Frequently Asked Questions
Statehealthfacts.org is a project of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and is designed to provide free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data on all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States. Statehealthfacts.org provides the latest data on more than 500 health, health care, and health policy topics, comparable across all states.
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible information, research and analysis on health issues. The Kaiser Family Foundation is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries.
Data presented on statehealthfacts.org are based on a range of public and private sources. Sources include original Kaiser Family Foundation reports, public websites and data, and information purchased from private organizations.
Data presented on statehealthfacts.org are updated or added as new data become available. The update schedule varies from topic to topic and is based on the availability of data from both public and private sources. Sources include original Kaiser Family Foundation reports, public websites and data, and information purchased from private organizations.
Most of the information available on statehealthfacts.org is public information and may be reproduced for free with appropriate citation. Please cite data as follows: "The Kaiser Family Foundation, statehealthfacts.org. Data Source: …, accessed Month Day, Year" The data source may be cited using the reference that appears under the data for each topic on this website under "Source."
For example, "The Kaiser Family Foundation, statehealthfacts.org. Data Source: Estimated Vaccination Coverage with Individual Vaccines and Selected Vaccination Series Among Children 19-35 Months of Age by State -- U.S., National Immunization Survey, Q3/2006-Q2/2007. National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed October 1, 2008."
In a few cases, the data is copyrighted and the copyright holders have requested that the data not be reproduced without express permission. If this is the case, the sourcing information for that particular topic on the site will specify.
If you have questions about data use or if your organization would like to link to statehealthfacts.org, please see our Link To Us page or Contact Us directly.
The availability of older or "archived" data is limited and varies by topic. To inquire about a specific topic, please Contact Us.
Statehealthfacts.org encourages non-profit organizations, government agencies, and academic institutions interested in health policy to link to us. For more information, please see our Link To Us page or if you need additional assistance, please Contact Us.
The State Medicaid Fact Sheets tool provides the latest key data relating to the Medicaid program and the population it serves in each state, allowing for easy comparisons of one state to any other state or to the nation as a whole, on a selection of important indicators. The topics displayed on the fact sheet are automatically updated when new data become available. The information for each Medicaid Fact Sheet is drawn directly from the continuously updated statehealthfacts.org database, which features the most current data from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU).
The Children's Health Fact Sheets tool provides easy online access to the latest children's health coverage and health status information, including Medicaid and SCHIP eligibility and program enrollment and spending data for children. The topics displayed on the fact sheets are automatically updated when new data become available. The information for each Medicaid Fact Sheet is drawn directly from the continuously updated statehealthfacts.org database, which features the most current data from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU).
Population and demographic data are based on analysis of the Census Bureau's March 2007 and 2008 Current Population Surveys (CPS; Annual Social and Economic Supplements) and may differ from other population estimates published yearly by the Census Bureau. U.S. and state population data displayed on this site are restricted to the non-institutionalized, civilian (not active duty military) population; state data represent 2-year averages.
Employer: Includes employer-sponsored coverage for employees and their dependents
Medicaid: Includes those covered by Medicaid, SCHIP, and those who have both Medicaid and another type of coverage, such as dual eligibles who are also covered by Medicare
Medicare*: Includes those covered by Medicare only and those with supplemental coverage from another source, such as private retiree insurance
Individual: Those covered by private insurance other than employer-sponsored coverage
Other Public: Those covered under the military or Veterans Administration as well as some non-elderly Medicare enrollees
Uninsured: Those without health insurance and those who have coverage under the Indian Health Service only
*On the Medicare category page, the Medicare coverage type includes those with both Medicare and Medicaid.
The state data are based on an analysis of the March 2007 and 2008 CPS and represent two-year averages. Data are pooled together to increase the sample size for each state, allowing for more robust estimates. The national data are based solely on the 2008 survey. All data are restricted to the civilian (not active duty military) population and characteristics such as income that apply to related individuals are grouped by health insurance units (HIU). For details about HIUs, see the FAQ on that topic.
An HIU groups individuals according to their insurance eligibility, rather than solely by relatedness or household. A single household may contain multiple HIUs and the income and work status of each HIU member is assigned to the HIU to which they belong. This method of analysis has the effect of increasing the number of people who are low-income. Using the HIU as the basis of analysis is important when trying to estimate the number of people who might be affected by health policy changes, particularly eligibility for public programs.
Please feel free to provide input about statehealthfacts.org by visiting Contact Us on the site. You may also contact Hannah Yang Moore at (202) 347-5270 about the site's content or with general questions.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) are free content feeds from content providers, like the Kaiser Family Foundation. Learn more about RSS. RSS requires a news reader or aggregator that displays RSS content feeds. RSS feeds on kff.org contain headlines and links back to the kff.org page.