Massachusetts Health Insurance Survey
2017 Massachusetts
Health Insurance Survey
Research brief
Comparing Estimates of the Uninsurance Rate in Massachusetts from Survey Data, examines methodologies across selected surveys and evaluates factors that may contribute to those differences.
The Massachusetts Health Insurance Survey (MHIS) provides information on health insurance coverage, health care access and use, and health care affordability for Massachusetts residents as part of CHIA’s Continuing Study on Insurance Coverage, Underinsurance and Uninsurance.
The MHIS is a tool used by CHIA, legislators, policymakers, employers, insurers and other stakeholders to track and monitor the experiences of Massachusetts residents in obtaining timely and affordable health care. While national data sources can help to monitor some aspects of health insurance coverage and health care access, this survey provides the ability to track issues that are specific to Massachusetts. The MHIS additionally enables CHIA to track key populations that are of particular interest to the Commonwealth. The 2017 MHIS was fielded between April and July 2017.
Key Findings
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- In 2017, the uninsurance rate in Massachusetts was 3.7 percent, compared to an 8.8 percent uninsurance rate for the rest of the nation based on early estimates.
- Almost one in ten Massachusetts residents were underinsured in 2017.
- Seventy-eight percent of people incurred all medical debt while they and their family had health insurance.