Differences in Insurance Coverage and Access to Health Care for Married Persons and Same-Sex and Different-Sex Unmarried Partners: Evidence from the National Health Interview Survey, 2007-2011

Miriam King, University of Minnesota
Ryan Moltz, University of Minnesota

We use data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey for 2007-2011 to answer two questions: How does access to insurance coverage vary by union status (married versus unmarried partner) and sexual orientation (in same-sex versus different-sex couple)? After controlling for differences in insurance coverage (and demographic and SES characteristics), do persons in same-sex unmarried partnerships differ from either different-sex unmarried partners or from married persons, in their access to basic health care? We find that persons in both same-sex and different-sex unmarried partnerships are twice as likely as married persons to be uninsured, but that only persons in same-sex partnerships are substantially more likely to report unmet need for health care due to cost.