SupportingStatement_PartB

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Census Bureau
Annual Social and Economic Supplement
to the Current Population Survey
OMB Control Number 0607-0354
Part B - Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods
Question 1. Universe and Respondent Selection
The Basic CPS universe is 114 million households. From the universe of 114
million, we select a sample of approximately 60,500 households. With the SCHIP
general expansion, this increased to 72,000 households each month. Of these,
approximately 60,000 households will be eligible for interview; and we will
actually interview approximately 55,000 households.
The ASEC sample expands upon the Basic CPS sample by adding select
households. Approximately 6,000 Hispanic households interviewed in the
previous November CPS will be added. We expect to interview approximately
4,500 of these households. Additionally, we will add approximately 8,800
minority and White (with children) households that were interviewed in
November. We expect to interview about 6,500 of these households. Finally, we
will conduct the ASEC to selected minority and White (with children) households
during February and April. These households will be “borrowed” from the
February outgoing and the April incoming rotation groups. We expect to select
approximately 12,800 such households, with about 12,000 actually being
interviewed. This brings us to a total of approximately 78,000 households planned
for interview in fiscal year 2015.
We use a household respondent to answer the supplement items for all household
members 15 years of age or older. The response rate for the ASEC averages 90
percent.
Question 2. Procedures for Collecting Information
This is a supplemental survey associated with the CPS. Attachment B gives an
overview of the CPS sample, design, weighting methodology, and response rates.
The statistical properties of these supplemental items will fall within those
associated with the CPS itself.
Question 3. Methods to Maximize Response
Response rates and data accuracy for the CPS are maintained at high levels
through computer edits, interviewer instruction and training, and close monitoring
of the data. Refer to "Overview of CPS Design and Methodology," item 5, for a
discussion of CPS nonresponse (Attachment B).

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Some amount of allocation for item nonresponse is done within the ASEC
supplement for eligible people. Item nonresponse rates range from less than
2 percent for the work experience items to more than 15 percent for some of the
income items, such as interest and dividends. For households, the basic CPS
household-level nonresponse rate was 11.58 percent. The household-level
nonresponse rate for the ASEC was an additional 10.13 percent. These two nonresponse rates lead to a combined supplement nonresponse rate of 20.54 percent.
Question 4. Tests of Procedures or Methods
Recent studies have shown the ASEC yielding different estimates of varying
magnitudes across income types, health coverage, and particular subpopulations,
when compared to other data sources. These differences typically lead to underreporting of statistics. For example, enrollment in public benefits programs (such
as food stamps) is often under-reported, even after imputations for missing data are
performed. Similarly, under-reporting of health coverage has also been a persistent
problem.
In an on-going effort to curb under-reporting, Westat, Incorporated (referred to
hereafter as Westat) and the Census Bureau worked together to redesign the ASEC
questionnaire in 2014, with Westat handling the redesign of the income questions,
and the Census Bureau handling the redesign of the health coverage questions.
Three major structural changes were implemented in 2014 to address errors
associated with the income questions:
1) Source-First Approach
Previous ASEC income questions have followed an interleafed design.
That is, they ask about income source 1 followed by the amounts for
income source 1; ask about income source 2 followed by the amounts for
income source 2; and so on. This allowed respondents to become aware of
the “consequence” of reporting income, and thus negatively affected
reporting of income sources later in the interview, increasing underreporting for those later income sources.
A source-first approach was therefore implemented. That is, respondents
will first be asked about all income sources received, then a second pass
will ask for amounts for those sources. In addition to better ensuring that
all income sources have a fair chance of being reported, the source-first
approach also gives respondents a second chance at thinking through an
income source when amounts are requested, providing an opportunity for
more specific recall, and perhaps triggering recall for other income sources.
2) Tailoring the order of income source presentation
Beginning in 2014, there are three different orders in which income source
questions may be asked:

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



Default order (same as previous ASEC)
Low-income order
Senior (age 62+) order

The order presented will depend on details (such as roster and work history)
collected from earlier in the interview, and from detailed information
collected in prior interviews. The goal for using a tailored order is to
reduce the effects of respondent fatigue by increasing the likelihood that the
most relevant sources of income are discussed and identified earlier in the
interview. The outcome is a reduction in missing and under-reported data.
3) Following “Don’t Know” Responses With an Amount Range
In previous years, when respondents did not know (or refused to tell) the
value of their reported assets, interviewers simply moved on to the next
asset. The redesigned income questions now follow a “don’t know” or
“refusal” response with a selection of ranges the respondent may choose
from. For example, if asked how much Social Security was received in
2014, and the respondent replies “I don’t know”, we will now ask “Can you
please tell me if you received less than $10,000, between $10,000 and
$20,000, or over $20,000 for the total amount you received in Social
Security Payments in 2014?”
The benefit to this approach is having an estimate of an amount rather than
no answer at all, and may also help respondents develop a true point
estimate of the amount.
More information regarding the changes for the income questions can be found in
Attachment J.
The changes made in 2014 to the health insurance coverage questions addressed
the following issues:
1) Recall Issue
Providing data on calendar year health insurance is an ASEC goal.
However, a tendency of respondents is to ignore the calendar year reference
period and instead report on their current status or their most recent spell of
coverage. Respondents with more recent coverage are more likely to report
accurate data than those with coverage in the distant past.
Therefore, the ASEC now takes a new approach to questions on time
period of coverage. First, current coverage status is determined, since this
tends to be more accurately reported than past coverage. Then the duration
of coverage is determined, at the month level, for the past calendar year.
The new questions on current status may be leveraged to serve as an anchor
which may help elicit reports of past year coverage more accurately than

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the standard methodology.
2) Respondent Fatigue
The household-level questionnaire design has shown to incur underreporting for certain household members, but moving to a person-level
design lengthens the survey.
A person/household level hybrid approach is now used. It begins by asking
questions at the person level and if a particular plan type is identified,
questions then determine if other members of the household are also
covered by that same plan. For each subsequent person on the roster, if
they have previously been identified as having a certain plan of coverage,
that coverage is simply verified and they are asked if they had any
additional plans. Persons not previously identified as having any coverage
are asked the full set of coverage questions.
3) Comprehension Issue
Health plans were previously determined through a series of eight detailed
questions on the source of coverage, which can challenge a respondent’s
limited knowledge of the complexity of health insurance plans and
programs.
To help reduce this type of error, the redesigned ASEC first asks about any
coverage at all, then identifies a general source (e.g., job, government, or
some other way), and then follows up with tailored questions to elicit the
necessary detail.
Question 5. Contacts for Statistical Aspects and Data Collection
The following individuals may be contacted on the statistical, data collection, and
analysis operations:
Statistical Collection Operations:
Lisa A. Clement
Survey Director, Current Population and American Time Use Surveys
Office of the Associate Director for Demographic Programs
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-8400
(301) 763-3806
Survey Content:
Edward J. Welniak, Jr.
Social, Economic, and Household Statistics Division
U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-8500
(301) 763-5533

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List of Attachments:
ABCDEFGHI J -

ASEC Questionnaire
Overview of CPS Sample Design and Methodology
Source and Accuracy Statement
CPS-263(MIS-1)(L), CPS Respondent Letter
Confidentiality Brochure
CPS-580(ASEC)(L), ASEC Respondent Letter
CPS-580(L)SP, ASEC Respondent Letter in Spanish
CPS-676, "Changing Situation" Pamphlet
CPS-676(SP), "Changing Situation" Pamphlet in Spanish
Cognitive Testing of Potential Changes to the ASEC