medication-insurance-coverage - Health Quality Ontario (HQO)

Field Definitions Add to compare

INDICATOR NAME

Name

Prescription medication insurance coverage

Alternate Name

Percentage of Ontarian, aged 12 to 64 years, who report having prescription medication insurance

INDICATOR DESCRIPTION

Description

This indicator reports the percentage of Ontarians aged 12 to 64 who report having prescription medication insurance.

HQO Reporting tool/product

Public reporting

Dimension

Equitable, Patient-centred

Type

Balancing

DEFINITION AND SOURCE INFORMATION

Unit of Measurement

Percentage

Calculation Methods

Numerator divided by the denominator times 100

Numerator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Respondents who reporting having prescription medication insurance (INS_Q005)

Denominator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

All respondents aged 12 to 64

Adjustment (risk, age/sex standardization)- generalized

Age standardized

Data Source

Canadian Community Heath Survey (CCHS)

Data provided to HQO by

Statistics Canada

Reported Levels of comparability /stratifications (defined)

Age, Education, Income, Province, Region, Rurality, Sex

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Caveats and Limitations

Because of the significant changes to the survey methodology, Statistics Canada does not recommend making comparisons of the redesigned 2015 cycle of the CCHS with past cycles. As this indicator relies on self-reported data, the true rate might in fact be higher or lower. In addition, this survey excludes persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements in the provinces; full-time members of the Canadian Forces; the institutionalized population, children aged 12-17 that are living in foster care, and persons living in the Quebec health regions of Région du Nunavik and Région des Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James, which will affect the representativeness of the sample and underestimation of the true rates. Altogether, these exclusions represent less than 3% of the Canadian population aged 12 and over.

Comments Summary

When reporting percentage of prescription medication insurance by level of education, age is restricted to Ontarians aged 25 to 64. A major redesign project that was completed and implemented for the 2015 cycle. The objectives of the redesign were to review the sampling methodology, adopt a new sample frame, modernize the content and review the target population. As a result of the redesign, the 2015 CCHS has a new collection strategy, is drawing the sample from two different frames and has undergone major content revisions. With all these factors taken together, caution should be taken when comparing data from previous cycles to data released for the 2015 cycle onwards. Proportions and ratios are obtained by summing the final weights of records having the characteristic of the numerator and the denominator, and then dividing the first estimate by the second.