A potential new data source for assessing the impacts of health reform: Evaluating the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index

The Gallup-Healthways WBI is a valuable complement to existing data sources for health services research. The Gallup-Healthways WBI estimates for uninsured rates and access to care were similar to established national surveys and may allow for rapid estimates of the ACA׳s impact on the uninsured in 2014. Estimates of insurance type are less comparable, particularly for public coverage, which likely limits the utility of the Gallup-Healthways WBI for analyzing changes in particular types of coverage.