Beginning in 1998, CSR began a series of telephone surveys designed to estimate the percentage of people in Massachusetts who have no health insurance. These surveys were done for the state of Massachusetts through the state's Division of Health Care Finance and Policy. Getting an accurate estimate of this percentage is critical to understanding the success of the Commonwealth's efforts to try to provide residents with health insurance and with estimating costs for providing Medicaid. In addition to estimating the percentage, information on the characteristics of those without health insurance is gathered so that efforts to increase health insurance coverage can be targeted to the correct individuals. Random digit dialed telephone surveys with close to 5000 Massachusetts households were conducted in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, and another survey is planned for 2006. In addition, the same survey CSR developed for Massachusetts has been used by CSR in surveys of Arkansas in 2001 and 2004. All surveys in Massachusetts and Arkansas had response rates of 60% or higher.

CSR also conducted a survey of Massachusetts employers in 2001, 2003 and 2005 using mail surveys to learn about which employers offer health insurance and which do not. Approximately 900 surveys were conducted in each year with response rates over 60%. Information on the characteristics of the health insurance offered to employees was also gathered as well as the cost to both the employer and employee. These surveys have allowed the state to monitor the changes in employer sponsored health insurance over time. A statewide business organization gave the state a "best business practices" award due to the value of the information collected in these surveys to the business community.