New HCFO Findings Brief

HCFO Findings Brief - Bridging the Gap: The Role of Individual Health Insurance Coverage

New research findings emanating from a HCFO-sponsored project identify patterns of individual health insurance coverage. Researchers Andrew F. Coburn, Ph.D, and Erika Ziller at the University of Southern Maine and Timothy McBride at St. Louis University studied the coverage duration of the individually insured, the sources of coverage available before and after enrollment in an individual health plan, and the characteristics of those who rely on individual insurance coverage. They found that most individual insurance “spells” were characterized by people entering and exiting employer-based coverage, implying that individual health insurance was used primarily to bridge gaps in employer-based coverage. However, an important minority of the individually insured maintained coverage for more than two years, with small business employees and the self-employed having the longest spells.

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