Counting the uninsured using state-level hospitalization data

Objective. To assess the appropriateness of using state-level data on unins ured hospitalizations to estimate the uninsured population. Methods. The authors used 1992-1996 data on hospitalizations of newborns an d of appendectomy and heart attack patients in Florida to estimate the numb er of people in the state without health insurance coverage. These conditio ns were selected because they usually require hospitalization and they are common across demographic categories. Results, Adjusted for the gender and ethnic composition of the population. the percentages of uninsured hospitalizations for appendectomies and heart attacks produced estimates of the state's uninsured population 1.6 percenta ge points lower than those reported for 1996 in the US Census March Current Population Survey. Conclusion. Data reported by hospitals to slate agencies can be used to mon itor trends in health insurance coverage and provides an alternative data s ource for a state-level analysis of the uninsured population.