MEPS HC-150: 2012 Jobs File
March 2014
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 427-1406
Table of Contents
A. Data Use Agreement
B. Background
1.0 Household Component
2.0 Medical Provider Component
3.0 Survey Management and Data Collection
C. Technical and Programming Information
1.0 General Information
2.0 Data File Information
2.1 Codebook Structure
2.2 Reserved Codes
2.3 Codebook Format
2.4 Variable Source and Naming Conventions
3.0 Longitudinal Analysis
3.1 Using MEPS Data for Trend Analysis
D. Variable-Source Crosswalk
Appendix 1. Sample SAS Program
Individual identifiers have been removed from the
micro-data contained in these files. Nevertheless, under sections 308 (d) and
903 (c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m and 42 U.S.C. 299
a-1), data collected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
and/or the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) may not be used for any
purpose other than for the purpose for which they were supplied; any effort to
determine the identity of any reported cases is prohibited by law.
Therefore in accordance with the above referenced Federal
Statute, it is understood that:
- No one is to use the data in this data set in any way
except for statistical reporting and analysis; and
- the identity of any person or establishment should
be discovered inadvertently, then (a) no use will be made of this knowledge,
(b) the Director Office of Management AHRQ will be advised of this incident,
(c) the information that would identify any individual or establishment will be
safeguarded or destroyed, as requested by AHRQ, and (d) no one else will be
informed of the discovered identity; and
- No one will attempt to link this data set with
individually identifiable records from any data sets other than the Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey or the National Health Interview Survey.
By using these data you signify your agreement to comply
with the above stated statutorily based requirements with the knowledge that
deliberately making a false statement in any matter within the jurisdiction of
any department or agency of the Federal Government violates Title 18 part 1
Chapter 47 Section 1001 and is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 5
years in prison.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality requests
that users cite AHRQ and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey as the data
source in any publications or research based upon these data.
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The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) provides
nationally representative estimates of health care use, expenditures, sources
of payment, and health insurance coverage for the U.S. civilian
non-institutionalized population. The MEPS Household Component (HC) also
provides estimates of respondents’ health status, demographic and
socio-economic characteristics, employment, access to care, and satisfaction
with health care. Estimates can be produced for individuals, families, and
selected population subgroups. The panel design of the survey, which includes 5
Rounds of interviews covering 2 full calendar years, provides data for
examining person level changes in selected variables such as expenditures,
health insurance coverage, and health status. Using computer assisted personal
interviewing (CAPI) technology, information about each household member is
collected, and the survey builds on this information from interview to
interview. All data for a sampled household are reported by a single household
respondent.
The MEPS-HC was initiated in 1996. Each year a new panel
of sample households is selected. Because the data collected are comparable to
those from earlier medical expenditure surveys conducted in 1977 and 1987, it
is possible to analyze long-term trends. Each annual MEPS-HC sample size is
about 15,000 households. Data can be analyzed at either the person or event
level. Data must be weighted to produce
national estimates.
The set of households selected for each panel of the MEPS
HC is a subsample of households participating in the previous year’s National
Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted by the National Center for Health
Statistics. The NHIS sampling frame provides a nationally representative sample
of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population and reflects an
oversample of Blacks and Hispanics. In 2006, the NHIS implemented a new sample
design, which included Asian persons in addition to households with Black and
Hispanic persons in the oversampling of minority populations. MEPS further oversamples
additional policy relevant sub-groups such as low income households. The
linkage of the MEPS to the previous year’s NHIS provides additional data for
longitudinal analytic purposes.
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Upon completion of the household CAPI interview and
obtaining permission from the household survey respondents, a sample of medical
providers are contacted by telephone to obtain information that household
respondents can not accurately provide. This part of the MEPS is called the Medical
Provider Component (MPC) and information is collected on dates of visit,
diagnosis and procedure codes, charges and payments. The Pharmacy Component
(PC), a subcomponent of the MPC, does not collect charges or diagnosis and
procedure codes but does collect drug detail information, including National
Drug Code (NDC) and medicine name, as well as date filled and sources and
amounts of payment. The MPC is not designed to yield national estimates. It is
primarily used as an imputation source to supplement/replace household reported
expenditure information.
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MEPS HC and MPC data are collected under the authority of
the Public Health Service Act. Data are collected under contract with Westat,
Inc. (MEPS HC) and Research Triangle Institute (MEPS MPC). Data sets and
summary statistics are edited and published in accordance with the
confidentiality provisions of the Public Health Service Act and the Privacy
Act. The National Center for Health statistics (NCHS) provides consultation and
technical assistance.
As soon as data collection and editing are completed, the
MEPS survey data are released to the public in staged releases of summary
reports, micro data files, and tables via the MEPS Web site: meps.ahrq.gov. Selected data can be
analyzed through MEPSnet, an on-line interactive tool
designed to give data users the capability to statistically analyze MEPS data
in a menu-driven environment.
Additional information on MEPS is available from the MEPS
project manager or the MEPS public use data manager at the Center for Financing,
Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540
Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850 (301-427-1406).
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Section C of this document offers a brief overview of the
data provided in MEPS public use release HC-150, as well as the content and
structure of the codebook, reserved code values, and variable naming
conventions. It is followed by Section D containing the Variable-Source
Crosswalk, and Appendix 1 containing sample SAS program code. A copy of the
survey instrument used to collect the information on this file is available on
the MEPS web site: meps.ahrq.gov.
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In the Employment section, MEPS collects complete
job-related information in the round in which a job is first reported. While
they vary by job type (see Section 2.0), the data reported for a job in its first survey round may include earnings by
type (gross salary, tips, etc.), start and stop dates, hours and weeks worked,
establishment size and industry, occupation, presence of retirement and other
benefits, self-employment versus other status, temporary or seasonal
situations, and health insurance availability. Minimal data updates are
available for later rounds in which the job continues.
Each Full-Year Jobs file contains job records from two
MEPS panels. The 2012 Jobs file provided in this release, MEPS HC-150, contains
job-level information collected in Rounds 3 through 5 for the sixteenth panel
and Rounds 1 through 3 for the seventeenth panel of the Medical Expenditure
Panel Survey (i.e., the rounds for the MEPS panels covering calendar year 2012),
as illustrated below.
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Calendar
2011 through 2013
In order to obtain complete information for a job, users
must note the round in which the job is first reported. This is because MEPS
collects complete Jobs information in that round only, as noted above.
For the first year panel, in this case Panel 17, data from
Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are included in the 2012 Jobs file. Complete information for
any Panel 17 job is available, whether that job was first reported in Round 1,
2, or 3. This is the case for any first year panel (the panel that began its
first year of interviewing in the given year) in a Full-Year Jobs file.
For the second year panel (the panel that continued with
its second year of interviewing in the given year), in this case Panel 16, data
from Rounds 3, 4, and 5 are included in this file. If the Round 3, 4, or 5 job
continued from Round 1 or Round 2, users must look back
to the Jobs file from the previous year (2011) to obtain complete information
for the job. Appendix 1 includes sample SAS code to assist users in obtaining
this information. Users should note that, because of differences in sample composition
between the current year and the previous year files (i.e., a person was
included in the previous year’s delivery but not the current year or vice
versa), or because more accurate information was received in Round 4 or Round 5
comments following the delivery of the Rounds 1 – 3 Jobs records in the
previous year, there occasionally may not be a corresponding Round 1 or Round 2
job in the previous year file.
This file is being released as a research file and has not
undergone the standard quality control procedures usually performed on MEPS
data files. The file includes a total of 61,969 records,
with each record representing a unique job for a person by round. This file
presents information about jobs starting on or before 12/31/2012 only. The 2013
Jobs file release will present information on Panel 17 jobs starting in 2013.
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Jobs Records
Each record in the 2012 Jobs file represents one job
reported by a person in a round. The unique record identifier is the variable
JOBSIDX, which comprises a person identifier (DUID + PID), a round identifier
(RN), and a job number (JOBSN). A panel indicator (PANEL) is included on the
file to distinguish Round 3 jobs held by Panel 16 persons from Round 3 jobs
held by those in Panel 17.
All persons age 16 and older in the MEPS are asked to
report on jobs held. Depending on an individual’s job history, these reported
jobs may be held:
- at the interview date,
- in the round but prior to the interview date, or
- prior to the round.
Only those persons reporting a job in a round will have a
record on the 2012 Jobs file for that round.
Initial Reporting Round
Most persons held only one job at the first interview date
– their “Current Main Job.” For
persons who held more than one job at the round’s interview date (a
current job), respondents were
asked to identify the main job. This job was classified as the “Current Main Job”
and any other simultaneously held job was classified as a “Current Miscellaneous
Job.” The MEPS also obtained some information on any former job (Former Main
Job or Former Miscellaneous Job) held in the reference period but not at the
interview date. For those persons neither working at the interview date nor
earlier in the reference period, limited information on the last job the person
held was collected. Additionally, for those persons age 55 or older who were identified as having retired
from a job, the MEPS obtained some job-level information (Retirement Job).
The variable SUBTYPE
indicates the type of job record – current main (1), current miscellaneous (2), former
main (3), former miscellaneous (4), last job outside reference period (5), or
retirement job (6). When a job is initially reported, MEPS asks for detailed
information about any “Current Main Job” and “Current Miscellaneous Job” and
basic information about other job types. Refer to the questionnaire to see
which information was asked for each job type. It is
important to note that the retirement job classification in the variable
SUBTYPE is independent of any retirement response in the following variables:
- YLEFT, which relates to the question why a person left a previous job;
- YNOBUSN, which relates to the question why a person no longer has a self-employed business;
- WHY_LEFT, which relates to the question why a person left a job in the current round.
Job Updates and Inapplicable (-1) Values
The MEPS used dependent interviewing in Rounds 3, 4, and 5
for Panel 16 and in Rounds 2 and 3 for Panel 17 (see section RJ in the Employment
section of the questionnaire). In these rounds, the MEPS asked about current main and current
miscellaneous jobs held at
the previous round interview date to
determine whether the jobholder continued to work at these jobs. For
other job types (former, last, or retirement) reported in the previous round,
MEPS does not ask any follow-up questions. These jobs, by definition, are no
longer held by the person and therefore are not included on the file except in
the round they are first reported.
With dependent interviewing, if a person still held a Current
Main Job from the previous round, the MEPS asked whether the job was still the
main job. For most jobholders, it was reported that they still
worked at the same job and it was still their main job. If, in a subsequent
interview, a job was no longer held, it was designated as a former job for that
follow-up round. It is also possible, although unusual, for a job to change
from main to miscellaneous (or vice versa) in a round subsequent to the initial
report.
If job status remained the same for a continuing job
(either main or miscellaneous), the MEPS asked only a subset of the employment
questions as a review. Because the MEPS asked only this subset of questions if
job status for a person did not change in later rounds, many job-level
variables on the subsequent round’s job records are coded as inapplicable (-1);
the complete information is on the record for the job in the first round in which
it was reported. Thus, it is
important to determine whether a job in a subsequent round continues from the
previous round when working with the job records. In rounds where this applies,
the variables STILLAT (for jobs that were current main in the previous round)
and STILLWRK (for jobs that were current miscellaneous in the previous round)
indicate whether a person still holds the job at the subsequent round interview
date. The variable SUBTYPE on the subsequent round record indicates whether the
job is main or miscellaneous in that subsequent round. Note that if a Panel 16
job included in this 2012 file is continued from a Round 1 or 2 job, much of the information will be contained in the 2011
Jobs file (HC-142). Use that file to obtain the desired job characteristics.
Appendix 1 provides a sample SAS program showing how to do this.
Any new job reported in a round following the initial
interview is collected the same way as in the first interview round.
Variables that relate only to the review of a job reported
in a previous round (Y_CHANGE, MAIN_JOB, OFFTAKEI, NOWTAKEI, WHY_LEFT, STILLAT,
STILLWRK, DIFFWAGE, WHY_DIFF, WORKSTAT, ESTBTHRU,
INSESTB, NELIGINS) were not asked in Round 1, and these variables are
coded as inapplicable (-1) on a Jobs record for the round in which the job is
initially reported.
Exceptions to the Inapplicable (-1) Rule
Unlike the situation explained above for most variables on
the file, for certain variables a value other than inapplicable (-1) does not necessarily
mean that a job is newly reported. There are two distinct situations in which
this special treatment is used, due to internal processing needs.
In the first situation, questions related to the affected
variables are skipped over as inapplicable (-1) during the interview
in rounds subsequent to the one in which the job was initially reported, but
have their originally reported response carried forward from round to round. This
group includes the following 15 variables: EMPLINS, HRSPRWK,
HRS35WK, JOBTYPE, JSTRTY, JSTRTM, JSTRtd , MORELOC, NUMEMPS, OFFRDINS, PROVDINS, TYPEEMPL, JOBHASHI, HRSALBAS, and RETIRJOB.
In the other situation, there are certain questions that
are asked during the review of a job in rounds following the round in which the
job was initially reported. If there is no change based on the review, the
value for the affected variable is copied forward from the previous round. If
there is a change, the variable is updated to reflect the new information.
These five variables are: JSTOPY, NOWTAKEI, OFFTAKEI, SUBTYPE, and TOTLEMP.
Variables related to earnings (such as HRLYWAGE, GROSSPAY,
SALARIED) are treated similarly to the five variables just discussed. In the
review section, the MEPS attempted to obtain information regarding changes in
wages for the same job from round to round. If there were no wage changes
(indicated by the DIFFWAGE variable), then the most recent round’s information
was carried forward. If changes were recorded, then the relevant variables were
updated. For every new job reported for a person, the MEPS attempted to obtain current
wage information.
Top-Coding, Editing, and Confidentiality
For reasons of confidentiality, earnings variables on the
file were top-coded. The earnings variables include HRLYWAGE, BONSAMT, COMMAMT,
TIPSAMT, DAYWAGE, WKLYAMT, GROSSPAY, MAKEAMT, and OTHRWAGE. A value of ‘-10’
for one of these variables on a record indicates that the variable had a
positive value and that the hourly rate for that earnings variable for the
record was greater than or equal to $75.76. Beginning
in 2005, the process by which the top-code value for
the Jobs file is derived incorporates the wage top-code process used in the Full-Year Use file top-coding process. The purpose of this change in top-coding procedures is to ensure confidentiality for each person across
files.
Beginning with the 2004 Use file process, top-coding was
changed to consider updated wages in any round – that is, in addition to using wages from the first report of a Current Main Job, updated wages from that job reported in any subsequent round are also included
in deriving the top-code value. On the Use file, any person who has a wage in
any round that is greater than or equal to the top-code value will have all
wages top-coded, regardless of round. And any person whose wages are top-coded
on the Full-Year 2012 Use file has all wages on all jobs
top-coded in the 2012 Jobs file.
Moreover, because other jobs where wages are reported are
included in the 2012 Jobs file but not summarized in the Full-Year 2012 Use
file (i.e., newly reported former main jobs and current/former miscellaneous
jobs), and these wages may exceed the current year top-code value, wages for
these jobs and all jobs belonging to the same jobholder are top-coded on the 2012
Jobs file. In turn, the wages of these persons are top-coded in the Full-Year
2012 Use file as well.
Note too that there are some jobs where respondents
indicate that a supplemental wage, such as a commission, tip, or bonus, is
greater than or equal to the wage top-code value, but, at that same job, base
wage such as the annual salary is not. For these cases, only the tips,
commissions, or bonus amounts were top-coded on the job where they are greater
than or equal to the wage top-code value. All other wage amounts on all jobs
for these persons were left as reported.
For some persons in Panel 16, whose wages were imputed in
Round 1 or Round 2 and copied forward into the Full-Year 2012 Use PUF wage
variable HRWG31X, the updated Round 3 wage as reported in the 2012 Jobs file
may meet or exceed the wage top-code value. For these cases, the main wage at
the job is set to ‘-9’ (Not ascertained) and all other wage responses remain as
reported.
Some wage information was logically edited for
consistency. Edits were performed under three circumstances:
- in cases where a respondent updated a wage,
indicating as the reason for the change that the amount reported in a previous
round was in error, and then provided the corrected amount for the previous
round
- in some cases where wages reported as less than
$1.00 per hour are updated in a subsequent round to greater than $1.00, and the
wage increased by a factor of 10 or 100 (for example, if a Round 4 wage is
updated to $20.00, the Round 3 wage of $0.20 could logically be updated to
$20.00); in some of these cases, additional comments may have also indicated an
error
- in some cases where wages changed substantially
from round to round and a keying error was evident (for example, ‘the number of
hours on which the salary is based’ is updated from ‘40’ to ‘4’; the ‘4’ could
logically be updated to ‘40’)
In all cases that result in an edit, a complete review of
wage and employment history is performed; in some cases, comparisons are made
to employment at similar establishments within the MEPS as well as to data
reported and summarized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To calculate the hourly rate for earnings types not
reported on an hourly basis, the number of hours per week worked and in some
cases the number of weeks worked were used in conjunction with the various
amounts. These hours and weeks are included on the file along with the reported
earnings amounts, but not the calculated hourly rates. (Earnings variables were
not reconciled with income data collected elsewhere in the MEPS.)
Also for confidentiality reasons, the establishment size
variables NUMEMPS (establishment size for jobs held by wage earners) and
TOTLEMP (establishment size for self-employed jobs) were top-coded as ‘-10’ for
establishment sizes greater than or equal to 11,000 employees.
It is important to note that the establishment size
variable for the self-employed is TOTLEMP, while the establishment size for
wage earners can be found in NUMEMPS and ESTMATE1. The variable ESTMATE1 is
derived from a question that allowed respondents who did not know the actual establishment size
(NUMEMPS) to choose from a number of size ranges.
Temporary and Seasonal Jobs
Two variables on the file pertain to the temporary and
seasonal nature of a person’s main or miscellaneous job. The variable
TEMPJOB indicates whether a main or miscellaneous job is temporary (i.e., is a
current main job for a limited amount of time or until the completion of a
project). The variable SESNLJOB indicates either that a main or miscellaneous
job is available only during certain times of the year or that the individual
is working throughout the entire year at that job. Teachers and other school personnel who work only during the school year
are considered to work year round. In the collection instrument, the
questions related to temporary and seasonal job characteristics are asked both
when a current job is initially reported as well as during a review of that
job. If a respondent reports during a review of a job that the job has ended,
the questions are still asked. These questions are not asked of newly reported
former miscellaneous jobs, last job outside of reference period, and
retirement jobs.
Health Insurance Data
Questions about employment-related health insurance are
asked both when any type of job is newly reported and when any continuing job
is reviewed. For main jobs, either newly reported or changing from
miscellaneous, the variable that indicates whether insurance is held through
that establishment is EMPLINS. For all non-main jobs, the variable JOBHASHI
indicates whether insurance is held through that establishment.
For a newly reported job, depending on whether
employment-related insurance is held or not, there may be follow-up information
gathered which is contained in the following variables:
- OFFRDINS, which notes if insurance was not held whether it was offered;
- DIFFPLNS, which notes if a choice of plans is
available where insurance is either offered or held;
- ANYINS, which notes if insurance coverage is
available to any other employees at the establishment in cases where the
jobholder does not hold and is not offered coverage; and
- ELIGINSR, which notes why the jobholder is not
eligible for coverage in cases where other employees at the establishment are
offered coverage.
For a continuing job, when no insurance was held in the
round in which the job was first reported but insurance was offered, OFFTAKEI
is asked to determine if it is now held in this round. If not, there is no
follow-up regarding insurance coverage through that job. When insurance was not
previously held nor offered, the follow-up questions in the RJ section relate
to the following variables:
- NOWTAKEI indicates if insurance is now held
through the establishment. If not, the jobholder is asked if health insurance
was offered (ESTBTHRU).
- If insurance was not offered, follow-up
questions are asked regarding insurance availability to any employees and why
the jobholder is not eligible for that coverage as noted in the variables
INSESTB and NELIGINS.
- If insurance was held for a portion of the
previous round or the respondent disavows coverage in the Health Insurance
section that was previously indicated in the Employment section of the
interview, only NOWTAKEI is asked in subsequent rounds.
Skip Patterns
Due to many skip patterns, it is recommended that users of
the 2012 Jobs file become familiar with the Employment section in the MEPS
questionnaire. To aid users, a crosswalk between variables and MEPS
questionnaire numbers is provided in this release. The following examples of
variables involved in skip patterns are presented to be illustrative; these
examples do not represent the full range of variables affected by questionnaire
skip patterns.
In one example of a skip pattern, the MEPS did not obtain
job-related benefits such as vacation, sick leave, and pension information for
self-employed jobs, so those variables are coded as inapplicable (-1) for those
types of jobs. Nor did the MEPS attempt to obtain wage, salary, and information
regarding whether the job was in the private sector, federal or local
government (TYPEEMPL) for the self-employed. So again, due to the skip pattern,
TYPEEMPL is coded as inapplicable (-1) for self-employed jobs.
Conversely, the questions relating to business
organization type (BUSINC, PROPRIET) were asked only of the self-employed, so
the skip pattern results in those variables being coded inapplicable (-1) for
jobs performed by wage earners.
Industry and Occupation Coding
Industry and occupation codes were assigned by
professional coders at the Census Bureau based on verbatim descriptions
provided by respondents during the survey interview. The codes are
determined at a detailed 4-digit level and then collapsed into broader groups
on the file to ensure the confidentiality of the records. INDCODEX
contains industry information and OCCCODEX contains occupation information. The
page on the MEPS website describing the 2012 Jobs file contains a crosswalk
between the detailed and collapsed codes for both industry and occupation.
With the 2010 file, the Census Bureau began using 2007
Industry and 2010 Occupation codes, which were developed for the Bureau’s
Current Population Survey and American Community Survey. These new coding
schemes incorporate minor changes from the 2003 industry and occupation codes
used for the 2002-2009 files; therefore, INDCODEX and OCCCODEX for 2010 and
later files will be comparable to those variables on the 2002-2009 files.
(Industry and occupation variables for pre-2002 files are not comparable to
those for later files.)
This 2012 Jobs file does not include any weights necessary
to extrapolate this data to the U.S. population. To make person-level
estimates, link to any of the 2012 MEPS files and use the person-level weight
for the appropriate panel. The link should be made through the variable
DUPERSID. Note that not all persons in the MEPS have positive weights and job
records; only those persons who have either a positive person-level or
family-level weight in the 2012 Full-Year Person-Level file are included in the
2012 Jobs file.
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For each variable on the 2012 Jobs file, an unweighted frequency is
provided in the accompanying codebook file.
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The following reserved code values are used:
Value |
Definition |
-1 INAPPLICABLE |
Question was not asked due to skip pattern |
-7 REFUSED |
Question was asked and respondent refused to answer question |
-8 DK |
Question was asked and respondent did not know answer |
-9 NOT ASCERTAINED |
Interviewer did not record the data |
-10 TOP-CODED VALUE |
Variable was top-coded for confidentiality, as described above |
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This codebook describes an ASCII dataset (with related SAS, SPSS, and STATA programming statements
and data user information), although the data are also provided in a SAS transport file. The file contains 87 variables and has a logical record length of 252 with an additional 2-byte carriage return/line feed at
the end of each record.
The following codebook items are provided for each variable:
Identifier |
Description |
Name |
Variable name (maximum of 8 characters) |
Description |
Variable descriptor (maximum 40 characters) |
Format |
Number of bytes |
Type |
Type of data: numeric (indicated by NUM) or character (indicated by CHAR) |
Start |
Beginning column position of variable in record |
End |
Ending column position of variable in record |
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In general, variable names reflect the content of the
variable, with an 8-character limitation. Variables contained on this file were
derived from the questionnaire itself or from the CAPI. The source of each
variable is identified in Section D. Variable-Source Crosswalk. Sources for each variable are indicated
in one of two ways:
- Variables derived from CAPI or assigned in sampling are
so indicated as “CAPI Derived” or “Assigned in Sampling,” respectively;
- Variables that come from one or more specific questions
have those questionnaire sections and/or question numbers listed in the
“Source” column.
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Panel-specific longitudinal files are available for
downloading in the data section of the MEPS Web site. For each panel, the
longitudinal file comprises MEPS survey data obtained in Rounds 1 through 5 of
the panel and can be used to analyze changes over a two-year period. Variables
in the file pertaining to survey administration, demographics, employment,
health status, disability days, quality of care, patient satisfaction, health
insurance, and medical care use and expenditures were obtained from the MEPS
full-year Consolidated files from the two years covered by that panel. For more
details or to download the data files, please see Longitudinal Weight Files at meps.ahrq.gov/data_stats/more_info_download_data_files.jsp.
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MEPS began in 1996, and the utility of the survey for
analyzing health care trends expands with each additional year of data; however,
it is important to consider a variety of factors when examining trends over
time using MEPS. Statistical significance tests should be conducted to assess
the likelihood that observed trends are not attributable to sampling variation.
The length of time being analyzed should also be considered. In particular,
large shifts in survey estimates over short periods of time (e.g., from one
year to the next) that are statistically significant should be interpreted with
caution unless they are attributable to known factors such as changes in public
policy, economic conditions, or MEPS survey methodology. Looking at changes
over longer periods of time can provide a more complete picture of underlying
trends. Analysts may wish to consider using techniques to evaluate, smooth, or stabilize analyses of
trends using MEPS data such as comparing pooled time periods (e.g., 1996-97
versus 2011-12), working with moving averages, or using modeling techniques
with several consecutive years of MEPS data to test the fit of specified
patterns over time. Finally, researchers should be aware of the impact of
multiple comparisons on Type I error. Without making appropriate allowance for
multiple comparisons, undertaking numerous statistical significance tests of
trends increases the likelihood of concluding that a change has taken place
when one has not.
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FOR MEPS PUBLIC USE RELEASE HC-150
SURVEY ADMINISTRATION VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
JOBSIDX |
JOBS ID Number |
CAPI Derived |
DUPERSID |
Sample Person ID (DUID + PID) |
Assigned in Sampling |
DUID |
Dwelling Unit ID |
Assigned in Sampling |
PID |
Person Number |
Assigned in Sampling |
RN |
Round |
CAPI Derived |
JOBSN |
JOBS Number |
CAPI Derived |
PANEL |
Panel to which Jobholder Belongs |
Assigned in Sampling |
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EMPLOYMENT VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
JOBTYPE |
Self-Employed or Work
for Someone Else |
EM05, EM11, EM18, EM27,
EM40, EM53, EM70, EM82 |
JSTRTM |
Job Start Date –
Month |
EM10OV1-2, EM16OV1-2,
EM25OV1-2, EM34OV1-2, EM47OV1-2, EM60OV1-2 |
JSTRtd |
Job Start Date –
Day |
EM10OV1, EM16OV1,
EM25OV1, EM34OV1, EM47OV1, EM60OV1 |
JSTRTY |
Job Start Date –
Year |
EM10, EM16, EM25, EM34,
EM47, EM60 |
JSTOPM |
Job Stop Date –
Month |
EM35OV1-2, EM48OV1-2,
EM61OV1-2, EM66OV1-2, EM89OV1-2, RJ09 |
JSTOPD |
Job Stop Date –
Day |
EMJ35OV1, EM48OV1,
EM61OV1, EM66OV1, EM89OV1, RJ09 |
JSTOPY |
Job Stop Date –
Year |
EM35, EM48, EM61, EM66,
EM89, RJ09 |
RETIRJOB |
Person Retired from
This Job |
EM80 |
SUBTYPE |
Job Sub Type |
EM and RJ Sections |
MAIN_JOB |
Still Main Job or
Business |
RJ01A |
DIFFWAGE |
Any Change in Wage
Amount |
RJ02 |
WHY_DIFF |
Why Wages Changed |
RJ03 |
WORKSTAT |
Full or Part Time |
RJ04 |
Y_CHANGE |
Why Change in Full/Part
Time Status |
RJ05 |
STILLWRK |
Still Work at
Establishment/Miscellaneous Job |
RJ06 |
OFFTAKEI |
Offered Insurance and
Now Take |
RJ07 |
NOWTAKEI |
Now Offered and Take
Insurance |
RJ08, RJ08A |
ELIGINSR |
Reason Not Eligible For
Insurance |
EM115B |
ANYINS |
Is Insurance Offered To
Any Employees? |
EM115A |
WHY_LEFT |
Reason Why Not at Job
Now |
RJ10 |
NUMEMPS |
Establishment
Size-Non-Self-Employed Job |
EM91 |
ESTMATE1 |
Categorical Approximate
Establishment Size |
EM92 |
MORELOC |
More Than One Location |
EM93 |
BUSINC |
Business Incorporated |
EM94 |
PROPRIET |
Proprietorship or
Partnership |
EM95 |
TYPEEMPL |
Employee Type |
EM96 |
YLEFT |
No Job Reason |
EM101 |
YNOBUSN |
Why No Business |
EM102 |
RECALL |
Recall Within 30 Days |
EM103 |
HRSPRWK |
Number of Hours Worked
Per Week |
EM104, EM111 |
HRS35WK |
Work at least 35 Hours
Per Week |
EM105 |
APXHRDAY |
Approximate # of Hours
Worked Per Day |
EM106 |
SICKPAY |
Does Person Have Paid
Sick Leave |
EM107 |
PAYDRVST |
Is There Paid Sick
Leave for Dr’s Visits |
EM108 |
PAYVACTN |
Does Person Get Paid
Vacation |
EM109 |
RETIRPLN |
Does Person Have
Pension/Retirement Plan |
EM110 |
WKLYAMT |
Usual Weekly Gross
Income |
EM112 |
EMPLINS |
Have Health Insurance
through This Job |
EM113 |
OFFRDINS |
Offered Insurance But
Chose Not to Take |
EM114 |
DIFFPLNS |
Choice of Different
Health Insurance Plans |
EM115 |
INUNION |
Belong to Labor Union
at Job |
EM116 |
PROVDINS |
Who Provides Health
Insurance |
EM117 |
HHMEMBER |
Any Other HH Member
Work at This Business |
EM122 |
NUMFMEMB |
How Many HH Members
Work There |
EM123 |
TOTLEMP |
Establishment
Size-Self-Employed Job |
EM124, RJ08B |
SALARIED |
Is Person Salaried,
Paid by the Hour, etc. |
EW01 |
HOWPAID |
How Is Person Paid |
EW02 |
DAYWAGE |
Person’s Daily Wage
Rate |
EW03 |
HRSPRDY |
Number of Hours Person
Worked in One Day |
EW04 |
MAKEAMT |
How Much Money Does
Person Make |
EW05 |
PERUNIT |
Period for which Person
Is Paid |
EW05OV1 |
MORE10 |
Person Makes More or
Less than $10/Hour |
EW08, EW14, EW20 |
MORE15 |
Person Makes More or
Less than $15/Hour |
EW09, EW15, EW21 |
MOREMINM |
Person Makes More or
Less than Minimum Wage |
EW10, EW16, EW22 |
OVRTIMHR |
Overtime Pay Rate Per
Hour |
EW06 |
GROSSPAY |
Person’s Salary Before
Taxes (Gross) |
EW11 |
GROSSPER |
Period in which Gross
Salary Was Earned |
EW11OV1 |
SALRYWKS |
Number of Weeks Per
Year on which Salary is Based |
EW12 |
OTHRTYPE |
Type of Overtime Pay |
EW19 |
EARNTIPS |
Does Person Earn Tips |
EW23_01 |
EARNBONS |
Does Person Earn
Bonuses |
EW23_02 |
EARNCOMM |
Does Person Earn
Commission |
EW23_03 |
OTHRWAGE |
Overtime Pay Rate Per
Hour |
EW19OV1 |
TIPSUNIT |
Period on which Tip
Earnings are Based |
EW24AOV1 |
TIPSAMT |
How Much Are Person’s
Tips |
EW24A |
BONSUNIT |
Period on which Bonuses
are Based |
EW24BOV1 |
BONSAMT |
How Much Are Person’s
Bonuses |
EW24B |
COMMUNIT |
Period on which
Commissions Are Based |
EW24COV1 |
COMMAMT |
How Much Are Person’s
Commissions |
EW24C |
HRLYWAGE |
How Much Person Makes
Per Hour |
EW07, EW13, EW18 |
JOBHASHI |
Does Person Have Health
Insurance at This Job |
EM17, EM26, EM39, EM52,
EM69, EM81 |
STILLAT |
Still Work at
Establishment/Main Job |
RJ01 |
ESTBTHRU |
Offered Insurance, Did
Not Take (Review) |
RJ08AA |
SESNLJOB |
Is Job Seasonal? |
EM105D, EM111D;
RJ01AAA, RJ06AA |
TEMPJOB |
Is Job Temporary? |
EM105C, EM111C; RJ01AA,
RJ06A |
INSESTB |
Insur Offered Any Employees (Review)? |
RJ08AAA |
NELIGINS |
Reason Not Eligible For Insur (Review) |
RJ08AAAA |
HRSALBAS |
Hours on which Salary
Is Based |
EW17 |
INDCODEX |
Condensed Industry Code |
EM98 |
OCCCODEX |
Condensed Occupation
Code |
EM99, EM100 |
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