Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner
Year: 2012
As a component of the state’s Affordable Care Act Establishment Grant, Market Decisions conducted a large-scale survey of Rhode Island residents to assist in the planning and design as well as determining the feasibility analyses of key components of a state Health Insurance Exchange (“Exchange”), as authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Key parts of the research focused on the potential market for the state-based Health Insurance Exchange in Rhode Island, and to make sure that its Exchange is sustainable and creates value for its residents. The survey provided current, state-specific information about insurance coverage, income, employment, access to employer sponsored insurance, potential eligibility for Exchange subsidies, health status, and household composition.
A total of 5,564 households were interviewed. Sampling relied of a complex, dual-frame RDD landline and cellphone with an oversample targeting lower income residents. The survey instrument was designed by Market Decisions and utilized “rostering” which collects information about all residents in the household, not just the respondent. In total, data were gathered on more than 13,000 Rhode Island residents.
Market Decisions was involved in developing the survey instrument, providing RDD samples, developing weighting and design effect specifications, CATI programming, data collection, data processing, data file preparation, development of probabilistic, non-response, and post stratification weights, and analysis and reporting. Analysis was conducted using our SUDAAN analytical software to provide correct variance estimates adjusted for design effect, resulting from the sampling design. In addition to developing profiles of the uninsured and underinsured, Market Decisions also provided an estimate of the uninsured population eligible for expanded Medicaid or coverage through the proposed Health Insurance Exchange, including estimates of the levels of subsidies.