ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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