MEPS HC-233 2021 Full Year Consolidated Data File
August 2023
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
(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 Naming
2.5 File Contents
2.5.1 Survey Administration Variables (DUID - RURSLT53)
2.5.2 Navigating the MEPS Data with Information on Person Disposition Status
2.5.3 Demographic Variables (AGE31X-DAPID53X)
2.5.4 Income and Tax Filing Variables (FILEDR21-HIEUIDX)
2.5.5 Person-Level Condition Variables (RTHLTH31-ADHDAGED)
2.5.6 Health Status Variables (IADLHP31-ADOVER42)
2.5.7 Disability Days Indicator Variables (DDNWRK21-OTHNDD21)
2.5.8 Access to Care Variables (ACCELI42-BOOSTERSHOT53)
2.5.9 Employment Variables (EMPST31-RTPLN53H)
2.5.10 Health Insurance Variables (TRIJAyyX-PMEDPY53)
2.5.11 Utilization, Expenditures, and Sources of Payment Variables (TOTTCH21-RXOSR21)
2.5.12 Changes in Variable List
2.6 Linking to Other Files
2.6.1 Event and Condition Files
2.6.2 National Health Interview Survey
2.6.3 Longitudinal Analysis
3.0 Survey Sample Information
3.1 Discussion of Pandemic Effects on Quality of 2021 MEPS Data
3.1.1 Summary
3.1.2 Overview
3.1.3 Data Quality Issues for MEPS in 2021 Directly Associated with Data Quality Concerns for the NHIS and CPS
3.1.4 Modifications to the MEPS HC 2021 Sample Design
3.1.5 Data Quality Issues for MEPS for FY 2021
3.1.6 Discussion and Guidance
3.2 Background on Sample Design and Response Rates
3.2.1 MEPS-Linked to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
3.2.2 Sample Weights and Variance Estimation
3.3 The MEPS Sampling Process and Response Rates: An Overview
3.3.1 Response Rates
3.3.2 Panel 26 Response Rates
3.3.3 Panel 25 Response Rates
3.3.4 Panel 24 Response Rates
3.3.5 Panel 23 Response Rates
3.3.6 Annual (Combined Panel) Response Rate
3.3.7 Oversampling
3.4 Background on Person-Level Estimation Using this MEPS Public Use Release
3.4.1 Requirements to Receive a Person-level Weight
3.4.2 Details on Person-Level Weights Construction
3.4.3 MEPS Panel 23 Weight Development Process
3.4.4 MEPS Panel 24 Weight Development Process
3.4.5 MEPS Panel 25 Weight Development Process
3.4.6 MEPS Panel 26 Weight Development Process
3.4.7 The Final Person-Level Weight for 2021
3.4.8 A Note on MEPS Population Estimates
3.5 Coverage
3.6 Background on Family-Level Estimation Using This MEPS Public Use File
3.6.1 Overview
3.6.2 Definition of “Family” for Estimation Purposes
3.6.3 Instructions to Create Family Estimates
3.6.4 Details on Family Weight Construction and Estimated Number of Families
3.7 Analysis Using Health Insurance Eligibility Units
3.8 Weights and Response Rates for the Self-Administered Questionnaire
3.9 Weights and Response Rates for the Diabetes Care Survey
3.10 Weights and Response Rates for the Social Determinants of Health Survey
3.11 Variance Estimation
3.11.1 Taylor-series Linearization Method
3.11.2 Balanced Repeated Replication (BRR) Method
3.12 Guidelines for Determining which Weight to Use for Analyses Involving Data/Variables from Multiple Sources and Supplements: MEPS 2021 Full-Year Use File
3.13 Using MEPS Data for Trend Analysis
References
D. Variable-Source Crosswalk
Appendix 1 MEPS Industry Codes Condensing Rules
Appendix 2 MEPS Occupation Codes Condensing Rules
Appendix 3 Summary of Utilization and Expenditure Variables by Health Service Category
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
- If 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. Furthermore, linkage of the Medical Expenditure Panel
Survey and the National Health Interview Survey may not occur
outside the AHRQ Data Center, NCHS Research Data Center (RDC) or
the U.S. Census RDC network.
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
noninstitutionalized 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 includes five rounds of interviews
covering two full calendar years. Additional rounds were added in 2020 and 2021,
covering third and fourth years respectively, to compensate for the smaller
number of completed interviews in later panels. These extra rounds provide 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 noninstitutionalized population. 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. NHIS introduced a new sample design in 2016 that discontinued
oversampling of these minority groups.
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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
visits, 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 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 micro data
files and tables via the
MEPS website and
datatools.ahrq.gov.
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,
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857 (301-427-1406).
Return To Table Of Contents
This documentation describes the 2021 Full-Year
Consolidated Data File from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household
Component (MEPS HC). Released as an ASCII file (with related SAS, Stata, SPSS,
and R programming statements and data user information), a SAS data set, a SAS
transport dataset, a Stata data set, and an Excel file this public use file
provides information collected on a nationally representative sample of the
civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States for calendar year
2021. The file contains 1,488 variables and has a logical record length of 4,287
with an additional 2-byte carriage return/line feed at the end of each record.
This file consists of MEPS survey data obtained in the
2021 portion of Round 7, and all of Rounds 8 and 9 for Panel 23; the 2021
portion of Rounds 5, and 7, and all of Round 6 for Panel 24; the 2021 portion of
Round 3, and all of Rounds 4 and 5 for Panel 25; and Rounds 1, 2, and the 2021
portion of Round 3 for Panel 26 (i.e., the rounds for the MEPS panels covering
calendar year 2021). 2021 is the first data year to include four panels of data;
Panel 23 was extended to include Rounds 7, 8, and 9 and Panel 24 was extended to
include Rounds 6 and 7. In addition, the Panel 24 Round 5 reference period was
extended into 2021 instead of ending on 12/31/2020. An overview of the impact of
this change on variables and variable names is described in Section 2.4.
This file contains variables pertaining to survey
administration, demographics, income, person-level conditions, health status,
disability days, quality of care, employment, health insurance, and person-level
medical care use and expenditures.
The following documentation offers a brief overview of
the types and levels of data provided, content and structure of the files, and
programming information. It contains the following sections:
- Data File Information
- Survey Sample Information
- Variable-Source Crosswalk
Both weighted and unweighted frequencies of most
variables included in the 2021 full-year consolidated data file are provided in
the accompanying codebook file. The exceptions to this are weight variables,
variance estimation variables, and variables that have a separate weight (SAQ,
DCS, and SDOH). Only unweighted frequencies of these variables are included in
the accompanying codebook file. See the Weights Variables list in Section D,
Variable-Source Crosswalk.
A database of all MEPS products released to date can
be found on the
MEPS website.
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This public use dataset contains variables and
frequency distributions associated with 28,336 persons who participated in the
MEPS Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey in 2021. These
persons received a positive person-level weight, a family-level weight, or both
(some participating persons belonged to families characterized as family-level
nonrespondents while some members of participating families were not eligible
for a person-level weight).
These 28,336 persons were part of one of the four MEPS
panels for whom data were collected in 2021: Rounds 7, 8, and 9 of Panel 23;
Rounds 5, 6, and 7 of Panel 24; Rounds 3, 4, and 5 of Panel 25; or Rounds 1, 2,
and 3 of Panel 26. Of these persons, 27,332 were assigned a positive
person-level weight. There were 13,014 families receiving a positive
family-level weight. The codebook provides both weighted and unweighted
frequencies for most variables on the dataset. In conjunction with the
person-level weight variable (PERWT21F) provided on this file, data for persons
with a positive person-level weight can be used to make estimates for the
civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population for 2021.
The MEPS CAPI design has changed significantly beginning with the specifications for Panel 21 Round 5/Panel 22 Round 3/Panel 23 Round 1. In addition, in 2021, three rounds of data collection were added for Panel 23 (Rounds 7, 8, and 9), Round 5 was extended for Panel 24 and two rounds of data collection were added for Panel 24 (Rounds 6 and 7).
N is equal to the number of people with a positive person weight on the file.
Chart detailed description.
The following sections of the CAPI instrument were asked in the new rounds:
Variable Grouping |
CAPI Section |
Asked in Round 6 |
Asked in Round 7 |
Asked in Round 8 |
Asked in Round 9 |
Survey Administration and Demographics |
ST, RE-A, RE-B, CL |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Person-Level Conditions |
PE |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Health Status |
AH, DCS |
|
X |
|
X |
Health Status |
CS, SAQ |
X |
|
X |
|
Health Status |
HE |
X |
X |
X |
|
Disability Days |
AH |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Access to Care |
AC |
X |
|
X |
|
Access to Care |
CV |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Employment |
RJ, EM, EW |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Health Insurance |
HX, OE, HP, HQ, MC, PR |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Use and Expenditures |
CA, EV, PP, ED, EF,
DV, ER, HS, MV, OP, HH, PM, TH |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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The codebook and data file sequence lists variables in
the following order:
- Unique person identifiers and survey administration
variables
- Geographic variables
- Demographic variables
- Income and tax filing variables
- Person-level priority condition variables
- Health status variables
- Disability days variables
- Access to care and COVID variables
- Employment variables
- Health insurance variables
- Utilization, expenditure, and source of payment variables
- Weight and variance estimation variables
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The following reserved code values are used:
Value |
Definition |
-1 INAPPLICABLE |
Question was not asked due to skip pattern |
-2 DETERMINED IN PREVIOUS ROUND |
Question was not asked in round because there was no change in current main job since previous round |
-7 REFUSED |
Question was asked and respondent refused to answer question |
-8 DK |
Question was asked and respondent did not know answer or the information could not be ascertained |
-10 HOURLY WAGE >=
$105.77 |
Hourly wage was top-coded for confidentiality |
-13 INITIAL WAGE
IMPUTED |
Hourly wage was previously imputed so an updated wage is not included in this file |
-15 CANNOT BE COMPUTED |
Value cannot be derived from data |
The value -15 (CANNOT BE COMPUTED) is assigned to MEPS
constructed variables in cases where there is not enough information from the
MEPS instrument to calculate the constructed variables. “Not enough information”
is often the result of skip patterns in the data or from missing information
resulting from MEPS responses of -7 (REFUSED) or -8 (DK). Note that reserved
code -8 includes cases where the information from the question was “not
ascertained” or where the respondent chose “don’t know”.
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This codebook describes an ASCII data set (although the data are also being provided in a SAS data set, SAS transport file, Stata data set, and Excel file) and provides the following programming identifiers for each variable:
Identifier |
Description |
Name |
Variable name |
Description |
Variable descriptor |
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. Edited variables end in an X and are so noted in the variable label.
The last two characters in round-specific variables have denoted the rounds of
data collection, for example, Round 3, 4, or 5 of Panel 25, and Round 1, 2, or 3
of Panel 26. Historically round dates have been indicated by two numbers
following the variable name; the first number representing the round for second
panel persons (Panel 25), the second number representing the round for first
panel persons (Panel 26). For example, EMPST31 refers to employment status on
the Round 3 interview date for Panel 25 persons and employment status on the
Round 1 interview date for Panel 26 persons.
The variable names in the 2021 files have not been
renamed from prior years, despite the addition of Rounds 5, 6, and 7 of Panel 24
and Rounds 7, 8, and 9 of Panel 23, and those round numbers (5, 6, and 7 for
Panel 24 and 7, 8, and 9 for Panel 23) will not be included in the variable
names. The variable names containing “53” (for example, AGE53X, INS53X,
INSAT53X, EMPST53, and HELD53X) have data from Round 9 of Panel 23, Round 7 of
Panel 24, Round 5 of Panel 25, and Round 3 of Panel 26. The variable names
containing “42” (for example, AGE42X, INS42X, INSAT42X, EMPST42, and HELD42X)
have data from Round 8 of Panel 23, Round 6 of Panel 24, Round 4 of Panel 25,
and Round 2 of Panel 26. The variable names containing “31” have data from Round
7 of Panel 23, Round 5 of Panel 24, Round 3 of Panel 25, and Round 1 of Panel
26.
As variable collection, universe, or categories are
altered, the variable name will be appended with “_Myy” to indicate in which
year the alterations took place. Details about these alterations can be found
throughout this document.
Variables contained in this delivery were derived
either from the questionnaire itself or from the CAPI. The source of each
variable is identified in the section of the documentation entitled “Section D.
Variable-Source Crosswalk.” Sources for each variable are indicated in one of
four ways: (1) variables derived from CAPI or assigned in sampling are so
indicated; (2) variables derived from complex algorithms associated with
re-enumeration are labeled “RE Section”; (3) variables that are collected by one
or more specific questions in the instrument have those question numbers listed
in the Source column; and (4) variables constructed from multiple questions
using complex algorithms are labeled “Constructed.”
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2.5 File Contents
Users of MEPS data should be aware that the survey
collects data for all sample persons who were in the survey target population at
any time during the survey period. In other words, a small proportion of
individuals in MEPS analytic files are not members of the survey target
population (i.e., civilian noninstitutionalized) for the entire survey period.
These persons include those who had periods during which they lived in an
institution (e.g., nursing home or prison), were in the military, or lived out
of the country, as well as those who were born (or adopted) into MEPS sample
households or died during the year. They are considered sample persons for the
survey and are included in MEPS data files with positive person weights, but no
data were collected for the periods they were not inscope and their annual data
for variables like health care utilization, expenditures, and insurance coverage
reflect only the part of the year they were inscope for the survey. Persons who
are inscope for only part of the year should not be confused with
non-respondents. Sample persons who are classified as non-respondents to one or
more rounds of data collection (i.e., initial non-respondents and dropouts over
time) are not included in MEPS annual files, and survey weights for full-year
respondents are inflated through statistical adjustment procedures to compensate
for both full and part-year nonresponse (see Section 3.0 “Survey Sample
Information” for more information). The AHRQ website provides more details about
the
identification and analytic considerations regarding sample
persons who are inscope only part of the year.
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The survey administration variables contain
information related to conducting the interview, household and family
composition, and person-level and RU-level status codes. Data for the survey
administration variables were derived from the sampling process, the CAPI
programs, or were computed based on information provided by the respondent in
the Reenumeration section of the questionnaire. Most survey administration
variables on this file are asked during every round of the MEPS interview. They
describe data for Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, 9/7/5/3 status and status as of
December 31, 2021.
This year, the data collected includes a fourth panel,
Panel 23, which was extended past the previous seven rounds of data collection
to include eighth and ninth round interviews. In order to incorporate the fourth
year Panel 23 Round 7, Round 8, and Round 9 data into the delivery without
adding new variables, a decision was made to use the ‘31’/‘42’/‘53’ variables to
also hold the fourth year panel data. Retaining the standard ‘31’/‘42’/‘53’
variable names, even with the addition of the fourth year panel, will allow
easier comparison to previous FY data. Data collection for Panel 24 was planned
to go beyond the usual five rounds, so for 2021, Round 5 was collected as a
(2020-2021) cross-year round. Alternatively, Panel 25 data collection was
planned to end at five rounds, and thus, Panel 25 Round 5 was collected as a
(2021) terminal round (not as a 2021-2022 cross-year round).
For example, where variables ending in ‘53’ would
normally hold data for Panel 25 Round 5 and Panel 26 Round 3, they also now hold
data for Panel 24 Round 7 and Panel 23 Round 9. Similarly, Panel 24 Round 6 and
Panel 23 Round 8 data have been added to the ‘42’ variables. Panel 24 Round 5
and Panel 23 Round 7 data have been added to the ‘31’ variables. This means that
the ‘31’ variables contain data for Rounds 1, 3, 5, and 7, the ‘42’ variables
contain data for Rounds 2, 4, 6, and 8, and the ‘53’ variables contain data for
Rounds 3, 5, 7, and 9.
The December 31, 2021 variables were developed in two
ways. Those used in the construction of eligibility, inscope, and the end
reference date were based on an exact date. The remaining variables were
constructed using data from specific rounds, if available. If data were missing
from the target round but were available in another round, data from that other
round were used in the variable construction. If no valid data were available
during any round of data collection, an appropriate reserved code was assigned.
Dwelling Units, Reporting Units, and Families
The definitions of Dwelling Units (DUs) in the MEPS
Household Survey are generally consistent with the definitions employed for the
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The Dwelling Unit ID (DUID) is a
seven-digit ID number consisting of a 2-digit panel number followed by a
five-digit random number assigned after the case was sampled for MEPS. A
three-digit person number (PID) uniquely identifies each person within the DU.
The variable DUPERSID is the combination of the variables DUID and PID. As part
of the new CAPI design, the lengths of the ID variables have changed in the
file. An additional 2 bytes in the IDs resulted from adding a 2-digit panel
number to the beginning of all the IDs. Users should be mindful of the different
ID structures/lengths when combining MEPS files from 1996-2017 with MEPS files
from 2018-2021.
PANEL is a constructed variable used to specify the
panel number for the person. PANEL will indicate Panel 23, Panel 24, Panel 25,
or Panel 26 for each person on the file. Panel 23 is the panel that started in
2018, Panel 24 is the panel that started in 2019, Panel 25 is the panel that
started in 2020, and Panel 26 is the panel that started in 2021. The panel
number is included as the first two digits of the DUID and DUPERSID.
A Reporting Unit (RU) is a person or group of persons
in the sampled DU who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other family
association. Each RU was interviewed as a single entity for MEPS. Thus, the RU
serves chiefly as a family-based “survey” operations unit rather than an
analytic unit. Members of each RU within the DU are identified in the pertinent
three rounds by the round-specific variables RULETR31, RULETR42, and RULETR53.
End-of-year status (as of December 31, 2021 or the last round they were in the
survey) is indicated by the RULETR21 variable. Regardless of the legal status of
their association, two persons living together as a “family” unit were treated
as a single RU if they chose to be so identified.
Examples of different types of RUs are:
- A married daughter and her husband living with her parents
in the same DU constitute a single RU;
- A husband and wife and their unmarried daughter, age 18, who
is living away from home while at college constitute two RUs;
and
- Three unrelated persons living in the same DU would each
constitute a distinct RU (a total of three RUs).
Unmarried college students (less than 24 years of age)
who usually live in the sampled household but were living away from home and
going to school at the time of the Round 3/1 MEPS interview were treated as an
RU separate from that of their parents for the purpose of data collection.
The round-specific variables RUSIZE31, RUSIZE42,
RUSIZE53, and the end-of-year status variable RUSIZE21 indicate the number of
persons in each RU, treating students as single RUs separate from their parents.
Thus, students are not included in the RUSIZE count of their parents’ RU.
However, for many analytic objectives, the student RUs would be combined with
their parents’ RU, treating the combined entity as a single family. Family
identifier and size variables are described below and include students with
their parents’ RU.
The round-specific variables FAMID31, FAMID42,
FAMID53, and the end-of-year status variable FAMID21 identify a family (i.e.,
persons related to one another by blood, marriage, adoption, or self-identified
as a single unit) for each round and as of December 31, 2021. The FAMID
variables differ from the RULETR variables only in that student RUs are combined
with their parents’ RU.
Two other family identifiers, FAMIDYR and CPSFAMID,
are provided on this file. The annualized family ID letter, FAMIDYR, identifies
eligible members of the eligible annualized families within a DU. The CPSFAMID
represents a redefinition of MEPS families into families defined by the Current
Population Survey (CPS). Some of the distinctions between CPS-and MEPS-defined
families are that MEPS families include and CPS families do not include:
non-married partners, and in-laws. These persons are considered as members of
separate families for CPS-like families. CPS-like families are defined so a
poverty status classification variable consistent with established definitions
of poverty can be assigned to the CPS-like families and used for weight
poststratification purposes. In order to identify a person’s family affiliation,
users must create a unique set of FAMID variables by concatenating the DU
identifier and the FAMID variable. Instructions for creating family estimates
are described in Section 3.6.
Foster care relationships and fostered members of
households are no longer included in the MEPS data. This change was implemented
with the 2017 Consolidated Public Use File, so users combining many years of
data may encounter foster relationships/members in earlier MEPS files.
The round-specific variables FAMSZE31, FAMSZE42,
FAMSZE53, and the end-of-year status variable FAMSZE21 indicate the number of
persons associated with a single family unit after students are linked to their
associated parent RUs for analytical purposes. Family-level analyses should use
the FAMSZE variables.
Note that the variables RUSIZE31, RUSIZE42, RUSIZE53,
RUSIZE21, FAMSZE31, FAMSZE42, FAMSZE53, and FAMSZE21 exclude persons who are
ineligible for data collection (i.e., those where ELGRND31 NE 1, ELGRND42 NE 1,
ELGRND53 NE 1 or ELGRND21 NE 1); analysts should exclude ineligible persons in a
given round from all family-level analyses for that round.
The round-specific variables RURSLT31, RURSLT42, and
RURSLT53 indicate the RU response status for each round. Users should note that
the values for RURSLT31 differ from those for RURSLT42 and RURSLT53.
The values for RURSLT31 include the following:
Value |
Definition |
-1 |
Inapplicable |
60 |
Complete with RU
member |
61 |
Complete with
proxy-all RU members deceased |
62 |
Complete with
proxy-all RU members institutionalized or
deceased |
63 |
Complete with
proxy-other |
72 |
RU institutionalized
in prior round; Still institutionalized-R3 only |
80 |
Entire RU merged with
other RU |
81 |
Entire RU deceased
before 1/1/21 |
82 |
Entire RU is military
before 1/1/21 |
83 |
Entire RU
institutionalized before 1/1/21 |
84 |
Entire RU left U.S.
before 1/1/21 |
85 |
Entire RU is
ineligible before 1/1/21; Multi-reason |
86 |
Entire RU is
ineligible; Non-Key NHIS study |
87 |
Reenumeration
complete; No eligible RU member; Ineligible RU |
88 |
Unavailable during
field period |
89 |
Too ill; No proxy |
90 |
Physically/Mentally
incompetent; No proxy |
91 |
Final Refusal |
92 |
Final Breakoff |
93 |
Unable to locate |
94 |
Entire RU is military
or left U.S. after 1/1/21 |
95 |
Entire RU
institutionalized after 1/1/21; No proxy |
96 |
Entire RU deceased
after 1/1/21; No proxy |
97 |
Reenumeration
complete; No RU member; Non-Response |
98 |
RU moved too far to
interview |
99 |
Final other
Non-Response |
The values for RURSLT42 and RURSLT53 include the following:
Value |
Definition |
-1 |
Inapplicable |
60 |
Complete with RU
member |
61 |
Complete with
proxy-all RU members deceased |
62 |
Complete with
proxy-all RU members institutionalized or
deceased |
63 |
Complete with
proxy-other |
70 |
Entire RU merged with
other RU |
71 |
Reenumeration
complete; No eligible RU member; Ineligible RU |
72 |
RU institutionalized
in prior round; Still institutionalized |
88 |
Unavailable during
field period |
89 |
Too ill; No proxy |
90 |
Physically/Mentally
incompetent; No proxy |
91 |
Final Refusal |
92 |
Final Breakoff |
93 |
Unable to locate |
94 |
Entire RU is military
or left U.S. after 1/1/21 |
95 |
Entire RU
institutionalized after 1/1/21; No proxy |
96 |
Entire RU deceased
after 1/1/21; No proxy |
97 |
Reenumeration
complete; No RU member; Non-Response |
98 |
RU moved too far to
interview |
99 |
Final other
Non-Response |
Standard or primary RUs are the original RUs from
NHIS. A new RU is one created when members of the household leave the primary RU
and are followed according to the rules of the survey. A student RU is an
unmarried college student (under 24 years of age) who is considered a usual
member of the household, but was living away from home while going to school,
and was treated as a Reporting Unit (RU) separate from their parents’ RU for the
purpose of data collection. RUCLAS21 was set based on the RUCLAS values from
Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, and 9/7/5/3. If the person was present in the
responding RU in Round 9/7/5/3, then RUCLAS21 was set to RUCLAS53. If the person
was not present in a responding RU in Round 9/7/5/3 but was present in Round
8/6/4/2, then RUCLAS21 was set to RUCLAS42. If the person was not present in
either Rounds 8/6/4/2 or 9/7/5/3 but was present in Round 7/5/3/1, then RUCLAS21
was set to RUCLAS31. If the person was not linked to a responding RU during any
round, then RUCLAS21 was set to -15.
Geographic Variables
The round-specific variables REGION31, REGION42,
REGION53, and the end-of-year status variable REGION21 indicate the Census
region for the RU. REGION21 indicates the region for the 2021 portion of Round
9/7/5/3. For most analyses, REGION21 should be used.
The values and states for each region include the following:
Value |
Label |
States |
1 |
Northeast |
Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont |
2 |
Midwest |
Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and
Wisconsin |
3 |
South |
Alabama, Arkansas,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West
Virginia |
4 |
West |
Alaska, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington,
and Wyoming |
Reference Period Dates
The reference period is the period of time for which
data were collected in each round for each person. The reference period dates
were determined during the interview for each person by the CAPI program. The
round-specific beginning reference period dates are included for each person.
These variables include BEGRFM31, BEGRFY31, BEGRFM42, BEGRFY42, BEGRFM53, and
BEGRFY53. The reference period for Round 1 for most persons began on January 1,
2021 and ended on the date of the Round 1 interview. For RU members who joined
later in Round 1, the beginning Round 1 reference date was the date the person
entered the RU. For all subsequent rounds, the reference period for most persons
began on the date of the previous round’s interview and ended on the date of the
current round’s interview. Persons who joined after the previous round’s
interview had their beginning reference date for the round set to the day they
joined the RU.
The round-specific ending reference period dates for
Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, and 9/7/5/3 as well as the end-of-year reference period
end date variables are also included for each person. These variables include
ENDRFM31, ENDRFY31, ENDRFM42, ENDRFY42, ENDRFM53, ENDRFY53, ENDRFM21, and
ENDRFY21. For most persons in the sample, the date of the round’s interview is
the reference period end date. Note that the end date of the reference period
for a person is prior to the date of the interview if the person was deceased
during the round, left the RU, was institutionalized prior to that round’s
interview, or left the RU to join the military. For a small number of cases, the
reference period dates may be recoded for confidentiality.
Reference Person Identifiers
The round-specific variables REFPRS31, REFPRS42, and
REFPRS53 and the end-of-year status variable REFPRS21 identify the reference
person for Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, and 9/7/5/3, and as of December 31, 2021 (or
the last round they were in the survey). In general, the reference person is
defined as the household member 16 years of age or older who owns or rents the
home. If more than one person meets this description, the household respondent
identifies one from among them. If the respondent is unable to identify a person
fitting this definition, the questionnaire asks for the head of household and
this person is then considered the reference person for that RU. This
information is collected in the Reenumeration section of the CAPI questionnaire.
Respondent Identifiers
The respondent is the person who answered the
interview questions for the Reporting Unit (RU). The round-specific variables
RESP31, RESP42, and RESP53 and the end-of-year status variable RESP21 identify
the respondent for Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, and 9/7/5/3 and as of December 31,
2021 (or the last round they were in the survey). Only one respondent is
identified for each RU. In instances where the interview was completed in more
than one session, only the first respondent is indicated.
There are two types of respondents. The respondent can
be either an RU member or a non-RU member proxy. The round-specific variables
PROXY31, PROXY42, and PROXY53 and the end-of-year status variable PROXY21
identify the type of respondent for Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, 9/7/5/3 and as of
December 31, 2021 (or the last round they were in the survey).
Language of Interview
The language of interview variable (INTVLANG) is a
summary value of the round-specific RU-level information section question
(RU30), which asks the interviewer to record the language in which the interview
was completed: English, Spanish, Both English and Spanish, Other Language. Given
the first round that the person was part of the study and the person’s
associated RU for that round, INTVLANG is assigned the interview language value
reported for the person’s RU for the round.
Person Status
A number of variables describe the various components
reflecting each person’s status for each round of data collection. These
variables provide information about a person’s in-scope status, Keyness status,
eligibility status, and disposition status. These variables include: KEYNESS,
INSCOP31, INSCOP42, INSCOP53, INSCOP21, INSC1231, INSCOPE, ELGRND31, ELGRND42,
ELGRND53, ELGRND21, PSTATS31, PSTATS42, and PSTATS53. These variables are set
based on sampling information and responses provided in the Reenumeration
section of the CAPI questionnaire.
Through the Reenumeration section of the CAPI
questionnaire, each member of an RU was classified as “Key” or “Non-Key”,
“in-scope” or “out-of-scope”, and “eligible” or “ineligible” for MEPS data
collection. To be included in the set of persons used in the derivation of MEPS
person-level estimates, a person had to be a member of the civilian
noninstitutionalized population for at least one day during 2021. Because a
person’s eligibility for the survey might have changed since the NHIS interview,
a sampling reenumeration of household membership was conducted at the start of
each round’s interview. Only persons who were “inscope” sometime during the
year, were “Key”, and responded for the full period in which they were inscope
were assigned positive person-level weights and thus are to be used in the
derivation of person-level national estimates from the MEPS.
Note: If analysts want to subset to infants born
during 2021, then newborns should be identified using AGE21X = 0 rather than
PSTATSxy = 51.
Inscope
The round-specific variables INSCOP31, INSCOP42, and
INSCOP53 indicate a person’s in-scope status for Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, and
9/7/5/3. INSCOP21, INSC1231, and INSCOPE indicate a person’s in-scope status for
the portion of Round 9/7/5/3 that covers 2021, the person’s in-scope status as
of 12/31/21, and whether a person was ever in-scope during the calendar year
2021. A person was considered as in-scope during a round or a referenced time
period if they were a member of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized
population at some time during that round or that time period. The values of
these variables taken in conjunction allow one to determine in-scope status over
time (for example, becoming inscope in the middle of a round, as would be the
case for newborns).
These variables may contain the following values and corresponding labels:
Value |
Definition |
0 |
Incorrectly listed, or
on NHIS roster but out-of-scope prior to January
1, 2021 |
1 |
Person is inscope for
the whole reference period |
2 |
Person is inscope at
the start of the RU reference period, but not at
the end of the RU reference period |
3 |
Person is not inscope
at the start of RU reference period, but is
inscope at the end of the RU reference period.
(For example, the person is inscope from the
date the person joined the RU or the person was
in the military in the previous round, but is no
longer in the military in the current round) |
4 |
Person is inscope
during the reference period, but neither at the
reference start date nor on the reference end
date. (For example, person leaves an
institution, goes into community, and then dies) |
5 |
Person is out-of-scope
for all of the reference period during which
they are an RU member. (For example, the person
is in the military) |
6 |
Person is out-of-scope
for the entire reference period and is not a
member of the RU during this time period and was
inscope and an RU member in an earlier round |
7 |
Person is not in an
RU, joined in a later round (or joined the RU
after December 31, 2021 for INSCOP21) |
8 |
RU Non-response and
Key persons who left an RU with no tracing info
and so a new RU was not formed |
9 |
Person is not a member
of an RU during this time period, and was an RU
member in an earlier round |
Keyness
The term “Keyness” is related to an individual’s
chance of being included in MEPS. A person is Key if that person is linked for
sampling purposes to the set of NHIS sampled households designated for inclusion
in MEPS. Specifically, a Key person was either a member of a responding NHIS
household at the time of interview, or joined a family associated with such a
household after being out-of-scope at the time of the NHIS (examples of the
latter situation include newborns and those returning from military service, an
institution, or residence in a foreign country).
A non-Key person is one whose chance of selection for
the NHIS (and MEPS) was associated with a household eligible but not sampled for
the NHIS and who later became a member of a MEPS Reporting Unit. MEPS data
(e.g., utilization and expenditures) were collected for the period of time a
non-Key person was part of the sampled unit to provide information for
family-level analyses. However, non-Key persons who leave a sample household
unaccompanied by a Key, in-scope member were not followed for subsequent
interviews. Non-Key individuals do not receive sample person-level weights and
thus do not contribute to person-level national estimates.
The variable KEYNESS indicates a person’s Keyness
status. This variable is not round-specific. Instead, it is set at the time the
person enters MEPS, and the person’s Keyness status never changes. Once a person
is determined to be Key, that person will always be Key.
It should be pointed out that a person might be Key
even though not part of the civilian, noninstitutionalized portion of the U.S.
population. For example, a person in the military may have been living with
their civilian spouse and children in a household sampled for NHIS. The person
in the military would be considered a Key person for MEPS; however, such a
person would not be eligible to receive a person-level sample weight if they
were never inscope during 2021.
Eligibility
The eligibility of a person for MEPS pertains to
whether or not data were to be collected for that person. All of the Key
in-scope persons of a sampled RU were eligible for data collection. The only
non-Key persons eligible for data collection were those who happened to be
living in an RU with at least one Key, in-scope person. Their eligibility
continued only for the time that they were living with at least one such person.
The only out-of-scope persons eligible for data collection were those who were
living with Key in-scope persons, again only for the time they were living with
such a person. Only military persons can meet this description (for example, a
person on full-time active duty military, living with a spouse who is Key).
A person may be classified as eligible for an entire
round or for some part of a round. For persons who are eligible for only part of
a round (for example, persons may have been institutionalized during a round),
data were collected for the period of time for which that person was classified
as eligible. The round-specific variables ELGRND31, ELGRND42, and ELGRND53 and
the end-of-year status variable ELGRND21 indicate a person’s eligibility status
for Rounds 7/5/3/1, 8/6/4/2, and 9/7/5/3 and as of December 31, 2021.
Person Disposition Status
The round-specific variables PSTATS31, PSTATS42, and
PSTATS53 indicate a person’s response and eligibility status for each round of
interviewing. The PSTATSxy variables indicate the reasons for either continuing
or terminating data collection for each person in the MEPS. Using this variable,
one could identify persons who moved during the reference period, died, were
born, institutionalized, or who were in the military. Analysts should note that
PSTATS53 provides a summary for all of Round 9/7/5/3, including transitions that
occurred after 2021. Note that some categories may be collapsed for
confidentiality purposes.
The following codes specify the value labels for the PSTATSxy variables.
Value |
Definition |
-1 |
The person was not
fielded during the round or the RU was
non-response |
0 |
Incorrectly listed in
RU at NHIS - applies to MEPS Round 1 only |
11 |
Person in original RU,
not full-time active military duty |
12 |
Person in original RU,
full-time active military duty, out-of-scope for
whole reference period |
13 |
Full-time student
living away from home, but associated with
sampled RU |
14 |
The person is
full-time active military duty during round, is
inscope for part of the reference period and is
in the RU at the end of the reference period |
21 |
The person remains in
a health care institution for the whole round -
Rounds 8/6/4/2 and 9/7/5/3 only |
22 |
The person leaves an
institution (health care or non-health care) and
rejoins the community - Rounds 8/6/4/2 and
9/7/5/3 only |
23 |
The person leaves an
institution and dies - Rounds 8/6/4/2 and
9/7/5/3 only |
24 |
The person dies in a
health care institution during the round (former
RU member) - Rounds 8/6/4/2 and 9/7/5/3 only |
31 |
Person from original
RU, dies during reference period |
32 |
Went to health care
institution during reference period |
33 |
Went to non-healthcare
institution during reference period |
34 |
Moved from original
RU, outside U.S. (not as student) |
35 |
Moved from original
RU, to a military facility while on full-time
active military duty |
36 |
Went to institution
(type unknown) during reference period |
41 |
Moved from the
original RU, to new RU within U.S. (new RUs
include RUs originally classified as “Student
RU” but which converted to “New RU”) |
42 |
The person joins RU
and is not full-time military during round |
43 |
The person’s
disposition as to why the person is not in the
RU is unknown or the person moves and it is
unknown whether the person moved inside or
outside the U.S. |
44 |
The person leaves an
RU and joins an existing RU and is not both in
the military and coded as inscope during the
round |
51 |
Newborn in reference
period |
61 |
Died prior to
reference period (not eligible)-Round 7/5/3/1
only |
62 |
Institutionalized
prior to reference period (not eligible)-Round
7/5/3/1 only |
63 |
Moved outside U.S.,
prior to reference period (not eligible)-Round
7/5/3/1 only |
64 |
Full-time military,
living on a military facility, moved prior to
reference period (not eligible)-Round 7/5/3/1
only |
71 |
Student under 24
living away at school in grades 1-12 (Non-Key) |
72 |
Person is dropped from
the RU roster as ineligible: the person is a
non-Key student living away or the person is not
related to reference person or the RU is the
person’s residence only during the school year |
73 |
Not Key and not
full-time military, moved without someone Key
and in-scope (not eligible) |
74 |
Moved as full-time
military but not to a military facility and
without someone Key and in-scope (not eligible
this round) |
81 |
Person moved from
original RU, full-time student living away from
home, did not respond |
Return To Table Of Contents
Since the variables PSTATS31, PSTATS42, and PSTATS53
indicate the reasons for either continuing or terminating data collection for
each person in MEPS, these variables can be used to explain the beginning and
ending dates for each individual’s reference period of data collection, as well
as which sections in the instrument each individual did not receive. By using
the information included in the following table, analysts will be able to
determine for each individual which sections of the MEPS questionnaire collected
data elements for that person.
Some individuals have a reference period that spans an
entire round, while other individuals may have data collected only for a portion
of the round. When an individual’s reference period does not coincide with the
RU reference period, the individual’s start date may be a later date, or the end
date may be an earlier date, or both. In addition, some individuals have
reference period information coded as “Inapplicable” (e.g., for individuals who
were not actually in the household). The information in this table indicates the
beginning and ending dates of reference periods for persons with various values
of PSTATS31, PSTATS42, and PSTATS53. The actual dates for each individual can be
found in the following variables included on this file: BEGRFM31, BEGRFM42,
BEGRFM53, BEGRFY31, BEGRFY42, BEGRFY53, ENDRFM31, ENDRFM42, ENDRFM53, ENDRFY31,
ENDRFY42, ENDRFY53, ENDRFM21, and ENDRFY21.
The table below also describes the section or sections
of the questionnaire that were NOT asked for each value of PSTATS31,
PSTATS42, and PSTATS53. For example, the Priority Condition Enumeration (PE)
section has questions that are not asked for deceased persons. The Closing (CL)
section also contains some questions or question rosters that exclude certain
persons depending on whether the person died, became institutionalized, or
otherwise left the RU; however, no one is considered to have skipped the entire
section. Some questions or sections (e.g., Health Status (HE), Employment (RJ,
EM, EW)) are skipped if individuals are not within a certain age range. Since
the PSTATS variables do not address skip patterns based on age, analysts will
need to use the appropriate age variables.
The paper-and-pencil Self-Administered Questionnaire
(SAQ) was designed to collect information during Panel 26 Round 2, Panel 25
Round 4, Panel 24 Round 6, and Panel 23 Round 8. A person was considered
eligible to receive an SAQ if that person did not have a status of deceased or
institutionalized, did not move out of the U.S. or to a military facility, was
not a non-response at the time of the Round 2, Round 4, Round 6, or Round 8
interview date, and was 18 years of age or older. No RU members added in Round
3, Round 5, or Round 7 were asked to complete an SAQ questionnaire. Because
PSTATS variables do not address skip patterns based on age, this questionnaire
was not included in the table below. Once again, analysts will need to use the
appropriate age variable, which in this case would be AGE42X. The documentation
for this questionnaire appears in the SAQ section of this document under “Health
Status Variables.”
Please note that the end reference date shown below for PSTATS53 reflects the Round 9/7/5/3 reference period rather than the portion of Round 9/7/5/3 that occurred during 2021.
PSTATS Value |
PSTATS Description |
Sections in the instrument
which persons with this PSTATS value do NOT
receive |
Begin Reference Date |
End Reference Date |
-1 |
The person was not
fielded during the round or the RU was
non-response |
ALL sections |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
0 |
Incorrectly listed in
RU at NHIS - Round 1 only |
ALL sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
11 |
Person in original
household, not FT active military duty (Person
is in the same RU as the previous round) |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Interview date |
12 |
Person in original
household, FT active military duty, out-of-scope
for whole reference period. |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Interview date |
13 |
FT student living away
from home, but associated with sampled household |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Interview date |
14 |
The person is FT
active military duty during round and is
in-scope for part of the reference period and is
in the RU at the end of the reference period |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
PSTATS31: Interview
date PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: If the person is
living w/ someone Key and in-scope, then the
interview date. If not living w/ someone who is
Key and inscope, then the date the person joined
the military |
21 |
The person remains in
a health care institution for the whole round -
Rounds 8/6/4/2 and 9/7/5/3 only |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
22 |
The person leaves a
health care institution and rejoins the
community - Rounds 8/6/4/2 and 9/7/5/3 only |
-- |
Date rejoined the
community |
Interview date |
23 |
The person leaves a
health care institution, goes into community and
then dies - Rounds 8/6/4/2 and 9/7/5/3 only |
PE - Priority
Conditions Enumeration
HE - Health Status AC - Access to Care |
Date rejoined the
community |
Date of Death |
24 |
The person dies in a
health care institution during the round (former
household member) - Rounds 8/6/4/2 and 9/7/5/3
only |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
31 |
Person from original
household, dies during reference period |
PE - Priority
Conditions Enumeration
HE - Health Status AC - Access to Care |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Date of Death |
32 |
Went to healthcare
institution during reference period |
Access to Care (AC) |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Date institutionalized |
33 |
Went to non-healthcare
institution during reference period |
Access to Care (AC) |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Date institutionalized |
34 |
Moved from original
household, outside US |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Date left the RU |
35 |
Moved from original
household, to a military facility while on FT
active military duty |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Date left the RU |
36 |
Went to institution
(type unknown) during reference period |
Access to Care (AC) |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Date institutionalized |
41 |
Moved from the
original household, to new household within US
(new households include RUs originally
classified as a student RU but which converted
to a new RU; these are individuals in an RU that
has split from an RU since the previous round) |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Interview date |
42 |
The person joins
household and is not full-time military during
round |
-- |
The later date of
January 1, 2021 and the date the person joined
the RU |
Interview date |
43 |
The person’s
disposition as to why the person is not in the
RU is unknown or the person moves and it is
unknown whether the person moved inside or
outside the U.S. |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
44 |
The person leaves an
RU and joins an existing RU and is not both in
the military and coded as inscope during the
round |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date of the RU the person has joined.
This may not be the interview date of the RU
that the person came from |
Interview date |
51 |
Newborn in reference
period |
Questions where age
must be > 1
Health Status (HE) Employment (RJ/EM/EW) |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 if born prior to 2021. The date of birth if
born in 2021.
PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: The later of the prior
round interview date and date of birth |
Interview date |
61 |
Died prior to
reference period (not eligible)--Round 7/5/3/1
only |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
62 |
Institutionalized
prior to reference period (not eligible)--Round
7/5/3/1 only |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
63 |
Moved outside U.S.,
prior to reference period (not eligible)--Round
7/5/3/1 only |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
64 |
FT military, moved
prior to reference period (not eligible)--Round
7/5/3/1 only |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
71 |
Student under 24
living away at school in grades 1 through 12
(Non-Key) |
-- |
PSTATS31: January 1,
2021 PSTATS42 and PSTATS53: Prior round
interview date |
Interview date |
72 |
Person is dropped from
the RU roster as ineligible:
the person is a Non-Key student living away
or the person is not related to reference person
or the RU is the person’s residence only during
the school year |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
73 |
Not Key and not
full-time military, moved w/o someone Key and
inscope (not eligible) |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
74 |
Moved as full-time
military but not to a military facility and w/o
someone Key and in-scope (not eligible) |
All sections after RE |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
81 |
Person moved from
original household, FT student living away from
home, did not respond |
No data were collected |
Inapplicable |
Inapplicable |
Return To Table Of Contents
General Information
Demographic variables provide information about the
demographic characteristics of each person from the MEPS HC. The characteristics
include age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, educational attainment, and
military service. As noted below, some variables have edited and imputed values.
Most demographic variables on this file were asked during every round of the
MEPS interview. These variables describe data for Rounds 7, 8, and 9 of Panel 23
(the panel that started in 2018); Rounds 5, 6, and 7 of Panel 24 (the panel that
started in 2019); Rounds 3, 4, and 5 of Panel 25 (the panel that started in
2020); Rounds 1, 2 and 3 of Panel 26 (the panel that started in 2021); and
status as of December 31, 2021.
Demographic variables that have variable names that
contain ‘31’, ‘42’, or ‘53’ are round-specific variables. As mentioned in
Section 2.4 “Variable Naming”, fourth year panel data for Rounds 7, 8, and 9 of
Panel 23 and third year panel data for Rounds 5, 6, and 7 of Panel 24 are
included in the ‘31’/’42’/’53’ sets of variables. For example, AGE31X represents
the age data relevant to Round 7 of Panel 23, Round 5 of Panel 24, Round 3 of
Panel 25 or Round 1 of Panel 26. The variable PANEL indicates the panel from
which the data were derived. A value of 23 indicates Panel 23 data, a value of
24 indicates Panel 24 data, a value of 25 indicates Panel 25 data, and a value
of 26 indicates Panel 26 data. The remaining demographic variables on this file
are not round-specific.
The variables describing demographic status of the
person as of December 31, 2021 were developed in two ways. First, the age
variable (AGE21X) represents the exact age, calculated from date of birth and
indicates age status as of 12/31/21. For the remaining December 31st
variables [i.e., related to marital status (MARRY21X, SPOUID21, SPOUIN21),
student status (FTSTU21X), and the relationship to reference persons
(REFRL21X)], the following algorithm was used: data were taken from the Round
9/7/5/3 counterpart if non-missing; else, if missing, data were taken from the
Round 8/6/4/2 counterpart; else from the Round 7/5/3/1 counterpart. If no valid
data were available during any of these rounds of data collection, the algorithm
assigned the missing value (other than -1 “Inapplicable”) from the first round
that the person was part of the study. When all three rounds were set to -1, a
value of -15 “Cannot be Computed” was assigned.
Age
Date of birth and age for each RU member were asked or
verified during each MEPS interview (DOBMM, DOBYY, AGE31X, AGE42X, AGE53X). If
date of birth was available, age was calculated based on the difference between
date of birth and date of interview. Inconsistencies between the calculated age
and the age reported during the CAPI interview were reviewed and resolved. For
purposes of confidentiality, the variables AGE31X, AGE42X, AGE53X, AGE21X, and
AGELAST were top-coded at 85 years.
When date of birth was not provided but age was
provided (either from the MEPS interviews or the 2017-2020 NHIS data), the month
and year of birth were assigned randomly from among the possible valid options.
For any cases still not accounted for, age was imputed using:
- the mean age difference between MEPS participants with
certain family relationships (where available) or
- the mean age value for MEPS participants.
For example, a mother’s age is imputed as her child’s
age plus 26, where 26 is the mean age difference between MEPS mothers and their
children. A wife’s age is imputed as the husband’s age minus 3, where 3 is the
mean age difference between MEPS wives and husbands. Age was imputed in this way
for 19 persons on this file.
AGELAST indicates a person’s age from the last time
the person was eligible for data collection during a specific calendar year. The
age range for this variable is between 0 and 85.
Sex
Data on the gender of each RU member (SEX) were
initially determined from the 2017 NHIS for Panel 23, from the 2018 NHIS for
Panel 24, from the 2019 NHIS for Panel 25, and from the 2020 NHIS for Panel 26.
The SEX variable was verified and, if necessary, corrected during each MEPS
interview. The data for new RU members (persons who were not members of the RU
at the time of the NHIS interviews) were also obtained during each MEPS round.
When gender of the RU member was not available from the NHIS interviews and was
not determined during one of the subsequent MEPS interviews, it was assigned in
the following way. The person’s first name was used to assign gender if obvious
(no cases were resolved in this way). If the person’s first name provided no
indication of gender, then family relationships were reviewed (no cases were
resolved this way). If neither of these approaches made it possible to determine
the individual’s gender, gender was randomly assigned (no cases were resolved
this way).
Race and Ethnicity Group
The race and the ethnic background questions were
asked for each RU member during the MEPS interview. If the information was not
obtained in Round 1, the questions were asked in subsequent rounds. It should be
noted that race/ethnicity questions in the MEPS were revised starting with data
collection in 2013 for Panel 16 Round 5, Panel 17 Round 3, and Panel 18 Round 1;
this affected data starting with the FY 2012 file. Previously, there were two
race questions, but starting with data collection in 2013, there is only one
race question. All Asian categories listed in the second question were moved to
the new single question. In addition, the new race question had additional
detail for the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander categories. The main
change for ethnicity is that the new questions allowed respondents to report
more than one Hispanic ethnicity. Race/ethnicity data from earlier years may not
be directly comparable. The following table shows the variables used for FY
2002-2011 and FY 2012-2021, with these exceptions: 1) in FY 2012, RACEV1X
categories 4 and 5 were not combined but are combined starting with 2013, and 2)
RACEV2X and HISPNCAT were first introduced in 2013.
MEPS Race and Ethnicity Variables, by Years, 2002 to Present
FY PUFS 2002-2011 |
FY PUFS 2012-2021 |
RACE |
|
RACEVER
Used only in FY12-FY13.
1 Old Race Questions
2 New Race Questions |
RACEX
1 White - No other
race reported
2 Black - No other
race reported
3 American
Indian/Alaska Native - No other race reported
4 Asian - No other
race reported
5 Native
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - No other race
reported
6 Multiple races
reported
|
RACEV1X
1 White - No other
race reported
2 Black - No other
race reported
3 American
Indian/Alaska Native - No other race reported
4 Asian - No other
race reported (Used only in FY12. Starting in
2013, category 5 collapses into category 4.)
5 Native
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - No other race
reported (Used only in FY12. Starting in 2013,
category 5 collapses into category 4.)
6 Multiple races
reported
|
|
RACEV2X (Starting in
2013)
Treatment of
categories 10 and 12 differed between 2013-2015
and 2016-2019
1 White - No other
race reported
2 Black - No other
race reported
3 American
Indian/Alaska Native - No other race reported
4 Asian Indian - No
other race reported
5 Chinese - No other
race reported
6 Filipino - No other
race reported
10 Oth Asian/Natv
Hawaiian/Pacfc Isl-No Oth
12 Multiple races
reported
-1 Inapplicable (Used
only in FY13)
|
RACETHNX
1 Person is Hispanic
2 Person is Black - No
other race reported/Not Hispanic
3 Person is Asian - No
other race reported/Not Hispanic
4 Other race/Not
Hispanic
|
RACETHX
1 Hispanic
2 Non-Hispanic White
only
3 Non-Hispanic Black
only
4 Non-Hispanic Asian
only
5 Non-Hispanic Other
race or multi-race
|
RACEAX
1 Asian - No other
race reported
2 Asian - Other
race(s) reported
3 All other race
assignments
|
RACEAX
1 Asian - No other
race reported
2 Asian - Other
race(s) reported
3 All other race
assignments
|
RACEBX
1 Black - No other
race reported
2 Black - Other
race(s) reported
3 All other race
assignments
|
RACEBX
1 Black - No other
race reported
2 Black - Other
race(s) reported
3 All other race
assignments
|
RACEWX
1 White - No other
race reported
2 White - Other
race(s) reported
3 All other race
assignments
|
RACEWX
1 White - No other
race reported
2 White - Other
race(s) reported
3 All other race
assignments
|
ETHNICITY |
HISPANX
1 Hispanic
2 Not Hispanic
|
HISPANX
1 Hispanic
2 Not Hispanic
|
HISPCAT
1 Puerto Rican
2 Cuban/Cuban American
3 Dominican
4 Mexican/Mexican
American
5 Central or South
American
6 Non-Hispanic
91 Other Latin
American
92 Other Hispanic/
Latino
|
HISPCAT (Used only in
FY12-FY13.)
1 Puerto Rican
2 Cuban/Cuban American
3 Dominican
4 Mexican/Mexican
American
5 Central or South
American
6 Non-Hispanic
91 Other Latin
American
92 Other Hispanic/
Latino
-1 Inapplicable
|
|
HISPNCAT (starting in
2013)
1 Mexican/Mexican
American/Chicano - No other Hispanic reported
2 Puerto Rican - No
other Hispanic reported
3 Cuban/Cuban American
- No other Hispanic reported
4 Dominican - No other
Hispanic reported
5 Central or South
American - No other Hispanic reported
6 Oth Lat Am/Hisp/Latino/Spnsh
orgn - No other Hispanic reported
8 Multiple Hispanic
groups reported
9 Non-Hispanic
-1 Inapplicable (Used
only in FY13)
|
Race and ethnicity variables and their response
categories for years prior to 2002 are available in the documentation for the FY
Consolidated PUF for each data year.
Values for these variables were obtained based on the
following priority order. If available, data collected were used to determine
race and ethnicity. If race and/or ethnicity were not reported in the interview,
then data obtained from the originally collected NHIS data were used (27 cases
were resolved this way for race, and 10 cases were resolved this way for
ethnicity). If still not determined, the race, and/or ethnicity were assigned
based on relationship to other members of the DU using a priority ordering that
gave precedence to blood relatives in the immediate family (this approach was
used on 12 persons to set race and 7 persons to set ethnicity).
For the FY12 and FY13 PUFs, three new race variables
were constructed for both the old and the new questions: RACEVER, RACEV1X, and
RACETHX. The variable RACEVER was constructed to indicate which version of the
race question(s) was asked and was included in only the 2012 and 2013 FY PUFs.
RACEVER has been dropped starting with the 2014 PUF. The variables RACEV1X and
RACETHX replace the variables RACEX and RACETHNX from 2002-2011. A new race
variable, RACEV2X, was constructed only for the new race question and was added
for the first time to the 2013 files. RACEV2X was set to -1 “Inapplicable” for
persons that were not asked the new race question in FY13 only. This variable
includes the expanded detail Asian categories and continues to be constructed
for all PUFs.
The “multiple races reported” categories for RACEV1X
and RACEV2X differ in the 2013-2015 PUFs but are the same starting with the 2016
PUF. In the 2013-2015 PUFs, persons with multiple Asian races or multiple
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander races were considered multiple races for RACEV2X and
were not considered multiple races for RACEV1X. Starting with the 2016 PUFs,
persons with multiple Asian races or multiple Hawaiian/Pacific Islander races
were no longer considered multiple races in RACEV2X.
For the FY12 and FY13 PUFs, the two Hispanic ethnicity
variables from previous years were included: HISPANX and HISPCAT. The HISPANX
variable continues to be constructed. The HISPCAT variable was constructed for
specific Hispanic categories based only on the old question in FY12 and FY13 and
HISPCAT has been dropped starting with the 2014 PUF. A new ethnicity variable,
HISPNCAT, based on the new question, was introduced starting with 2013. HISPNCAT
includes similar categories as HISPCAT but in a different order, and contains an
additional category, 8 “Multiple Hispanic Groups Reported”, to represent any
multiple responses reported. HISPNCAT was set to -1 “Inapplicable” for persons
that were not asked the new ethnicity question in FY13. This variable continues
to be constructed for all PUFs.
Categories have been collapsed in the variables
RACEV1X, RACEV2X and HISPNCAT. For RACEV1X, new with the 2012 PUF, categories 4
and 5 were collapsed in category 4 as “ASIAN/NATV HAWAIIAN/PACFC ISL-NO OTH”
starting with the 2013 PUF. For RACEV2X, new with and starting with the 2013
PUF, categories 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 were collapsed in category 10 as “OTH
ASIAN/NATV HAWAIIAN/PACFC ISL-NO OTH,” and for HISPNCAT, new with and starting
with the 2013 PUF, categories 6 and 7 were collapsed in category 6 as “OTH LAT
AM/HISP/LATINO/SPNSH ORGN-NO OTH”.
Language Variables: OTHLGSPK, WHTLGSPK, and HWELLSPK
Language variables (OTHLGSPK, WHTLGSPK, and HWELLSPK)
were collected at the person level in the round in which the person entered the
MEPS survey. Beginning with Panel 23 Round 1, the household respondent was asked
for each person, age 5 or older, a person-level question to determine whether
that person speaks a language other than English at home (RE1170, OTHLGSPK). If
the response to OTHLGSPK was ‘yes’, then two other questions were asked.
WHTLGSPK (RE1170) is a person-level question that asks whether the non-English
language spoken at home is Spanish or some other language, and HWELLSPK (RE1170)
is a person-level question that asks how well that person can speak English. If
the response to OTHLGSPK was ‘No’, then WHTLGSPK and HWELLSPK are set to ‘-1’
(Inapplicable). Family members who are deceased or institutionalized in Round 1
are coded with a value of ‘-1’ (Inapplicable). Minors under age 5 in households
have all three variables coded to “5” (Under 5 years old - Inapplicable).
For users doing multiyear analyses, please carefully
review prior years’ documentation to assure correct interpretation of language
variables over time.
Foreign Born Status
Three questions regarding foreign-born status were
asked in the Demographic section to ascertain whether a person was born in the
U.S. (RE1170), what year they came to the U.S. (RE1170) if not born in the U.S.,
and years lived in the U.S. (RE1170) if the response to RE1170 was ‘Don’t Know’.
They replaced similar questions that had been asked in the Access to Care
section prior to 2013.
The three questions were only asked once for each
eligible person, that is, the first round the person was included in the
interview. These new questions were asked of everyone, except deceased and
institutionalized persons. The data from RE1170 are reported as the constructed
variable BORNUSA. The data from RE1170 (YRCAMEUS) and RE1170 (YRSINUSA) were
used to calculate the number of years a person has lived in the U.S. for the
constructed variable YRSINUS. Please note that YRSINUS is a discrete variable
and has collapsed categories: 1 “less than 1 year”; 2 “1 yr., less than 5
years”; 3 “5 yrs., less than 10 years”; 4 “10 yrs., less than 15 years”; 5 “15
years or more”.
Marital Status and Spouse ID
Current marital status was collected and/or updated
during every round of the MEPS interview. This information was obtained in RE100
and RE1170 and is reported as MARRY31X, MARRY42X, MARRY53X, and MARRY21X.
Persons under the age of 16 were coded as 6 “Under 16 - Inapplicable”. If
marital status of a specified round differed from that of the previous round,
then the marital status of the specified round was edited to reflect a change
during the round (e.g., married in round, divorced in round, separated in round,
or widowed in round).
In instances where there were discrepancies between
the marital statuses of two individuals within a family, other person-level
variables were reviewed to determine the edited marital status for each
individual. Thus, when one spouse was reported as married and the other spouse
reported as widowed, the data were reviewed to determine if one partner should
be coded as
8 “Widowed in Round”.
Edits were performed to ensure some consistency across
rounds. First, a person could not be coded as “Never Married” after previously
being coded as any other marital status (e.g., “Widowed”). Second, a person
could not be coded as “Under 16 - Inapplicable” after being previously coded as
any other marital status. Third, a person could not be coded as “Married in
Round” after being coded as “Married” in the round immediately preceding.
Fourth, a person could not be coded as an “in Round” code (e.g., “Widowed in
Round”) in two subsequent rounds. Since marital status can change across rounds
and it was not feasible to edit every combination of values across rounds,
unlikely sequences for marital status across the round-specific variables do
exist.
The person identifier for each individual’s spouse is
reported in SPOUID31, SPOUID42, SPOUID53, and SPOUID21. These are the PIDs
(within each family) of the person identified as the spouse during Round
7/5/3/1, Round 8/6/4/2, and Round 9/7/5/3 and as of December 31, 2021,
respectively. If no spouse was identified in the household, the variable was
coded as 995 “No Spouse in House”. Those with unknown marital status are coded
as 996 “Marital Status Unknown”. Persons under the age of 16 are coded as 997
“Less than 16 Years Old”.
The SPOUIN31, SPOUIN42, SPOUIN53, and SPOUIN21
variables indicate whether a person’s spouse was present in the RU during Round
7/5/3/1, Round 8/6/4/2, Round 9/7/5/3 and as of December 31, 2021 respectively.
If the person had no spouse in the household, the value was coded as 2 “Not
Married/No Spouse”. For persons under the age of 16 the value was coded as 3
“Under 16 - Inapplicable”.
The SPOUID and SPOUIN variables were obtained from
RE900, where the respondent was asked to identify how each pair of persons in
the household was related. Analysts should note that this information was
collected in a set of questions separate from the questions that asked about
marital status. While editing was performed to ensure that SPOUID and SPOUIN are
consistent within each round, there was no consistency check between these
variables and marital status in a given round. Apparent discrepancies between
marital status and spouse information may be due to any of the following causes:
- Ambiguity as to when during a round a change in marital
status occurred. This is a result of relationship information
being asked for all persons living in the household at any time
during the round, while marital status is asked as of the
interview date (e.g., If one spouse died during the reference
period, the surviving spouse’s marital status would be “Widowed
in Round”, but SPOUIN and SPOUID for the same round would
indicate that a spouse was present).
- Valid discrepancies in the case of persons who are married
but not living with their spouse, or separating but still living
together.
- Discrepancies that cannot be explained for either of the
previous reasons.
Student Status and Educational Attainment
The variables FTSTU31X, FTSTU42X, FTSTU53X, and
FTSTU21X indicate whether the person was a full-time student at the interview
date (or 12/31/21 for FTSTU21X). These variables have valid values for all
persons between the ages of 17 - 23 inclusive. When this question was asked
during Round 1 of Panel 26, it was based on age as of the 2020 NHIS interview
date.
Education questions were only asked when persons first
entered MEPS, typically Round 1 for most people. It should be noted that
education questions were changed with data collection in 2012 and then changed
back to the original questions with data collection in 2015. The variables
associated with the original education questions (data collection in 2011 and
prior years and 2015 and subsequent years) are EDUCYR and HIDEG. The variable
associated with the interim education question (data collection in 2012-2014) is
EDUYRDEG (or EDUYRDG with collapsed categories). The variable EDRECODE relates
variables for the original and interim education questions. As a result,
different education variables are in the 2011-2015 PUFs based on the panel and
round when a person first entered MEPS. The PUF documentation for each of the
2011-2015 years contains details about which education variables are in the
respective files. Starting with the 2016 PUFs, EDUCYR and HIDEG are the only
education variables on the PUFs.
EDUCYR contains the number of years of education
completed when entering MEPS for individuals 5 years or older. Children under
the age of 5 years were coded as -1 “Inapplicable” regardless of whether they
attended school. Individuals who were 5 years of age or older and had never
attended school were coded as 0. The user should note that EDUCYR is an unedited
variable and minimal data cleaning was performed on this variable.
HIDEG contains information on the highest degree of
education attained at the time the individual entered MEPS. Information was
obtained from three questions: highest grade completed, high school diploma, and
highest degree. Persons under 16 years of age when they first entered MEPS were
coded as 8 “Under 16 - Inapplicable”. In cases where the response to the highest
degree question was “No Degree” and the response to the highest grade question
was 13 through 17, the variable HIDEG was coded as 3 “High School Diploma”. If
the response to the highest grade completed was “Refused” or “Don’t Know” and
the response to the highest degree question was “No Degree”, the variable HIDEG
was coded as 1 “No Degree”. The user should note that HIDEG is an unedited
variable and minimal data cleaning was performed on this variable.
Military Service
Information on active duty military status was
collected during each round of the MEPS interview. Persons currently on
full-time active duty status are identified in the variables ACTDTY31, ACTDTY42,
and ACTDTY53. Those under 16 years of age were coded as 3 “Under 16 -
Inapplicable”, and those over the age of 59 were coded as 4 “Over 59 -
Inapplicable”.
Relationship to the Reference Person within Reporting Units
For each Reporting Unit (RU), the person who owns or
rents the DU is usually defined as the reference person. For student RUs, the
student is defined as the reference person. (For additional information on
reference persons, see the documentation on survey administration variables.)
The relationship variables indicate the relationship of each individual to the
reference person of the Reporting Unit (RU) in a given round.
For confidentiality, starting in 2013, detailed
relationships were combined into more general categories in the variables
REFRL31X, REFRL42X, REFRL53X, and REFRL21X. These variables replaced RFREL31X,
RFREL42X, RFREL53X, and RFRELyyX used before 2013. The new and old variables are
defined differently, so researchers using multiple years of MEPS should refer to
prior years’ documentation to assure consistency in their data.
Note that categories for Child (4), Parent (7), and
Sibling (8) for REFRL31X, REFRL42X, REFRL53X, and REFRL21X changed in 2017. In
2013-2016, these categories included biological, adoptive, step relationships,
as well as in-law and foster relationships. Starting in 2017, in-law
relationships are included in 91 OTHER RELATED, SPECIFY. Foster children were no
longer included in MEPS starting on 2017, so those relationships no longer
appear in any of the categories.
Categories |
2013-2016 |
2017-2021 |
4 |
CHILD
BIOLOGICAL/ADOPT/IN-LAW/STEP/FOSTR |
CHILD
BIOLOGICAL/ADOPT/STEP |
7 |
PARENT (BIOLGCL/ADOPT/IN-LAW/STEP/FOSTR) |
PARENT
BIOLOGICAL/ADOPT/STEP |
8 |
SIBLING
(BIOLGCL/ADOPT/IN-LAW/STEP/FOSTR) |
SIBLING
BIOLOGICAL/ADOPT/STEP |
For the reference person, these variables have the
value “Household reference person”; for all other persons in the RU,
relationship to the reference person is indicated by codes representing
“Spouse”, “Unmarried Partner”, “Child”, etc. A code of 91, meaning “Other
Related, Specify”, was used to indicate rarely observed relationship
descriptions such as “Mother of Partner”, “Partner of Sister”, etc. If the
relationship of an individual to the reference person was not determined during
the round-specific interview, relationships between other RU members were used,
where possible, to assign a relationship to the reference person. If MEPS data
from calendar year 2021 were not sufficient to identify the relationship of an
individual to the reference person, relationship variables from the 2020 MEPS or
NHIS data were used to assign a relationship. In the event that a meaningful
value could not be determined or data were missing, the relationship variable
was assigned a missing value code.
If the relationship of two individuals indicated they
were spouses, but both had marital status indicating they were not married,
their relationship was changed to non-marital partners. In addition, the
relationship variables were edited to insure that they did not change across
rounds for RUs in which the reference person did not change, with the exception
of relationships identified as partner or spouse relationships.
Parent Identifiers
The variables MOPID31X, MOPID42X, MOPID53X and
DAPID31X, DAPID42X, DAPID53X are round-specific and are used to identify the
parents (biological, adopted, or step) of the person represented on that record.
MOPID##X contains the person identifier (PID) for each individual’s mother if
she lived in the RU in that panel/round of the survey, or a value of -1
“Inapplicable” if she did not. Similarly, DAPID##X contains the person
identifier (PID) for each individual’s father if he lived in the RU in that
panel/round of the survey, or a value of -1 “Inapplicable” if he did not.
MOPID##X and DAPID##X were constructed based on information collected in the
relationship grid of the instrument each round at question RE900, and include
biological, adopted, and stepparents. Foster parents were not included. For
persons who were not present in the household during a round, MOPID##X and
DAPID##X have values of -1 “Inapplicable”.
Edits were performed to ensure that MOPID##X and
DAPID##X were consistent with each individual’s age, sex, and other
relationships within the family. For instance, the gender of the parent must be
consistent with the indicated relationship; mothers are at least 12 years older
than the person and no more than 55 years older than the person; fathers are at
least 12 years older than the person; each person has no more than one mother
and no more than one father; and the PID for the person’s mother and father are
valid PIDs for that person’s RU for the 2021 Full Year File.
Return To Table Of Contents
The file provides income and tax-related variables
that were constructed primarily from data collected in the Panel 23 Round 9,
Panel 24 Round 7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3 Income sections.
Person-level income amounts have been edited and imputed for every record on the
full-year file, with detailed imputation flags provided as a guide to the method
of editing. The tax-filing variables and some program participation variables
are unedited, as discussed below.
Beginning with the income data collected for Panel 21
Round 5 and Panel 22 Round 3, two skip patterns were introduced to reduce
respondent burden. Prior to Panel 21 Round 5 and Panel 22 Round 3, unemployment
compensation income (IN360) was asked of all respondents eligible for income
collection. Beginning with Panel 21 Round 5 and Panel 22 Round 3, IN360 was not
administered for respondents who reported employment at the same current main
job in the current round and the previous two rounds. Similarly, prior to Panel
21 Round 5 and Panel 22 Round 3, alimony income (IN170) was collected for all
respondents eligible for income collection. Beginning with Panel 21 Round 5 and
Panel 22 Round 3, IN170 was not administered for respondents who were married in
the current round and married in the previous two rounds. As detailed below,
weighted, sequential hot-decks were used to estimate amounts for unemployment
compensation (UNEMP21X) and alimony income (ALIMP21X) for these respondents.
Users should note that the introduction of these skip patterns may affect
comparability of these income measures across survey years.
During imputation, logical editing and weighted,
sequential hot-decks were used to estimate income amounts for missing values
(both for item nonresponse and for persons in the full-year file who were not in
the income rounds). Reported income components were generally left unedited
(with the few exceptions noted below). Thus, analysts using these data may wish
to apply additional checks for outlier values that would appear to stem from
misreporting.
The editing process began with wage and salary income,
WAGEP21X. Complete responses were left unedited, and this group of people was
assigned WAGIMP21=1, where WAGIMP21 is the imputation flag for wage and salary
data. The only exception was for a small number of persons who reported zero
wage and salary income despite having been employed for pay during the year
according to round-level data (see below). Data on tax filing and on taxable
income sources were collected using an approach that encouraged respondents to
provide information from their federal tax returns. Logical edits as well as a
specific question on the wage income of the respondent (IN110) were used to
assign separate income amounts to married persons whose responses were based on
combined income amounts on their joint tax returns.
Persons assigned WAGIMP21=2 were those providing broad
income ranges (brackets) rather than giving specific dollar amounts. Weighted
sequential hot-decking was used to provide these individuals with specific
dollar amounts. For this imputation, donors were persons who reported specific
dollar amounts within the corresponding broad income ranges. In 2021 (as in all
previous years) there were a small number of cases where WAGEP21X=0 and
WAGIMP21=2. These are cases where a married couple filing jointly reported wages
with a bracket, and reported that one spouse earned $0 of that bracketed amount.
All WAGEP21X hot-deck imputations used cells defined on the basis of a
conventional list of person-level characteristics including age, education,
employment status, race, sex, and region.
Persons assigned WAGIMP21=3 were those who did not
report wage and salary income and who were assigned WAGEP21X=0 based on not
having been employed during the year.
Persons assigned WAGIMP21=4 were those who did not
provide valid dollar amounts or dollar ranges, but for whom we had related
information from the employment sections of the survey. In most cases this
information included wages, hours, and weeks worked; for some persons, only
hours and weeks worked data were reported in the employment section. The
available employment section data were used to construct annualized wage amounts
to be used in place of missing income section annual wage and salary data.
Comparisons of reported and constructed wages and salaries using persons who
provided both sorts of information yielded a high degree of confidence that
employment data could be reliably used to derive values to serve in place of
missing wage and salary information. To implement this approach, part-year
responders were assumed to be fully employed during the remainder of the year if
they were employed during the period in which they provided data. An exception
was made for those who either died or were institutionalized. These persons were
assigned zero wages and salaries for the time they were not in MEPS.
Hot-deck imputation was used for the remaining persons
with missing WAGEP21X. Donor pools included persons whose WAGEP21X amounts were
edited in the steps described above. Whenever possible, the hot-deck imputations
used data on whether or not the person had been employed at any point during the
year (and, if available, the number of weeks worked). Imputations for persons
deemed to have been employed were conditional in nature, using only donors with
positive WAGEP21X amounts (WAGIMP21=5). Imputations for WAGEP21X for the
remaining persons were unconditional, using both workers and non-workers as
donors (WAGIMP21=6).
After editing WAGEP21X for all persons in the
full-year file, the remaining income sources were edited in the following
sequence: INTRP21X, BUSNP21X, DIVDP21X, ALIMP21X, SALEP21X, TRSTP21X, PENSP21X,
IRASP21X, SSECP21X, UNEMP21X, WCMPP21X, VETSP21X, CASHP21X, OTHRP21X, CHLDP21X,
SSIP21X, and PUBP21X. Income components were edited sequentially, in each case
using information regarding income amounts that had already been edited (so as
to maintain patterns of correlation across income sources whenever possible). In
all cases, bracketed responses were edited first (using hot-deck imputations
from donors in corresponding brackets who gave specific dollar amounts),
followed by imputations for remaining missing values. The hot-deck imputations
used cells defined on the basis of income amounts already edited and a
conventional list of person-level characteristics such as age, education,
employment status, race, sex, and region. In addition, hot-deck imputations for
CHLDP21X used family-level information concerning marital status and the number
of children. Hot-deck imputations for SSIP21X and PUBP21X were also assigned
using, in part, simulated program eligibility indicators that integrated
state-level program eligibility criteria with data on family composition and
income.
In the hot-decks for some income types, information
from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was used. The NHIS sample is
the frame for the new sample selected for MEPS collection each year, with a
year’s time lag. Data from the 2017 NHIS correspond to MEPS Panel 23, data from
the 2018 NHIS correspond to MEPS Panel 24, data from the 2019 NHIS correspond to
MEPS Panel 25, and data from the 2020 NHIS correspond to Panel 26. Because MEPS
units come from the NHIS, it is possible to match individual MEPS responding
units to an NHIS unit.
Taking advantage of this matching ability, income
recipiency indicators collected by NHIS were used in imputing for missing data
in certain MEPS income components - interest, dividends, business income,
pensions, and Social Security. (Not all MEPS income categories have an
equivalent in NHIS. Also, wage data were available from NHIS, but were not used
in the MEPS imputation process.)
In cases where data on a particular income category
were missing for a person in MEPS, the indicator in that income category on the
NHIS file was employed, if a valid response was supplied. Indicators were
examined for the entire tax-filing unit (two people in the case of married
couples filing jointly; one person in all other cases).
Reported income amounts of less than one dollar were
treated as missing amounts (to be hot-decked from donors with positive amounts
of the corresponding income source). Also, very few cases of outlier responses
were edited (primarily public sources of income that exceeded possible amounts).
Otherwise, reported amounts were left unchanged.
For each income component, the corresponding xxxIMP21
variable contains an indicator concerning the method for editing/imputation. All
the flag variables have the following formatted values:
- 1 = Original response used;
- 2 = Bracket converted;
- 3 = Missing value set to 0;
- 4 = Weeks worked/earnings used (WAGIMP21 only);
- 5 = Conditional hot-deck;
- 6 = Unconditional hot-deck;
Missing values were set to zero when there were too
few recipients to warrant hot-deck imputations of positive values (as in the
case of ALIMP21X received by males). “Conditional hot-decks” indicate instances
where the respondent indicated receipt but not a specific dollar amount. In
these cases, the donor pool was restricted to persons with nonzero amounts of
the income source in question. “Unconditional hot-decks” indicate instances
where the donor pool included persons receiving both zero and nonzero amounts
(implemented in cases where there was little or no information about a person’s
income source).
Total person-level income (TTLP21X) is the sum of all
income components with the exception of SALEP21X (to match as closely as
possible the CPS definition of income; see Section 2.5.4). Some researchers may
wish to define their own income measure by adding in one or both of these
excluded components.
The tax variables and food stamp variables are all
completely unedited. Unedited tax variables are provided to assist researchers
building tax simulation programs. No efforts have been made to eliminate
inconsistencies among these program participation and tax variables and other
MEPS data. All of these unedited variables should be used with great care.
Income Top-Coding
All person-level income amounts on the file, including
both total income and the separate sources of income, were top-coded to preserve
confidentiality. For each income source, top codes were applied to the top
percentile of all cases (including negative amounts that exceeded income
thresholds in absolute value). In cases where less than one percent of all
persons received a particular income source, all recipients were top-coded.
Top-coded income amounts were masked using a
regression-based approach. The regressions relied on many of the same variables
used in the hot-deck imputations, with the dependent variable in each case being
the natural logarithm of the amount that the income component was in excess of
its top-code threshold. Predicted values from this regression were reconverted
from logarithms to levels using a smearing correction, and these predicted
amounts were then added back to the top-code thresholds. This approach preserves
the component-by-component weighted means (both overall and among top-coded
cases), while also preserving much of the income distribution conditional on the
variables contained in the regressions. At the same time, this approach ensures
that every reported amount in excess of its respective threshold is altered on
the public use file. The process of top-coding income amounts in this way
inevitably introduces measurement error in cases where income amounts were
reported correctly by respondents. Note, however, that top-coding can also help
to reduce the impact of outliers that occur due to reporting errors.
Total person-level income is constructed as the sum of
the adjusted person-level income components. Having constructed total income in
this manner, this total was then top-coded using the same regression-based
procedure described above (again masking the top percentile of cases). Finally,
the components of income were scaled up or down in order to make the sources of
income consistent with the newly-adjusted totals.
Poverty Status
The definitions of income, family, and poverty
categories used to construct the related variables in this file were taken from
the 2021 poverty statistics developed by the Current Population Survey (CPS).
The categorical variable for 2021 family income as a percentage of poverty
(POVCAT21) was constructed using the same method as in earlier years’ files.
FAMINC21 contains total family income for each
person’s CPS family. Family income was derived by constructing person-level
total income comprising annual earnings from wages, salaries, bonuses, tips,
commissions; business and farm gains and losses; unemployment and workers’
compensation; interest and dividends; alimony, child support, and other private
cash transfers; private pensions, IRA withdrawals, social security, and veterans
payments; supplemental security income and cash welfare payments from public
assistance, and related programs; gains or losses from estates, trusts,
partnerships, S corporations, rent, and royalties; and a small amount of “other”
income. Person-level income excluded tax refunds and capital gains. Person-level
income totals were then summed over family members, as defined by CPSFAMID, to
yield CPS family-level total income (FAMINC21).
POVLEV21 is the continuous version of the POVCAT21
variable. The POVLEV21 percentage was computed by dividing CPS family income by
the applicable poverty line (based on family size and composition). POVCAT21
takes the POVLEV21 percentage for each person and classifies it into one of five
poverty categories: negative or poor (less than 100%), near poor (100% to less
than 125%), low income (125% to less than 200%), middle income (200% to less
than 400%), and high income (greater than or equal to 400%). Persons missing
CPSFAMID were treated as one-person families in constructing their poverty
percentage and category.
Family income, as well as the components of
person-level income, has been subjected to internal editing patterns and
derivation methods that are in accordance to specific definitions, and are not
being released at this time. Researchers working with a family definition other
than CPSFAMID may wish to create their own versions of total family income.
Health Insurance Eligibility Units (HIEUs) are
sub-family relationship units constructed to include adults plus those family
members who would typically be eligible for coverage under the adults' private
health insurance family plans. To construct the HIEUIDX variable, which links
persons into a common HIEU, we begin with the family identification variable
CPSFAMID. Working with this family ID, we define HIEUIDX using family
relationships as of the end of 2021. Persons missing end-of-year relationship
information are assigned to an HIEUIDX using relationship information from the
last round in which they provided such information. HIEUs comprise adults, their
spouses, and their unmarried natural/adoptive children age 18 and under. Prior
to the 2018 data year, only opposite-sex spouses were eligible to be included in
the same HIEU. Beginning with the 2018 data year, both same-sex and opposite-sex
spouses are included in the same HIEU. We also include children under age 24 who
are full-time students (living at home or away from home). Other children who do
not live with their natural/adoptive adult parents are placed in an HIEUIDX as
follows:
- Other unmarried children are placed in stepparent HIEUIDX,
grandparent HIEUIDX, great-grandparent HIEUIDX, or aunt/uncle
HIEUIDX.
- Children of unmarried minors are placed (along with their
minor parents) in the HIEUIDX of their adult grandparents (if
possible). Married minors are placed into separate HIEUs along
with any spouses and children they might have.
- Some HIEUs are headed by unmarried minors, when there is no
adult family member present in the CPSFAMID.
HIEUs do not, in general, comprise adult (nonmarital)
partnerships, because unmarried adult partners are rarely eligible for dependent
coverage under each other's insurance. The exception to this rule is that we
include adult partners in the same HIEU if there is at least one
(out-of-wedlock) child in the family that links to both adult partners. In cases
of missing or contradictory relationship codes, HIEUs are edited by hand, with
the presumption being that the adults and children form a nuclear family.
Return To Table Of Contents
Perceived Health Status
Perceived health status (RTHLTH31, RTHLTH42, and
RTHLTH53) and perceived mental health status (MNHLTH31, MNHLTH42, and MNHLTH53)
were collected in the Priority Conditions Enumeration (PE) section. The target
persons of the questions are all current or institutionalized persons regardless
of age. These questions (PE10 and PE20) asked the respondent to rate each person
in the family according to the following categories: excellent, very good, good,
fair, and poor.
Priority Condition Variables (HIBPDX-ADHDAGED)
The PE section was asked in its entirety in Round 1
for all current or institutionalized persons, and in Panel 26 Round 2, Panel 25
Round 4, Panel 24 Round 6, and Panel 23 Round 8 for only new RU members. In
Panel 26 Round 3 and Panel 24 Round 7, the specific condition questions (except
joint pain and chronic bronchitis) were asked only if the person had not
reported the condition in a previous round. Also, PE questions were asked in
Panel 24 Round 5 to collect calendar year data in a manner parallel to the other
panels.
Priority condition variables whose names end in “DX”
indicate whether the person was ever diagnosed with the condition. Chronic
bronchitis, joint pain, and asthma follow-up questions (ASSTIL31/53,
ASATAK31/53, and ASTHEP31/53 described below) reflect data obtained in Round 7
of Panel 23, Rounds 5 and 7 of Panel 24, Round 3 of Panel 25, and Rounds 1 and 3
of Panel 26. Diagnoses data (except attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder/attention deficit disorder, diabetes, and asthma) were collected for
persons over 17 years of age. If edited age is within range for the variable to
be set, but the source data are missing because person’s age in CAPI is not
within range, the constructed variable is set to “Cannot be Computed” (-15).
Following the same pattern, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/attention
deficit disorder is asked of persons age 5 to 17, and diabetes and asthma are
asked of persons of all ages. Exceptions to this pattern are the variables
JTPAIN31_M18 and CHBRON31, which are described in greater detail below.
Questions were asked regarding the following
conditions:
- High blood pressure, including multiple diagnoses
- Heart disease (including coronary heart disease, angina,
myocardial infarction, and other unspecified heart disease)
- Stroke
- Emphysema
- Chronic bronchitis
- High cholesterol
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Joint pain
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADHD/ADD)
These conditions were selected because of their
relatively high prevalence, and because generally accepted standards for
appropriate clinical care have been developed. This information thus supplements
other information on medical conditions that is gathered in other parts of the
interview.
Condition data were collected at the person-by-round
level (indicating if the person was ever diagnosed with the condition) and at
the condition level. If the person reported having been diagnosed with a
condition, the person-by-round variable was set to ‘1’ (Yes) and a condition
record for that medical condition was created.
Editing of these variables focused on checking that
skip patterns were consistent.
High Blood Pressure
Questions about high blood pressure (hypertension)
were asked only of persons aged 18 or older. Consequently, persons aged 17 or
younger were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1) on these variables. HIBPDX ascertained
whether the person had ever been diagnosed as having high blood pressure (other
than during pregnancy). Those who had received this diagnosis were also asked if
they had been told on two or more different visits that they had high blood
pressure (BPMLDX). The age of diagnosis for high blood pressure (HIBPAGED) is
included in this file. This variable is top-coded to 85 years of age.
Heart Disease
Heart disease questions were asked only of persons
aged 18 or older. Consequently, persons aged 17 or younger were coded as
“Inapplicable” (-1) on all the variables in this set.
CHDDX - asked if the person had ever been diagnosed as
having coronary heart disease
ANGIDX - asked if the person had ever been diagnosed
as having angina, or angina pectoris
MIDX - asked if the person had ever been diagnosed as
having a heart attack, or myocardial infarction
OHRTDX - asked if the person had ever been diagnosed
with any other kind of heart disease or condition
The age of diagnosis for coronary heart disease
(CHDAGED), angina (ANGIAGED), heart attack or myocardial infarction (MIAGED),
and other kind of heart disease (OHRTAGED) are included in this file. These
variables are top-coded to 85 years of age.
Respondents who answered “Yes” to a person being
diagnosed with any other kind of heart disease or condition (OHRTDX) were asked
a follow up question (OHRTTYPE) to specify other heart diseases or conditions.
Stroke
STRKDX asked if the person (aged 18 or older) had ever
been diagnosed as having had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA or
ministroke). Persons aged 17 or younger were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1). The
age of diagnosis for stroke or TIA (STRKAGED) is included in this file. This
variable is top-coded to 85 years of age.
Emphysema
EMPHDX asked if the person (aged 18 or older) had ever
been diagnosed with emphysema. Persons aged 17 or younger were coded as
“Inapplicable” (-1). The age of diagnosis for emphysema (EMPHAGED) is included
in this file. This variable is top-coded to 85 years of age.
Chronic Bronchitis
CHBRON31 asked if the person (aged 18 or older) has
had chronic bronchitis in the last 12 months. Persons aged 17 or younger were
coded as “Inapplicable” (-1).
High Cholesterol
Questions about high cholesterol were asked of persons
aged 18 or older. Consequently, persons aged 17 or younger were coded as
“Inapplicable” (-1) on these variables. CHOLDX ascertained whether the person
had ever been diagnosed as having high cholesterol. The age of diagnosis for
high cholesterol (CHOLAGED) is included in this file. This variable is top-coded
to 85 years of age.
Cancer
Questions about cancer were asked only of persons aged
18 or older. Consequently, persons aged 17 or younger were coded as
“Inapplicable” (-1) on these variables. CANCERDX ascertained whether the person
had ever been diagnosed as having cancer or a malignancy of any kind. If the
respondent answered “Yes” they were asked at PE140 what type of cancer was
diagnosed. CABLADDR, CABREAST, CACERVIX, CACOLON, CALUNG, CALYMPH, CAMELANO,
CAMUSCLE, CAOTHER, CAPROSTA, CASKINNM, CASKINDK, and CAUTERUS indicate selection
of cancer of the bladder, breast, cervix, colon, or lung; lymphoma or melanoma;
cancer of the soft tissue, muscle, or fat; other type of cancer, cancer of the
prostate, skin, or uterus. Cancer of the cervix or uterus could not be reported
for males, and cancer of the prostate could not be reported for females.
Recoding of Cancer Variables
Specific cancer diagnosis variables with a frequency
count fewer than 20 and those considered clinically rare (i.e., appear on the
National Institutes of Health’s list of rare diseases), were removed from the
file for confidentiality reasons, and the corresponding variable CAOTHER,
indicating diagnosis of a cancer that is not counted individually, was recoded
to “Yes” (1) as necessary.
In data year 2021, the clinically rare cancers are:
- bone
- brain
- esophagus
- gallbladder
- kidney
- larynx
- leukemia
- liver
- mouth
- ovary
- pancreas
- rectum
- stomach
- testis
- throat
- thyroid
The variable CABREAST, which indicates diagnosis of
breast cancer, was recoded to “Inapplicable” (-1) for males for confidentiality
reasons. The corresponding value of the general cancer diagnosis variable,
CANCERDX, was recoded to “Cannot be Computed” (-15), and the corresponding
values of remaining specific cancer variables were recoded to “Inapplicable”
(-1).
Diabetes
Prior to 2018, diabetes diagnosis was asked for each
person aged 18 or older. Beginning in 2018, DIABDX_M18 replaces DIABDX where
diabetes is now asked for all ages. DIABDX_M18 indicates whether each person had
ever been diagnosed with diabetes (excluding gestational diabetes). The age of
diagnosis for diabetes (DIABAGED) is included in this file. This variable is
top-coded to 85 years of age.
Each person 18 years or older said to have received a
diagnosis of diabetes was asked to complete a special self-administered
questionnaire. The documentation for this questionnaire appears in the Diabetes
Care Survey (DCS) section of the documentation.
Joint Pain
JTPAIN31_M18 asked if the person (aged 18 or older)
had experienced pain, swelling, or stiffness around a joint in the last 12
months. This question is not intended to be used as an indicator of a diagnosis
of arthritis. Persons aged 17 or younger were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1).
Joint pain questions are skipped if the person already
has an arthritis condition that is specified on the conditions roster in the PE
section.
Arthritis
ARTHDX asked if the person (aged 18 or older) had ever
been diagnosed with arthritis. Persons aged 17 or younger were coded as
“Inapplicable” (-1). Respondents who answered “Yes” were asked a follow up
question to determine the type of arthritis. ARTHTYPE indicates if the diagnosis
was for Rheumatoid Arthritis (1), Osteoarthritis (2), or non-specific arthritis
(3). The age of diagnosis for arthritis (ARTHAGED) is included in this file and
may be recoded in some cases to “Cannot be Computed” (-15) for confidentiality
reasons. This variable is top-coded to 85 years of age.
Asthma
ASTHDX indicates whether a person had ever been
diagnosed with asthma. The age of diagnosis for asthma (ASTHAGED) is included in
this file. This variable is top-coded to 85 years of age.
Respondents who answered “Yes” to asthma diagnosis
were asked additional questions. ASSTIL31 asked if the person still had asthma.
ASATAK31 asked whether the person had experienced an episode of asthma or an
asthma attack in the past 12 months. If the person did not experience an asthma
attack in the past 12 months, a follow-up question (ASTHEP31) asked when the
last asthma episode or asthma attack occurred.
Additional follow-up questions regarding asthma
medication used for quick relief (ASACUT31), preventive medicine (ASPREV31), and
peak flow meters (ASPKFL31) were asked. These questions were asked if the person
reported having been diagnosed with asthma (ASTHDX = 1). ASACUT31 asked whether,
during the last three months, the person had used the kind of prescription
inhaler “that you breathe in through your mouth” that gives quick relief from
asthma symptoms. ASPREV31 asked whether the person had ever taken the preventive
kind of asthma medicine used every day to protect the lungs and prevent attacks,
including both oral medicine and inhalers. ASPKFL31 indicates whether the person
with asthma had a peak flow meter at home.
Respondents who answered “Yes” to ASACUT31 were asked
whether the person had used more than three canisters of this type of inhaler in
the past three months (ASMRCN31). Respondents who answered “Yes” to ASPREV31
were asked whether the person now took this kind of medication daily or almost
daily (ASDALY31). Respondents who answered “Yes” to ASPKFL31 were asked if the
person ever used the peak flow meter (ASEVFL31). Those respondents who answered
“Yes” to ASEVFL31 were asked when the person last used the peak flow meter
(ASWNFL31).
Beginning in 2018, questions regarding asthma
medication used for quick relief, preventive medicine, and peak flow meters are
now implemented starting with Panel 22 Round 3 and Panel 23 Round 1. With the
extension of rounds and an additional panel beginning in 2020, Round 5/3 asthma
variables have been added. The asthma variables included in this file are:
ASSTIL31 (Does Person Still Have Asthma - RD 3/1)
ASSTIL53 (Does Person Still Have Asthma - RD 5/3)
ASATAK31 (Asthma Attack Last 12 Mos - RD 3/1)
ASATAK53 (Asthma Attack Last 12 Mos - RD 5/3)
ASTHEP31 (When Was Last Episode of Asthma - RD 3/1)
ASTHEP53 (When Was Last Episode of Asthma - RD 5/3)
ASACUT31 (Used Acute Pres Inhaler Last 3 Mos- RD 3/1)
ASACUT53 (Used Acute Pres Inhaler Last 3 Mos- RD 5/3)
ASPREV31 (Ever Used Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 3/1)
ASPREV53 (Ever Used Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 5/3)
ASPKFL31 (Have Peak Flow Meter at Home - RD 3/1)
ASPKFL53 (Have Peak Flow Meter at Home - RD 5/3)
ASMRCN31 (Used >3 Acute Cn Pres Inh Last 3 Mos - RD
3/1)
ASMRCN53 (Used >3 Acute Cn Pres Inh Last 3 Mos - RD
5/3)
ASDALY31 (Now Take Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 3/1)
ASDALY53 (Now Take Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 5/3)
ASEVFL31 (Ever Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 3/1)
ASEVFL53 (Ever Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 5/3)
ASWNFL31 (When Last Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 3/1)
ASWNFL53 (When Last Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 5/3)
It may appear that there are discrepancies between the
diagnosis variable and the follow-up variables. If a person reported asthma in
the PE section in Panel 26 Round 3, ASATAK31 and ASSTIL31 will be set to
“Inapplicable” (-1) as the person had not reported asthma in Round 1.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Attention
Deficit Disorder
ADHDADDX asked if persons aged 5 through 17 had ever
been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Attention
Deficit Disorder. Persons younger than 5 or older than 17 were coded as
“Inapplicable” (-1). The age of diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder/attention deficit disorder (ADHDAGED) is included in this file.
Return To Table Of Contents
Due to the overlapping panel design of the MEPS (Round
7 for Panel 23, Round 5 for Panel 24, Round 3 for Panel 25 and Round 1 for Panel
26 overlapped; Round 8 for Panel 23, Round 6 for Panel 24, Round 4 for Panel 25,
and Round 2 for Panel 26 overlapped; and Round 7 for Panel 24 and Round 3 for
Panel 26 overlapped), data from overlapping rounds have been combined across
panels. In 2020, data collection was expanded beyond five rounds. In 2021,
variables ending in “31” reflect data obtained in Round 7 of Panel 23, Round 5
of Panel 24, Round 3 of Panel 25 and Round 1 of Panel 26. Variables ending in
“42” reflect data obtained in Round 8 of Panel 23, Round 6 of Panel 24, Round 4
of Panel 25 and Round 2 of Panel 26. Variables ending in “53” reflect data
obtained in Round 7 of Panel 24 and Round 3 of Panel 26. Health Status variables
whose names end in “21” indicate a full-year measurement. For persons in Panel
23, Round 7 extended from 2020 into 2021; for persons in Panel 24, Round 5
extended from 2020 into 2021; and for persons in Panel 25, Round 3 extended from
2020 into 2021. Therefore, for these people, some information from late 2020 is
included for variables that have names ending in “31”.
Health Status variables in this data release can be
classified into several conceptually distinct sets:
- IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) and ADL
(Activities of Daily Living) limitations
- Functional and activity limitations
- Hearing, vision problems
- Disability status
- Any limitations
- Child health and preventive care
- Additional health
- Self-administered questionnaire
- Diabetes care survey
In general, Health Status variables involved the
construction of person-level variables based on information collected in the
Health Status section of the questionnaire. Many Health Status questions were
initially asked at the family level to ascertain if anyone in the household had
a particular problem or limitation. These were followed up with questions to
determine which household member had each problem or limitation. All information
ascertained at the family level has been brought to the person level for this
file. Logical edits were performed in constructing the person-level variables to
assure that family-level and person-level values were consistent. Particular
attention was given to cases where missing values were reported at the family
level to ensure that appropriate information was carried to the person level.
Inapplicable cases occurred when a question was never
asked because of a skip pattern in the survey (e.g., some follow-up verification
questions were not asked about individuals who were 13 years of age or older;
questions pertaining to children’s health status were not asked about
individuals older than 17). Inapplicable cases are coded as -1. In addition,
deceased persons were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1).
Each of the sets of variables listed above will be
described in turn.
IADL and ADL Limitations
IADL Help
The Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL)
Help or Supervision variable IADLHP31 was constructed from a series of three
questions administered in the Health Status section of the interview in Panel 23
Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5, Panel 25 Round 3 and Panel 26 Round 1. In 2021, the
IADL questions were also administered in Panel 24 Round 7 and Panel 26 Round 3
and the variable IADLHP53 is included in this file.
The initial question (HE10) determined if anyone in
the family received help or supervision with IADLs such as using the telephone,
paying bills, taking medications, preparing light meals, doing laundry, or going
shopping. If the response was “Yes”, a follow-up question (HE20) was asked to
determine which household member(s) received this help or supervision. For
persons under age 13, a final verification question (HE30) was asked to confirm
that the IADL help or supervision was the result of an impairment or physical or
mental health problem. If the response to the final verification question was
“No”, IADLHP31 or IADLHP53 was coded “No” for persons under the age of 13.
If no one in the family was identified as receiving
help or supervision with IADLs, all members of the family were coded as
receiving no IADL help or supervision. In cases where the response to the
family-level question was “Refused” (-7),“Don’t Know” (-8), or “Cannot be
Computed” (-15), all persons were coded according to the family-level response.
In cases where the response to the family-level question (HE10) was “Yes” but no
specific individuals were identified in the follow-up question as having IADL
difficulties, all persons were coded as “Don’t Know” (-8).
ADL Help
The Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Help or
Supervision variable ADLHLP31 was constructed in the same manner, and for the
same persons, as the IADL help variable, but using questions HE40-HE60 in Panel
23 Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5, Panel 25 Round 3 and Panel 26 Round 1. In 2021,
the ADL questions were also administered in Panel 24 Round 7 and Panel 26 Round
3 and the variable ADLHLP53 is included in this file. Coding conventions for
missing data were the same as for the IADL variable.
Functional and Activity Limitations
A series of health status questions was asked related
to functional limitations; use of assistive technology and social/recreational
limitations; work, housework, and school limitations; and cognitive limitations.
The ‘31’ versions of these variables incorporate data collected in Panel 23
Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5, Panel 25 Round 3 and Panel 26 Round 1.
The ‘53’ versions of these variables incorporate data
collected in Panel 24 Round 7 and Panel 26 Round 3.
Functional Limitations
A series of questions was asked that pertained to
functional limitations, which are defined as difficulty in performing certain
specific physical actions. WLKLIM31/53 was the filter question. These variables
were derived from a question (HE90) that was asked at the family level: “Does
anyone in the family have difficulties walking, climbing stairs, grasping
objects, reaching overhead, lifting, bending or stooping, or standing for long
periods of time?” If the answer was “No”, then all family members were coded as
“No” (2) on WLKLIM31/53. If the answer was “Yes”, then the specific persons who
had any of these difficulties were identified and coded as “Yes” (1), and
remaining family members were coded as “No” (2). If the response to the
family-level question was “Don’t Know” (-8), “Refused” (-7), “Cannot be
Computed” (-15), or “Inapplicable” (-1), then the corresponding missing value
code was applied to each family member’s value for WLKLIM31/53. If the answer to
HE90 was “Yes” (1) but no specific individual was named as experiencing such
difficulties, then each family member was assigned “Don’t Know” (-8). Deceased
persons were assigned a code of “Inapplicable” (-1) for WLKLIM31/53.
If WLKLIM31/53 was coded “Yes” (1) for any family
member, a subsequent series of questions was administered. The series of
questions for which WLKLIM31/53 served as a filter is as follows:
LFTDIF31/53 - difficulty lifting 10 pounds
STPDIF31/53 - difficulty walking up 10 steps
WLKDIF31/53 - difficulty walking 3 blocks
MILDIF31/53 - difficulty walking a mile
STNDIF31/53 - difficulty standing 20 minutes
BENDIF31/53 - difficulty bending or stooping
RCHDIF31/53 - difficulty reaching over head
FNGRDF31/53 - difficulty using fingers to grasp
This series of questions was asked separately for each
person whose response to WLKLIM31/53 was coded “Yes” (1). The series of
questions was not asked for other individual family members whose response to
WLKLIM31/53 was “No” (2). In addition, this series was not asked about family
members who were less than 13 years of age, regardless of their status on
WLKLIM31/53. These questions were not asked about deceased family members. In
such cases (i.e., WLKLIM31/53 = 2, or age < 13, or PSTATS31/53 = 23, 24, or 31),
each question in the series was coded as “Inapplicable” (-1). Finally, if
responses to WLKLIM31/53 were “Refused” (-7), “Don’t Know” (-8), “Cannot be
Computed” (-15), or otherwise “Inapplicable” (-1), then each question in this
series was coded as “Inapplicable” (-1).
Analysts should note that WLKLIM31/53 was asked of all
household members, regardless of age. For the subsequent series of questions,
however, persons less than 13 years old were skipped and coded as “Inapplicable”
(-1). Therefore, it is possible for someone age 12 or younger to have a code of
“Yes” (1) on WLKLIM31/53, and also to have codes of “Inapplicable” on the
subsequent series of questions.
Use of Assistive Technology and Social/Recreational
Limitations
The variables indicating use of assistive technology
(AIDHLP31/53 from question HE70) and social/recreational limitations
(SOCLIM31/53, from question HE230) were collected initially at the family level.
If there was a “Yes” (1) response to the family-level question, a second
question identified the specific individual(s) to whom the “Yes” response
pertained. Each individual identified as having the difficulty was coded “Yes”
(1) for the appropriate variable; all remaining family members were coded “No”
(2). If the family-level response was “Refused” (-7), “Don’t Know” (-8), or
“Cannot be Computed” (-15), all persons were coded with the family-level
response. In cases where the family-level response was “Yes” but no specific
individual was identified as having difficulty, all family members were coded as
“Don’t Know” (-8).
Work, Housework, and School Limitations
The variable indicating any limitation in work,
housework, or school (ACTLIM31/53) was constructed using questions HE190-HE200.
Specifically, information was collected initially at the family level. If there
was a “Yes” (1) response to the family-level question (HE190), a second question
(HE200) identified the specific individual(s) to whom the “Yes” (1) response
pertained. Each individual identified as having a limitation was coded “Yes” (1)
for the appropriate variable; all remaining family members were coded “No” (2).
If the family-level response was “Refused” (-7), “Don’t Know” (-8), or “Cannot
be Computed” (-15), all persons were coded with the family-level response. In
cases where the family-level response was “Yes” (1) but no specific individual
was identified as having limitation, all family members were coded as “Don’t
Know” (-8). Persons less than five years old were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1)
on ACTLIM31/53.
If ACTLIM31/53 was “Yes” (1) and the person was 5
years of age or older, a follow-up question (HE210) was asked to identify the
specific limitation or limitations for each person. These included working at a
job (WRKLIM31/53), doing housework (HSELIM31/53), or going to school
(SCHLIM31/53). Respondents could answer “Yes” (1) or “No” (2) to each activity;
thus a person could report limitations in multiple activities. WRKLIM31/53,
HSELIM31/53, and SCHLIM31/53 have values of “Yes” (1) or “No” (2) only if
ACTLIM31/53 was “Yes” (1); each variable was coded as “Inapplicable” (-1) if
ACTLIM31/53 was “No” (2). When ACTLIM31/53 was “Refused” (-7), these variables
were all coded as “Refused” (-7); when ACTLIM31/53 was “Don’t Know” (-8), these
variables were all coded as “Don’t Know” (-8); and when ACTLIM31/53 was “Cannot
be Computed” (-15), these variables were all coded as “Cannot be Computed”
(-15). If a person was under 5 years old or was deceased, WRKLIM31/53,
HSELIM31/53, and SCHLIM31/53 were each coded as “Inapplicable” (-1).
An additional question (UNABLE31/53) asked if the
person was completely unable to work at a job, do housework, or go to school.
Those persons who were coded “No” (2), “Refused” (-7), “Don’t Know” (-8), or
“Cannot be Computed” (-15) on ACTLIM31/53, were under 5 years of age, or were
deceased were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1) on UNABLE31/53. UNABLE31/53 was asked
once for whichever set of WRKLIM31/53, HSELIM31/53, and SCHLIM31/53 the person
had limitations; if a person was limited in more than one of these three
activities, UNABLE31/53 did not specify if the person was completely
unable to perform all of them, or only some of them.
Cognitive Limitations
The variable indicating any cognitive limitation
(COGLIM31/53) was collected at the family level as a three-part question (HE250A
to HE250C), asking if any of the adults in the family (1) experience confusion
or memory loss, (2) have problems making decisions, or (3) require supervision
for their own safety. If a “Yes” response was obtained to any item, the persons
affected were identified in HE260, and COGLIM31/53 was coded as “Yes” (1).
Remaining family members not identified were coded as “No” (2) for COGLIM31/53.
If responses to HE250A through HE250C were all “No”,
or if two of three were “No” (2) and the remaining was “Refused” (-7), “Don’t
Know” (-8), or “Cannot be Computed” (-15), all family members were coded as “No”
(2). If responses to the three questions were combinations of “Don’t Know” (-8),
“Refused” (-7), and missing, all persons were coded as “Don’t Know” (-8). If the
response to any of the three questions was “Yes” (1) but no individual was
identified in HE260, all persons were coded as “Don’t Know” (-8).
COGLIM31/53 reflects whether any of the three
component questions is “Yes” (1). Family members with one, two, or three
specific cognitive limitations cannot be distinguished. In addition, because the
question asked specifically about adult family members, all persons less than 18
years of age are coded as “Inapplicable” (-1) on this question.
Hearing, Vision Problems
A series of questions (HE270 to HE310), asked in Panel
23 Round 8, Panel 24 Round 6, Panel 25 Round 4, and Panel 26 Round 2, provides
information on hearing and visual impairment. Household members less than one
year old and deceased RU members were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1).
The hearing impairment variable, DFHEAR42, indicates
whether a person has serious difficulty hearing. This variable was based on two
questions, HE270 and HE280. The initial question (HE270) determined if anyone in
the family had difficulty hearing. If the response was “Yes” (1), a follow-up
question (HE280) was asked to determine which household member(s) had a hearing
impairment. If the family-level response was “Don’t Know” (-8), “Refused” (-7),
or “Cannot be Computed” (-15), all persons were coded with the family-level
response. In cases where the family-level response was “Yes” (1) but no specific
individual was identified as having serious difficulty hearing, all family
members were coded as “Don’t Know” (-8).
The visual impairment variable, DFSEE42, indicates
whether a person has serious difficulty seeing. This variable was based on two
questions, HE290C and HE300. The initial question (HE290C) determined if anyone
in the family had difficulty seeing. If the response was “Yes” (1), a follow-up
question (HE300) was asked to determine which household member(s) had a seeing
impairment. If the family-level response was “Don’t Know” (-8), “Refused” (-7),
or “Cannot be Computed” (-15), all persons were coded with the family-level
response. In cases where the family-level response was “Yes” (1) but no specific
individual was identified as having serious difficulty seeing, all family
members were coded as “Don’t Know” (-8).
Disability Status
A series of questions (HE310 to HE380) in Panel 23
Round 8, Panel 24 Round 6, Panel 25 Round 4, and Panel 26 Round 2 provides
information on cognitive difficulty, difficulty walking or climbing stairs,
difficulty dressing or bathing, and difficulty doing errands. Questions
regarding cognitive difficulty, difficulty walking or climbing stairs, and
difficulty dressing or bathing were asked of household members 5 years of age
and older. The question regarding difficulty doing errands was asked of
household members 15 years of age and older. Deceased RU members were coded
“Inapplicable” (-1).
DFCOG42 indicates whether a person had serious
cognitive difficulty. This variable was based on two questions, HE310 and HE320.
The initial question (HE310) determined if anyone in the family had difficulty
concentrating, remembering or making decisions. If the response was “Yes” (1), a
follow-up question (HE320) was asked to determine which household member(s) had
difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions. If the family-level
response was “Don’t Know” (-8), “Refused” (-7), or “Cannot be Computed” (-15),
all persons were coded with the family-level response. In cases where the
family-level response was “Yes” (1) but no specific individual was identified as
having serious cognitive difficulty, all family members were coded as “Don’t
Know” (-8).
DFWLKC42 indicates whether a person has serious
difficulty walking or climbing stairs. This variable was based on two questions,
HE330 and HE340. The initial question (HE330) determined if anyone in the family
had serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs. If the response was “Yes”
(1), a follow-up question (HE340) was asked to determine which household
member(s) had difficulty walking or climbing stairs. If the family-level
response was “Don’t Know” (-8), “Refused” (-7), or “Cannot be Computed” (-15),
all persons were coded with the family-level response. In cases where the
family-level response was “Yes” (1) but no specific individual was identified as
having serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, all family members were
coded as “Don’t Know” (-8).
DFDRSB42 indicates whether a person has difficulty
dressing or bathing. This variable was based on two questions, HE350 and HE360.
The initial question (HE350) determined if anyone in the family had difficulty
dressing or bathing. If the response was “Yes” (1), a follow-up question (HE360)
was asked to determine which household member(s) had difficulty dressing or
bathing. If the family-level response was “Don’t Know” (-8), “Refused” (-7), or
“Cannot be Computed” (-15), all persons were coded with the family-level
response. In cases where the family-level response was “Yes” (1) but no specific
individual was identified as having difficulty dressing or bathing, all family
members were coded as “Don’t Know” (-8).
DFERND42 indicates whether a person has difficulty
doing errands alone. This variable was based on two questions, HE370 and HE380.
The initial question (HE370) determined if anyone in the family had difficulty
doing errands alone. If the response was “Yes” (1), a follow-up question (HE380)
was asked to determine which household member(s) had difficulty doing errands
alone. If the family-level response was “Don’t Know” (-8), “Refused” (-7), or
“Cannot be Computed” (-15), all persons were coded with the family-level
response. In cases where the family-level response was “Yes” (1) but no specific
individual was identified as having difficulty doing errands alone, all family
members were coded as “Don’t Know” (-8).
Any Limitation Rounds 7 and 8 (Panel 23) / Rounds 5,
6, and 7 (Panel 24 ) / Rounds 3 and 4 (Panel 25) / Rounds 1, 2, and 3 (Panel 26)
ANYLMI21 summarizes whether a person had any IADL,
ADL, functional, or activity limitations in any of the pertinent rounds.
ANYLMI21 was built using the component variables IADLHP31/53, ADLHLP31/53,
WLKLIM31/53, ACTLIM31/53, DFSEE42, and DFHEAR42. If any of these components was
coded “Yes”, then ANYLMI21 was coded “Yes” (1). If all components were coded
“No”, then ANYLMI21 was coded “No” (2). If all the components were
“Inapplicable” (-1), then ANYLMI21 was coded as “Inapplicable” (-1). If all the
components had missing value codes (i.e., -7, -8, or -1), ANYLMI21 was coded as
“Cannot be Computed” (-15). If some components were “No” and others had missing
value codes, ANYLMI21 was coded as “Cannot be Computed” (-15). The exception to
this latter rule was for children younger than five years old, who were not
asked questions that are the basis for ACTLIM31/53; for these RU members, if all
other components were “No”, then ANYLMI21 was coded as “No” (2). The variable
label for ANYLMI21 departs slightly from conventions. Typically, variables that
end in “21” refer only to 2021. However, some of the variables used to construct
ANYLMI21 were assessed in 2022, so some information from early 2022 is
incorporated into this variable.
Child Health and Preventive Care
Questions were asked about each child (under the age
of 18 excluding deceased children) in the applicable age subgroups to which they
pertained. For the Child Supplement variables, a code of “Inapplicable” (-1) was
assigned if a person was deceased, was not in the appropriate Round 2, 4, 6, or
8 or was not in the applicable age subgroup as of the interview date. This
public use dataset contains variables and frequency distributions from the Child
Health and Preventive Care (CS) Section associated with 7,519 children who were
eligible for the CS section. Children were eligible for this section when
PSTATS42 was not equal to 23, 24, 31 (Deceased) and 0 <= AGE42X <= 17. Of these
children, 5,379 were assigned a positive person-level weight for 2021 (PERWT21F
> 0). Cases not eligible for the CS section should be excluded from estimates
made with the CS section.
Starting in 2018, the Consumer Assessment of
Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) and Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS)
series of questions will be administered every other year. CAPI will administer
the CAHPS and CIS series as follows:
- In Rounds 2 and 6 for panels whose Round 1 collection
occurred in an odd year
- In Rounds 4 and 8 for panels whose Round 1 collection
occurred in an even year
Therefore, since Panel 26 Round 1 collection started
in 2021, Panel 25 Round 1 collection started in 2020, Panel 24 Round 1
collection started in 2019, and Panel 23 Round 1 started in 2018, the CAHPS and
CIS questions were asked, and these variables are included in the 2021 dataset.
In addition, the child preventive care series will be
administered every other year beginning in 2018. CAPI will administer the child
preventive care series as follows:
- In Rounds 2 and 6 for panels whose Round 1 collection
occurred in an even year
- In Rounds 4 and 8 for panels whose Round 1 collection
occurred in an odd year
Therefore, the child preventive care questions were
not asked in 2021 and are not included in the 2021 dataset.
The following table summarizes the data years in which the subsections of CS section are asked.
Child Health Survey Section |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Special Health Care Needs |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Child Preventive Care |
X |
X |
|
X |
|
Columbia Impairment
Scale (CIS) |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
Consumer Assessment of
Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener (ages
0 - 17)
The Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN)
Screener instrument was developed through a national collaborative process as
part of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI)
coordinated by the Foundation for Accountability. A key reference for this
screener instrument is Bethel et al. (2002).
These questions are asked about children ages 0-17. In
general, the CSHCN screener identifies children with activity limitation or need
or use of more health care or other services than is usual for most children of
the same age. When a response to a gate question was set to “No” (2), “Refused”
(-7), “Don’t Know” (-8), or “Cannot be Computed” (-15), follow-up variables
based on the gate question were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1).
The variable CSHCN42 identifies children with special
health care needs, and was created using the CSHCN screener questions according
to the specifications in the reference above. The CSHCN screener questions
consist of a series of question sequences about the following five health
consequences: the need or use of medicines prescribed by a doctor; the need or
use of more medical care, mental health, or education services than is usual for
most children; being limited or prevented in doing things most children can do;
the need or use of special therapy such as physical, occupational, or speech
therapy; and the need or use of treatment or counseling for emotional,
developmental, or behavioral problems. Parents who responded “yes” to any of the
“initial” questions in the five question sequences were then asked to respond to
up to two follow-up questions about whether the health consequence was
attributable to a medical, behavioral, or other health condition lasting or
expected to last at least 12 months. Children with positive responses to at
least one of the five health consequences along with all of the follow-up
questions were identified as having a Special Health Care Need. Children with a
“no” response for all five question sequences were considered NOT to have a
Special Health Care Need. Those children whose “special health care need” status
could not be determined (due to missing data for any of the questions) were
coded as “Unknown” for CSHCN42. More
information about the CSHCN screener questions
can be obtained from the website for the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement
Initiative.
The CSHCN screener questions were:
CHPMED42 - child needs or uses prescribed medicines
CHPMHB42 - prescribed medicines were because of a
medical, behavioral, or other health condition
CHPMCN42 - health condition that causes a person to
need prescribed medicines has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12
months
CHSERV42 - child needs or uses more medical care,
mental health, or education services than is usual for most children of the same
age
CHSRHB42 - child needs or uses more medical and other
service because of a medical, behavioral, or other health condition
CHSRCN42 - health condition that causes a person to
need or use more medical and other services has lasted or is expected to last
for at least 12 months
CHLIMI42 - child is limited or prevented in any way in
ability to do the things most children of the same age can do
CHLIHB42 - child is limited in the ability to do the
things most children can do because of a medical, behavioral, or other health
condition
CHLICO42 - health condition that causes a person to be
limited in the ability to do the things most children can do has lasted or is
expected to last for at least 12 months
CHTHER42 - child needs or gets special therapy such as
physical, occupational, or speech therapy
CHTHHB42 - child needs or gets special therapy because
of a medical, behavioral, or other health condition
CHTHCO42 - health condition that causes a person to
need or get special therapy has lasted or is expected to last for at least 12
months
CHCOUN42 - child has an emotional, developmental, or
behavioral problem for which they need or get treatment or counseling
CHEMPB42 - problem for which a person needs or gets
treatment or counseling is a condition that has lasted or is expected to last
for at least 12 months
CSHCN42 - identifies children with special health care
needs
Columbia Impairment Scale (ages 5 - 17) (included in
alternating years only)
These questions inquired about possible child
behavioral problems and were asked in previous years. Respondents were asked to
rate on a scale from 0 to 4, where “0” indicates “No Problem” and “4” indicates
“ A Very Big Problem”, how much of a problem the child has with thirteen
specified activities. A key reference for the Columbia Impairment Scale is Bird
et al. (1996).
Certain questions in this series were coded to “Asked,
but Inapplicable” (99) when the question was not applicable for a specific
child. For example, if a child’s mother was deceased, a question about how much
of a problem a child has getting along with his/her mother would be set to
“Asked, but Inapplicable” (99). Similarly, the question about problems getting
along with siblings would be set to “Asked, but Inapplicable” (99) for children
with no siblings. Variables in this set include:
GETTRB42 - problem with getting into trouble
MOMPRO42 - getting along with mother
DADPRO42 - getting along with father
UNHAP42 - feeling unhappy or sad
SCHLBH42 - (his/her) behavior at school
HAVFUN42 - having fun
ADUPRO42 - getting along with adults
NERVAF42 - feeling nervous or afraid
SIBPRO42 - along with brothers and sisters
KIDPRO42 - getting along with other kids
SPRPRO42 - getting involved in activities like sports
or hobbies
SCHPRO42 - (his/her) schoolwork
HOMEBH42 - (his/her) behavior at home
CAHPS® (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare
Providers and Systems) ages 0 - 17 (included in alternating years only)
The health care quality measures were taken from the
health plan version of CAHPS®, an AHRQ-sponsored family of survey
instruments designed to measure quality of care from the consumer’s perspective.
All of the CAHPS® variables refer to events experienced in the last
12 months. The variables included from the CAHPS® are:
CHILCR42 - whether a person had an illness, injury, or
condition that needed care right away from a clinic, emergency room, or doctor’s
office
CHILWW42 - how often a person got care as soon as was
needed (coded as “-1 Inapplicable” when CHILCR42 = 2, -7, -8, or -15)
CHRTCR42 - whether any appointments were made
CHRTWW42 - how often a person got an appointment for
health care as soon as was needed (coded as “-1 Inapplicable” when CHRTCR42 = 2,
-7, -8, or -15)
CHAPPT42 - how many times a person went to a doctor’s
office or clinic for health care
CHLIST42 - how often a person’s doctors or other
health providers listened carefully to the parent (coded as “-1 Inapplicable”
when CHAPPT42 = 0, -7, -8, or
-15)
CHEXPL42 - how often a person’s doctors or other
health providers explained things in a way the parent could understand (coded as
“-1 Inapplicable” when CHAPPT42 = 0, -7, -8, or -15)
CHRESP42 - how often a person’s doctors or other
health providers showed respect for what the parent had to say (coded as “-1
Inapplicable” when CHAPPT42 = 0, -7, -8, or -15)
CHPRTM42 - how often doctors or other health providers
spent enough time with a person (coded as “-1 Inapplicable” when CHAPPT42 = 0,
-7, -8, or -15)
CHHECR42 - rating of health care from 0 to 10 where 0
= Worst health care possible and 10 = Best health care possible (coded as “-1
Inapplicable” when CHAPPT42 = 0, -7, -8, or -15)
CHSPEC42_M18 - whether a person made an appointment to
see a specialist
CHEYRE42_M18 - how often did a person get appointments
to see a specialist (coded as “-1 Inapplicable” when CHSPEC42 = 2, -7, -8, or
-15)
Additional Health Variables
LSTETH53 (has person lost all natural (permanent)
teeth), PHYEXE53 (currently spends half hour or more in moderate to vigorous
physical activity at least five times a week), and OFTSMK53 (how often smoke
cigarettes) are asked in the Additional Healthcare Questions (AH) section. These
questions are asked every year of each person 18 years or older. A code of
“Inapplicable” (-1) was assigned if the person was deceased or less than 18
years old. In 2021, these variables include data collected in Panel 23 Round 9,
Panel 24 Round 7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3.
2021 Self-Administered Questionnaires
The MEPS distributes several hard-copy,
self-administered questionnaires (SAQs) to collect health-related information
from different subpopulations of MEPS participants. The Diabetes Care Survey is
distributed every year, while other SAQs are distributed only in select years.
The table below lists the SAQs distributed in select years and the years they are collected, while the remainder of this section describes in detail the SAQs collected in the current data year.
Self-Administered Questionnaire |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
SAQ |
|
X |
|
X |
Preventive SAQ (PSAQ) |
X |
|
X |
|
Mental Health SAQ
(MSAQ), embedded in PSAQ |
|
|
X |
|
Veteran’s SAQ (VSAQ) |
X |
X |
|
|
Social Determinants of
Health (SDOH) |
|
|
|
X |
Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ)
The Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ) is a
paper-and-pencil questionnaire that includes core questions about health status,
health care quality, and preventive health care measures of adults.
The preventive health questions are asked in
alternating years and will not be included in this file; they will be included
in the 2022 SAQ. In 2021, questions regarding quality of health care, general
health questions, and questions about health-related attitudes were asked in the
SAQ and are included in this file.
The 2021 SAQ was fielded during Panel 23 Round 8,
Panel 24 Round 6, Panel 25 Round 4, and Panel 26 Round 2 of the 2021 MEPS data
collection.
All adults age 18 and older as of the Round 2, 4, 6,
or 8 interview date (AGE42X >= 18) in MEPS households were asked to complete an
SAQ. The questionnaires were administered in late 2021 and early 2022.
The variable SAQELIG indicates the person’s
eligibility status for the SAQ. SAQELIG was used to construct the variables
based on the SAQ data. SAQELIG was coded “0” (Not Eligible for SAQ) if there was
no record for the person in the round, if the person was deceased or
institutionalized, moved out of the U.S., moved to a military facility, if the
person’s disposition status was inapplicable, or if the person was less than 18
years old. SAQELIG was coded “1” (Eligible for SAQ and Has SAQ Data) if an SAQ
record existed for the person in Round 2 (for Panel 26), Round 4 (for Panel 25),
Round 6 (for Panel 24), or Round 8 (for Panel 23). SAQELIG was coded “2”
(Eligible for SAQ, but No SAQ Data) if no SAQ record existed for the person in
the round. This variable was used as a building block for all other constructed
SAQ variables.
A question on the form asked if the respondent was the
person represented in the form. If a person was unable to respond to the SAQ,
the questionnaire was completed by a proxy. The relationship of the proxy to the
adult represented in the questionnaire is indicated by the variable ADPROX42.
Prior to 2015, the variable ADPRX42 indicated the relationship of the proxy to
the adult. Starting in 2015, the response categories for proxy relationship were
collapsed in a new variable ADPRXY42. ADPROX42 was coded “1” (Self-administered)
if the respondent was the person represented in the questionnaire. A code of
“-1” (Inapplicable) was assigned if a person was not eligible or was eligible
but no data existed (SAQELIG = 0 or 2).
If a person was not assigned a positive SAQ weight,
all SAQ variables except SAQELIG were coded “Inapplicable” (-1). When a gate
question answer was set to “No” (2), follow-up variables based on the gate
question were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1). When a gate question answer was set
to “Refused” (-7) or “Don’t Know” (-8), follow-up variable answers were left as
reported. A special weight variable (SAQWT21F) has been designed to be used with
the SAQ for persons who were age 18 and older at the interview date. This weight
adjusts for non-response and weights to the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized
population (see Section 3.0 “Survey Sample Information” for details). The
variables created from the SAQ begin with “AD,” again excepting SAQELIG.
Health Care Quality (included in alternating years
only)
The health care quality measures in the SAQ were taken
from the health plan version of CAHPS®, an AHRQ-sponsored family of survey
instruments designed to measure quality of care from the consumer’s perspective.
All of the variables refer to events experienced in the last 12 months and were
asked of adults age 18 and older. The variables included from the CAHPS® are:
ADILCR42 - Had an illness, injury or condition needing
care right away from a clinic, emergency room or doctor’s office
ADILWW42 - If ADILCR42 = 1, how often got care right
away
ADRTCR42 - Any appointment was made with a doctor or
clinic for health care
ADRTWW42 - If ADRTCR42 = 1, how often got an
appointment for health care as soon as they thought it was needed
ADAPPT42 - Number of times went to doctor’s office or
clinic to get care
ADLIST42 - If ADAPPT42 > 0, how often health providers
listened carefully to you
ADEXPL42 - If ADAPPT42 > 0, how often health providers
explained things in a way that was easy to understand
ADRESP42 - If ADAPPT42 > 0, how often providers showed
respect for what you had to say
ADPRTM42 - If ADAPPT42 > 0, how often health providers
spent enough time with you
ADINST42 - If ADAPPT42 > 0, whether doctors or other
health providers gave instructions about what to do about a specific illness or
health condition
ADEZUN42 - If ADINST42 = 1, how often the advice given
by doctors or other health providers was easy to understand
ADTLHW42 - If ADINST42 = 1, how often doctors or other
health providers asked you to describe how you are going to follow their
instructions
ADFFRM42 - If ADAPPT42 > 0, whether had to fill out or
sign any forms at the doctor’s office or other health provider’s office
ADFHLP42 - If ADFFRM42 = 1, how often you were offered
help with filling out forms at the office
ADHECR42 - If ADAPPT42 > 0, rating of healthcare from
all doctors and other health providers, from 0 (worst health care possible) to
10 (best health care possible)
ADSPCL42 - Needed to see a specialist
ADSNSP42 - If ADSPCL42 = 1, how easy to see a
specialist
General Health (included in alternating years only)
ADSMOK42 - Currently smoke
ADNSMK42 - If ADSMOK42 = 1, doctor advised you to quit
smoking
Health Status
The SAQ contained three measures of health status: the
Veteran RAND (VR-12), a registered trademark, the Kessler Index (K6) of
non-specific psychological distress, and the Patient Health Questionnaire
(PHQ-2). More information about the VR-12 is available through the
Boston University School of Public Health website.
Key references for these three measures are Kessler et al. (2002), Kroenke et
al. (2003), Selim et al. (2018) and Selim et al. (2009).
Veterans RAND 12 Version (VR-12)
The Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12©)
is a self-administered health survey comprising 12 items used to measure health
related quality of life, to estimate disease burden and to evaluate
disease-specific impact on general and selected populations.
The VR instrument uses five-point ordinal response
choices for four items in the VR-12©. Response choices are five-point
response choices: “no, none of the time”, “yes, a little of the time”, “yes,
some of the time”, “yes, most of the time” and “ yes, all of the time.” These
answers then contribute to the scales for role limitations due to physical and
emotional problems (PCS) and the physical and mental summary scores (MCS).
In analyzing data from the VR-12, the standard
approach is to form two summary scores based on responses to the 12 questions.
The standard scoring algorithms for both the Physical Component Summary (PCS)
and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) incorporate information from all 12
questions. However, the PCS weights more heavily responses to the following
questions: ADGENH42, ADDAYA42, ADCLIM42, ADACLS42, ADWKLM42, and ADPAIN42. The
MCS weights more heavily responses to the following questions: ADPRST42,
ADPCFL42, ADEMLS42, ADMWDF42, and ADSOCA42. The computer programs to create VR
scales and PCS/MCS summaries are copyrighted (all rights reserved) by the
Trustees of Boston University to ensure the integrity of the assessments.
The comparability of the 2017 MEPS VR-12 PCS and MCS
summary scores from the standard scoring algorithm and the SF-12v2 PCS and MCS
summary scores obtained from prior years of MEPS was assessed, and it was
determined that the scores were misaligned. A bridging algorithm specific to
MEPS was developed by a team at the Boston University School of Public Health.
The goal of this bridging algorithm was to align the VR-12 PCS and MCS scores
from the 2017 MEPS as closely as possible with the SF-12v2 PCS and MCS scores
from prior MEPS years across a wide range of MEPS subpopulations. This bridging
algorithm was applied to the VR-12 PCS and MCS score variables (VPCS42 and
VMCS42) available on this data file.
The PCS and MCS cannot be computed directly if a
person has missing data for any of the twelve items. A proprietary method was
used for imputing the PCS and MCS scores if some data are missing. The bridging
algorithm used for these measures was developed to be tolerant of missing data
in item responses when computing PCS and MCS scores.
Therefore, the variables VPCS42 and VMCS42 include
some cases in which the scores have been imputed. Some cases were unable to be
scored in the bridging algorithm due to the amount of missing data in item
responses; these cases have VRFLAG42 = 0 (No). VRFLAG42 indicates whether the
physical component summary, VPCS42, or the mental component, VMCS42, was imputed
for a respondent. Persons who were not eligible for the SAQ, or who were
eligible but for whom no data existed based on SAQELIG, or who did not have a
positive SAQ weight, were set to “Inapplicable” (-1) for VRFLAG42, VPCS42 and
VMCS42. Any remaining persons who could not be scored were set to “Cannot be
Computed” (-15) for VPCS42 and VMCS42. Additionally, beginning in 2017, there
are no negative score values of VPCS42 and VMCS42 because they are both top- and
bottom-coded.
More information on the VR-12 can be found on the
Boston University website VR-12 page.
The report containing information on the methodology used for the bridging
algorithm can be requested from
mepsprojectdirector@ahrq.hhs.gov.
The VR-12 questions are as follows:
ADGENH42 - General health today
ADDAYA42 - During a typical day, limitations in
moderate activities
ADCLIM42 - During a typical day, limitations in
climbing several flights of stairs
ADACLS42 - During past 4 weeks, as result of physical
health, accomplished less than would like
ADWKLM42 - During past 4 weeks, as result of physical
health, limited in kind of work or other activities
ADEMLS42 - During past 4 weeks, as result of emotional
problems, accomplished less than you would like
ADMWDF42 - During past 4 weeks, as result of emotional
problems, did work or other activities less carefully than usual
ADPAIN42 - During past 4 weeks, pain interfered with
normal work outside the home and housework
ADPCFL42 - During the past 4 weeks, felt calm and
peaceful
ADENGY42 - During the past 4 weeks, had a lot of
energy
ADPRST42 - During the past 4 weeks, felt downhearted
and blue
ADSOCA42 - During the past 4 weeks, physical health or
emotional problems interfered with social activities
Non-Specific Psychological Distress
The 2021 SAQ includes six mental health-related
questions, using the “K-6” scale developed by R.C. Kessler and colleagues. These
questions assess the person’s non-specific psychological distress during the
past 30 days.
The non-specific psychological distress variables are
as follows:
ADNERV42 - During the past 30 days, how often felt
nervous
ADHOPE42 - During the past 30 days, how often felt
hopeless
ADREST42 - During the past 30 days, how often felt
restless or fidgety
ADSAD42 - During the past 30 days, how often felt so
sad that nothing could cheer the person up
ADEFRT42 - During the past 30 days, how often felt
that everything was an effort
ADWRTH42 - During the past 30 days, how often felt
worthless
Kessler Index (K6)
A summary of the six variables above provides an index
to measure non-specific, rather than disorder-specific, psychological distress,
using the following values:
- 0 None of the Time
- 1 A Little of the Time
- 2 Some of the Time
- 3 Most of the Time
- 4 All of the Time
The index, called K6SUM42, is a summation of the
values of the six variables above. The higher the value of K6SUM42, the greater
the person’s tendency towards mental disability.
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2)
The 2021 SAQ includes two additional mental health
questions. These questions assess the frequency of the person’s depressed mood
and decreased interest in usual activities.
ADINTR42 - During the past two weeks, bothered by
having little interest or pleasure in doing things
ADDPRS42 - During the past two weeks, bothered by
feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
PHQ242 is a summation of the values of the two
variables above, with scores ranging from 0 through 6. The higher the value of
PHQ242, the greater the person’s tendency towards depression. Kroenke et al.
(2003) suggest a score of 3 as the optimal cut point for screening purposes.
Note that these items are intended as a screening measure for depression and are
not equivalent to a DSM-V diagnosis of depression.
The language in which the SAQ was completed is
indicated by the variable ADLANG42. If the English version of the SAQ was
completed, ADLANG42 was coded “1” (English Version SAQ Was Administered). If the
Spanish version of the SAQ was completed, or if the English version was
translated into Spanish, ADLANG42 was coded “2” (Spanish Version SAQ Was
Administered). If the language in which the SAQ was administered could not be
determined from the data, ADLANG42 was coded “-15” (Cannot be Computed).
The month and year the SAQ was completed are indicated
by the variables ADCMPM42 and ADCMPY42, respectively.
When using the SAQ variables in analysis, weights
specific to these questions should be used (SAQWT21F). For persons who are not
assigned a positive SAQ weight, the SAQ variables are recoded to “Inapplicable”
(-1). Please see Section 3.0 “Survey Sample Information” for details.
Diabetes Care Survey (DCS)
The Diabetes Care Survey (DCS) is a self-administered
paper-and-pencil questionnaire fielded during Panel 23 Round 9, Panel 24 Round
7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3. Households received a DCS based on
their response to DIABDX_M18 in the Priority Conditions Enumeration (PE) section
of the CAPI instrument, which asks whether the person was ever told by a doctor
or health professional that they had diabetes. Note that only those 18 years or
older were asked to complete a DCS questionnaire.
The DCS asks the same question as DIABDX_M18 with
responses summarized in the variable DSDIA53. DSDIA53 confirms that the person
has ever been told by a health professional that they had diabetes or sugar
diabetes. Every year, a small number (50) of people answer no to the diabetes
diagnosis question (DCS.DIABDIAG) on the DCS. These people have DSDIA53
initially set to “2” (No). DCS.DIABDIAG is used in the development of the
diabetes weight (DIABWyyF); if the person has DCS.DIABDIAG = “2” (No) they do
not receive a diabetes weight (DIABWyyF = 0). In the final stage of DCS variable
construction, DCS constructed variables, excluding the eligibility variable
(DCSELIG) were recoded to “-1” where DIABWyyF = 0. For these cases, DIABDX_M18
=YES (1) but DSDIA53 = NO (2). The DCS data are unedited, and, therefore, these
and other data inconsistencies remain in the data. For all persons 17 years of
age or younger, all the DCS variables are set to “-1” (Inapplicable) because
there is not an appropriate weight included on the file to make national
estimates for this population.
DSA1C53 indicates the number of times the respondent
reported having a hemoglobin A1c blood test in 2021. Note that, prior to 2005,
DSA1C53 did not reflect whether the person had a hemoglobin A1c blood test, only
whether the person had a hemoglobin A1c test. DSFT2253, DSFT2153, DSFT2053,
DSFB2053, and DSFTNV53 indicate whether the respondent reported having their
feet checked for sores or irritations: in 2022, in 2021, in 2020, before 2020,
or never, respectively. DSEY2253, DSEY2153, DSEY2053, DSEB2053 and DSEYNV53
indicate whether the respondent reported having an eye exam in which the pupils
were dilated: in 2022, in 2021, in 2020, before 2020, or never, respectively.
DSCH2253, DSCH2153, DSCH2053, DSCB2053, and DSCHNV53 indicate the last time the
respondent reported having their blood cholesterol checked: in 2022, in 2021, in
2020, before 2020, or never, respectively. DSFL2253, DSFL2153, DSFL2053,
DSVB2053, and DSFLNV53 indicate when the person got a flu vaccination including
the flu vaccine nasal spray: in 2022, in 2021, in 2020, before 2020, or never,
respectively. DSKIDN53 and DSEYPR53 ascertain whether the diabetes has caused
kidney or eye problems, respectively. DSDIET53, DSMED53, and DSINSU53 indicate
if the respondent reported being treated for his/her diabetes by the following
methods: diet, oral medications, or insulin, respectively.
The five variables that assess different ways the
person with diabetes can learn about diabetes care are: DSCPCP53 (learned care
from a primary care provider), DSCNPC53 (learned care from a provider not in the
person’s primary care practice), DSCPHN53 (learned care from a phone call with a
provider), DSCINT53 (learned care from reading about it on the internet), and
DSCGRP53 (learned care by taking a group class). Creation of these variables is
based on the answer to a gate question, which asks, “During the last 12 months,
have you learned how to take care of your diabetes?” Please note that there is
no variable listed in the codebook to indicate the answer to that question,
since it is only used for creation of the follow-up variables DSCPCP53,
DSCNPC53, DSCPHN53, DSCINT53, and DSCGRP53. These follow-up variables are set to
Inapplicable (-1) for persons who report not having learned how to take
care of their diabetes during the last 12 months. The variable DSCONF53
indicates how confident the person is in treating their diabetes. Those
variables that indicate a range of care outside the data year may represent
persons with additional information included on the 2020 or the 2022 Full Year
Consolidated PUF. Additional data for the second-year panel may be available on
the 2020 PUF.
If a person was unable to respond to the DCS, the
questionnaire was completed by a proxy (DSPRX53 = 1). A special weight variable
(DIABW21F) has been designed to be used with DCS data. This weight adjusts for
DCS nonresponse and weights to the number of diabetics in the U.S. civilian
noninstitutionalized population in 2021 (see Section 3.0 “Survey Sample
Information” for details). When using these variables in analysis, weights
specific to each of these sets of questions should be used (SAQWT21F and
DIABW21F). For persons who are not assigned a positive DCS weight, the DCS
variables are recoded to “Inapplicable” (-1). Please see Section 3.0 “Survey
Sample Information” for details.
Social Determinants of Health Survey (SDOH)
The Social Determinants of Health Survey (SDOH)
includes questions about the social determinants of health, such as housing,
financial well-being, food security, social support, discrimination, and
physical and sexual violence. The SDOH constitutes the first MEPS instrument to
be administered both as a paper-and-pencil and web questionnaire.
The SDOH was fielded during Panel 23 Round 7, Panel 24
Round 5, Panel 25 Round 3, and Panel 26 Round 1 of the MEPS data collection.
All adults age 18 and older as of the Round 1, 3, 5,
or 7 interview date (AGE31X >= 18) in MEPS households were asked to complete the
SDOH. No gate questions were included, all questions were asked of all SDOH
respondents, regardless of age, sex, or health status.
The variable SDOHELIG indicates the person’s
eligibility status for the SDOH. SDOHELIG was used to construct the variables
based on the SDOH data. SDOHELIG was coded “0” (Not Eligible for SDOH) if there
was no record for the person in the round, if the person was not key, if the
person was deceased or institutionalized, moved out of the U.S., moved to a
military facility, if the person’s disposition status was inapplicable, or if
the person was less than 18 years old. SDOHELIG was coded “1” (Eligible for SDOH
and Has SDOH Data) if an SDOH record existed for the person in Round 1 (for
Panel 26), Round 3 (for Panel 25), Round 5 (for Panel 24), or Round 7 (for Panel
23). SDOHELIG was coded “2” (Eligible for SDOH, but No SDOH Data) if no SDOH
record existed for the person in the round. This variable was used as a building
block for all other constructed SDOH variables.
A question that was only included on the paper form
asked if the respondent was the person represented in the form. If a person was
unable to respond to the SDOH, the paper questionnaire was completed by a proxy.
The relationship of the proxy to the adult represented in the questionnaire is
indicated by the variable SDPROX42. SDPROX42 was coded “1” (Self-administered)
if the respondent was the person represented in the questionnaire. A code of
“-1” (Inapplicable) was assigned if a person was not eligible or was eligible
but no data existed (SDOHELIG = 0 or 2). Month and year of survey completion are
included - SDCMPM and SDCMPY.
A special weight variable (SDOHWT21F) has been
designed to be used with the SDOH for persons who were age 18 and older at the
interview date. This weight adjusts for non-response and weights to the U.S.
civilian noninstitutionalized population (see Section 3.0 “Survey Sample
Information” for details). The variables created from the SDOH begin with “SD.”
If a person was not assigned a positive SDOH weight, all SDOH variables except
SDOHELIG were coded “Inapplicable” (-1). See
Social and Health Experiences Sources on the MEPS website for a list of sources used for question wording.
SDLIFE - How satisfied with life
SDHOME - How satisfied with house/apartment where
person lives
SDMEDCARE - Rate neighborhood availability of places
to get medical care
SDPARKS - Rate neighborhood availability of parks and
playgrounds
SDHLTHFOOD - Rate neighborhood availability of places
to buy healthy food
SDSFCRIME - Rate neighborhood safety from crime and
violence
SDPUBTRANS - Rate neighborhood access to public
transportation
SDAFRDHOME - Rate neighborhood availability of
affordable housing
SDNOTRANS - During last 12 months, has lack of
transportation kept person from medical appointments, meetings, work, or getting
things needed for daily living
SDLATERENT - During last 12 months, household’s
rent/mortgage was late or unpaid because household could not afford to pay
SDLATEUTIL - During last 12 months, household unable
to pay electric, gas, oil, or water bills on time
SDSHUTUTIL - During last 12 months, home utilities
were threatened to be shut off
SDPROBPEST - The place where person lives has problems
with pests
SDPROBMOLD - The place where person lives has problems
with mold
SDPROBLEAD - The place where person lives has problems
with lead paint or pipes
SDPROBHEAT - The place where person lives has problems
with lack of heat
SDPROBCOOK - The place where person lives has problems
with oven or stove not working
SDPROBSMKDET - The place where person lives has
problems with smoke detectors missing or not working
SDPROBLEAKS - The place where person lives has
problems with water leaks
SDPROBNONE - The place where person lives has problems
with none of the above
SDWRRYFD - During last 12 months, worried about food
running out before person got money to buy more
SDNOFOOD - During last 12 months, food bought didn’t
last and person did not have money to get more
SDPAYBASICS - How hard is it to pay for basics like
food, housing, medical care, and heating
SDUNEXPEXP - How confident able to come up with $400
if an unexpected expense arose within the next month
SDMISSCCLN - During last 12 months, missed a payment
on a credit card or loan (not including mortgage)
SDDEBT - During last 12 months, contacted by debt
collection agency
SDDAYEXER - During last 30 days, how many days per
week engaged in moderate exercise
SDMINSEXER - Average amount of minutes spent doing
moderate exercise
SDSTRESS - Rate current stress level
SDFAMILY - How much help expected to receive from
family if problem arose (for example, sickness or moving)
SDFRIENDS - How much help expected to receive from
friends if problem arose (for example, sickness or moving)
SDCOMM - How much help expected to receive from
community if problem arose (for example, sickness or moving)
SDTLKPHN - How often talk on the phone (or by video)
to family, friends, or neighbors in a typical week
SDGETTGT - How often get together with friends or
relatives in a typical week
SDCHURCH - How often attend church or religious
services (in-person or online)
SDCLUBORG - How often attend meetings of clubs or
organizations (in-person or online)
SDCOMPAN - How often feel the lack of companionship
SDLEFTOUT - How often feel left out
SDISOL - How often feel isolated from others
SDENICPROD - Ever used an electric nicotine product
SDDSCRMDR - Ever experienced discrimination at
doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital
SDDSCRMWRK - Ever experienced discrimination at work
SDDSCRMJOB - Ever experienced discrimination when
applying for jobs
SDDSCRMHS - Ever experienced discrimination when
trying to rent or buy housing
SDDSCRMPOL - Ever experienced discrimination when
interacting with law enforcement
SDDSCRMPUB - Ever experienced discrimination when
applying for social services or public assistance
SDDSCRMSTR - Ever experienced discrimination at a
restaurant or store
SDPHYSHURT - How often does anyone physically hurt
person
SDINSULT - How often does anyone insult or talk down
to person
SDTHRHARM - How often does anyone threaten person with
harm
SDSCREAM - How often does anyone scream or curse at
person
SDHMDEPR - When under 18 years of age, lived with
someone who was depressed, mentally ill, or suicidal
SDHMALC - When under 18 years of age, lived with a
problem drinker or alcoholic
SDHMDRG - When under 18 years of age, lived with
someone who used illegal street drugs or abused prescription medication
SDHMJAIL - When under 18 years of age, lived with
someone who served time in prison, jail, or correctional facility
SDHMDIV - Parents separated or divorced
SDHMBEAT - How often did parents or adults in home
slap, hit, kick, punch, or beat each other up
SDHURTCHLD - How often did parents or adults in home
hit, beat, kick, or physically hurt person
SDINSCHLD - How often did parents or adults in home
swear, insult, or put person down
SDTCHCHLD - How often did an adult or someone at least
5 years older touch person sexually
SDTCHADLT - How often did an adult or someone at least
5 years older try to make person touch them sexually
SDFRCSXCH - How often did an adult or someone at least
5 years older force the person to have sex
Return To Table Of Contents
The Disability Days (DD) section of the core interview
contains questions about time lost from work because of a physical illness or
injury, or a mental or emotional problem. Data were collected on each individual
in the household. These questions were repeated in each round of interviews;
this file contains data from Rounds 7, 8, and 9 of the MEPS Panel 23, initiated
in 2018; Rounds 5, 6, and 7 of the MEPS Panel 24, initiated in 2019; Rounds 3,
4, and 5 of the MEPS Panel 25, initiated in 2020; and Rounds 1, 2, and 3 of the
MEPS Panel 26, initiated in 2021.
Beginning in FY 2015, annualized versions of these
variables are constructed for release rather than the previously released
versions, which were round- and panel-specific. The number at the end of the
variable name (21) identifies the variable as representing data from 2021. Due
to confidentiality concerns, the annual Disability Days variables, which
represent the number of days a person missed work (DDNWRK21 and OTHNDD21), are
top-coded to mask values that exceed the top one-half of one percent of the
population.
These annual variables use building block variables
for construction, which represent an individual panel within the data year. The
reference period for the Disability Days questions is the time period between
the beginning of the panel or the previous interview date and the current
interview date. Analysts should be aware that Round 7 of Panel 23, Round 5 of
Panel 24, and Round 3 of Panel 25 are conducted across years. The Disability
Days variables reflect only the data pertinent to the calendar year (i.e., the
current delivery year of 2021). Analysts who are interested in examining
Disability Days data across years can link to other person-level PUFs using the
DUPERSID.
The flow of the Disability Days section relies on the
person’s age as of the interview date. Therefore, the round-specific constructed
age variables (AGE31X, AGE42X, and AGE53X) are used to construct the comparable
round-specific Disability Days building block variables. Due to the age-specific
nature of the Disability Days section, age data from other rounds are not used
should the person’s age for the round be missing.
The variable DDNWRK21 represents the number of times
the person lost a half-day or more from work because of illness, injury, or
mental or emotional problems during the calendar year. A response of “no work
days lost” was coded zero; if the person did not work, this variable was coded
-1 (Inapplicable). The analyst should note that there are cases where EMPST## =
1 or 2 (has current job or job to return to) where DDNWRK21 contains a positive
value, indicating the number of times the person lost a half-day or more from
work. This is because the responses to the Disability Days questions are
independent of the responses to the employment questions. Persons who were less
than 16 years old or whose age is missing (AGE##X is set to -1) were not asked
about work days lost, thus this variable is coded -1 (Inapplicable) for these
persons.
A final set of variables indicates if an individual
took a half-day or more off from work to care for the health problems of another
individual in the family and the number of days missed. OTHDYS21 indicates if a
person missed work because of someone else’s illness, injury, or health care
needs, for example to take care of a sick child or relative. This variable has
three possible answers: yes - missed work to care for another (coded 1); no -
did not miss work to care for another (coded 2); or the person does not work
(coded -1), based on the setting of DDNWRK21. Persons younger than 16 and
persons whose age is missing were not asked this question and are also coded as
-1 (in a small number of cases this was not done for the 1996 data, the analyst
will need to make this edit when doing longitudinal analyses).
OTHNDD21 indicates the number of days in which work
was lost because of another’s health problem. Persons younger than 16, those
whose age is missing, those who do not work, and those who answer “no” to
OTHDYS21 are skipped out of OTHNDD21 and receive a code of -1.
Note that, because Disability Days variables use only
those Round 7 of Panel 23, Round 5 of Panel 24, and Round 3 of Panel 25 data
pertinent to the data year, it is possible to have a person report missing work
to care for the health problems of another individual (OTHDYS21 = 1) but report
no days missed (OTHNDD21 = 0). This combination indicates that the person did
not miss those workdays during the data year. Editing was done on these
variables to preserve the skip patterns. No imputation was done for those with
missing data.
The variables DDNWRK21 and OTHNDD21 are annualized variables derived from responses to questions at each interview round. If the round-specific responses included a mix of missing values (-1, -7, -8, or 0), then the annualized variables were set to -15 CANNOT BE COMPUTED on the PUF. This editing results in elevated rates of -15 values for these variables compared with other variables on the PUF.
Return To Table Of Contents
The variables ACCELI42 through AFRDPM42 describe data
from the Access to Care (AC) section of the MEPS HC questionnaire, which was
administered in Panel 23 Round 8, Panel 24 Round 6, Panel 25 Round 4, and Panel
26 Round 2. This supplement gathers information on family members’ usual source
of health care; characteristics of usual source of health care providers; access
to and satisfaction with the usual source of health care provider; and
affordability of medical treatment, dental treatment, and prescription
medicines.
The variable ACCELI42 indicates whether persons were
eligible to receive the Access to Care questions. Persons with ACCELI42 set to
‘-1’ (Inapplicable) should be excluded from estimates made with the Access to
Care data.
The COVID (CV) section of the MEPS HC questionnaire
was administered in Panel 23 Rounds 7 - 9, Panel 24 Rounds 5 - 7, Panel 25
Rounds 3 - 5, and Panel 26 Rounds 1 - 3. This supplement gathers information on
whether a person was delayed in getting medical care (CVDLAYCA31, CVDLAYCA42,
CVDLAYCA53), dental treatment (CVDLAYDN31, CVDLAYDN42, CVDLAYDN53), and
prescription medicine (CVDLAYPM31, CVDLAYPM42, CVDLAYPM53) due to the
coronavirus pandemic, as well as whether the person ever acquired a COVID-19
vaccination (CVVACCINE42, CVVACCINE53) and ever had a COVID-19 booster
vaccination (BOOSTERSHOT53).
Family Members’ Usual Source of Health Care
For each individual family member, the AC section
ascertains whether there is a particular doctor’s office, clinic, health center,
or other place that the individual usually goes to if they are sick or need
advice about their health (HAVEUS42).
PRACTP42 indicates whether a usual source of care
(USC) provider has their own practice that is not part of a group practice,
health center, clinic, or other facility. For those family members who have a
USC provider, AC30 ascertains the type of practice:
- 1 Own Practice, Not Part of Group/Facility
- 2 Practice Associated with Group/Facility
YNOUSC42_M18 indicates the main reason why a person
does not have a USC provider. For those family members who do not have a USC
provider, question AC40 ascertains the main reason why:
- 1 Seldom or Never Sick
- 2 Recently Moved to Area
- 3 Just Changed Insurance Plans
- 4 No Health Insurance, Oth Insurance-Related Issue
- 5 Don’t Know Where to Go for Care
- 6 USC in This Area No Longer Available
- 7 Likes to Go to Different Places for Different Health Needs
- 8 Don’t Use Doctors/Treat Self
- 9 Cost of Medical Care
- 10 No Health Insurance
- 91 Other Reason
In 2018, YNOUSC42 was renamed to YNOUSC42_M18 because
the list of answer categories changed.
Characteristics of Usual Source of Health Care Providers
The AC section collects information about the
different characteristics of each unique USC provider for a given family. If a
person does not have a USC provider (HAVEUS42 is set to ‘2’ (No), ‘-7’
(Refused), ‘-8’ (Don’t Know) or ‘-15’ (Cannot be Computed)), then these
variables are set to ‘-1’ (Inapplicable).
The basis for the AC provider questions is
PROVTY42_M18. This variable indicates whether the person’s provider is a
facility (‘1’), a person (‘2’), or a person-in-facility (‘3’). PROVTY42_M18 is a
copy of PROVTYPE_M18 (Provider Type) for persons who have a USC provider.
Depending on how PROVTYPE_M18 is set, persons are asked about the provider’s
location, the provider’s personal characteristics (e.g., race), the provider’s
accessibility, and the person’s satisfaction with the provider. In 2018,
PROVTY42 was renamed PROVTY42_M18 because of changes to CAPI.
Provider Location
Two variables indicate the location of the provider.
For facility or person-in-facility type providers, PLCTYP42 indicates whether
the person’s facility is a Hospital Clinic or Outpatient Department (‘1’),
Hospital Emergency Room (‘2’), or Other Kind of Place (‘3’). According to CAPI
flow, persons do not report the type of facility for person-type providers;
therefore, if PROVTY42_M18 is set to ‘2’ (Person), PLCTYP42 is set to ‘-1’
(Inapplicable).
For all provider types, including person-type,
LOCATN42 indicates whether the person’s provider is located in an Office (‘1’),
a Hospital but Not the Emergency Room (‘2’), or a Hospital Emergency Room (‘3’).
Personal Characteristics of Providers
For person and person-in-facility type providers,
TYPEPE42 indicates what type of doctor or other medical provider the person’s
provider is. The possible values include:
- 1 MD - General/Family Practice
- 2 MD - Internal Medicine
- 3 MD - Pediatrics
- 4 MD - OB/Gyn
- 5 MD - Surgery
- 6 MD - Other
- 7 Chiropractor
- 8 Nurse
- 9 Nurse Practitioner
- 10 Physician’s Assistant
- 11 Other Non-MD Provider
- 12 Unknown
- 13 MD - Cardiologist
- 14 Doctor of Osteopathy
- 15 MD - Endocrinologist
- 16 MD - Gastroenterologist
- 17 MD - Geriatrician
- 18 MD - Nephrologist
- 19 MD - Oncologist
- 20 MD - Pulmonologist
- 21 MD - Rheumatologist
- 22 Psychiatrist / Psychologist
- 23 MD - Neurologist
- 24 Alternative Care Provider
TYPEPE42 is constructed using variables collected at
several questions: AC70 “Is provider a medical doctor?” (PROV.MEDTYPE_M18); AC80
“Is provider a nurse, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, midwife, or
some other kind of person?” (PROV.OTHTYPE_M18); and AC90 “What is provider’s
specialty?” (PROV.MDSPECLT_M18). If respondents choose ‘91’ (Other) at AC80 or
AC90, they are asked at AC80OS or AC90OS, respectively, to provide a verbal
explanation of the type of provider or medical doctor. These text strings can be
recoded to one of the existing categorical values listed above or, if the
frequency of the response warrants it, additional categorical values. Recoding
is described in greater detail below.
The AC section also collects demographic information
about person and person-in-facility type providers (PROVTY42 = 2 or 3). Six
variables indicate the provider’s race: WHITPR42 (White), BLCKPR42
(Black/African American), ASIANP42 (Asian), NATAMP42 (Indian/Native
American/Alaska Native), PACISP42 (Other Pacific Islander) and OTHRCP42 (Other
Race). The respondent may choose more than one race for a single provider. These
variables reflect the answer categories given at AC110.
In addition to the race variables, two other
demographic variables are created: HSPLAP42 indicates whether or not the
provider is Hispanic or Latino, and GENDRP42 indicates whether the provider is
Male (‘1’) or Female (‘2’).
Using Constructed Variables to Describe the Usual
Source of Care Provider
These variables describing a person’s USC provider can
be used in combination to present a broader picture of the provider. For
example, a person-in-facility provider with a particular person named who is a
white, Hispanic, female pediatrician, with no other race specified, and whose
location is in a hospital is coded as:
PROVTY42_M18 = 3
PLCTYP42 = 1
TYPEPE42 = 3
HSPLAP42 = 1
WHITPR42 = 1
BLCKPR42 = 2
ASIANP42 = 2
NATAMP42 = 2
PACISP42 = 2
OTHRCP42 = 2
GENDRP42 = 2
LOCATN42 = 2
Access to and Satisfaction with the Provider
The AC section collects information regarding the
person’s ability to access the USC provider as well as the person’s satisfaction
with the USC provider.
Access to the Provider
TMTKUS42 indicates how long it takes the person to
travel to the USC provider: Less Than 15 Minutes (‘1’), 15 to 30 Minutes (‘2’),
31 to 60 Minutes (‘3’), 61 to 90 Minutes (‘4’), 91 Minutes to 120 Minutes (‘5’),
or More than 120 Minutes (‘6’).
OFFHOU42, PHNREG42, and AFTHOU42 assess aspects of the
provider that may make it difficult for the person to get in contact with the
USC provider. OFFHOU42 indicates whether the provider has office hours at night
or on the weekend. The remaining two variables reflect the person’s rating of
the difficulty of accessing the USC provider by phone (PHNREG42), and after
hours (AFTHOU42). The person has the following choices: Very Difficult (‘1’),
Somewhat Difficult (‘2’), Not Too Difficult (‘3’), or Not at All Difficult
(‘4’).
Satisfaction with the Provider
These variables reflect the person’s satisfaction with
the USC provider. The person’s level of satisfaction with the USC provider is
examined in four ways: Does the USC provider: usually ask about prescription
medications and treatments other doctors may give them (TREATM42), ask the
person to help make decisions between a choice of treatments (DECIDE42), present
and explain all options to the person (EXPLOP42), and speak the person’s
language or provide translator services (PRVSPK42).
PRVSPK42 is set to a value other than ‘-1’
(Inapplicable) for persons eligible for the Access to Care supplement who had a
usual source of care, were identified as speaking a language other than English
at home (OTHLGSPK = ‘1’) and speaking English either “Not Well” or “Not at All”
(HWELLSPK = ‘3’ or ‘4’). PRVSPK42 is set to ‘-1’ (Inapplicable) for all persons
not meeting these criteria or who were deceased, institutionalized, or younger
than 5 years of age.
If the person was under 5 years old in Round 1 and age
5 in Round 2 of the first year panel or Round 4 of the second year panel, and
the source data are missing, PRVSPK42 was set to ‘-1’ (Inapplicable); if the
source data are available, PRVSPK42 was set per specifications.
Affordability of Medical Care, Dental Care, and
Prescription Medicines
The Access to Care supplement gathers information on
whether care was not received or was delayed because of cost in the past 12
months. These questions are split into three sections inquiring about medical
care, dental care, and prescription medicines. Each section inquires whether the
person did not receive care because they could not afford it (AFRDCA42,
AFRDDN42, AFRDPM42). The affordability variables indicate with a value of ‘1’
(Yes) that the person needed care but was unable to afford it , a value of ‘2’
(No) that the person did not have any unmet needs for that type of care because
of the cost.
Respondents were also asked if anyone in the household
delayed receiving care because of worry about cost (DLAYCA42, DLAYDN42,
DLAYPM42). The delay variables indicate with a value of ‘1’ (Yes) that the
person was delayed in receiving that type of care because of worry about the
cost, and a value of ‘2’ (No) for these variables indicates that the person was
not delayed in seeking that type of care because of the worry about the cost.
Editing the Access to Care Variables
Editing consisted primarily of logical editing for
consistency with skip patterns. Other editing included the construction of new
response values and new variables describing the recoding of “other specify”
text items into existing or new categorical values, which are described below.
Not all variables or categories that appear in the
Access to Care section of the HC questionnaire are included on the file, as some
small cell sizes have been suppressed to maintain confidentiality.
Recoding of Additional Other Specify Text Items
For Access to Care items AC80 and AC90, the “other
specify” text responses were reviewed and coded as an existing or new value for
the related categorical variable (AC80 and AC90).
OTHTYPE_M18 and MDSPECLT_M18 are used to construct the
variable TYPEPE42. These variables’ text strings can be recoded to each other’s
categories. For example, for persons who indicate that their USC provider is not
a medical doctor (PROV.MEDTYPE = ‘2’), the other type of USC provider is other
(PROV.OTHTYPE = ‘91’), and the text string collected is “GYNECOLOGIST,” TYPEPE42
would be set to ‘4’ (MD - OB/GYN) instead of ‘11’ (OTHER NON-MD PROVIDER.)
Delayed Medical Care, Dental Care, and Prescription
Medicines due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
The CV section was administered in Panel 23 Rounds 7 -
9, Panel 24 Rounds 5 - 7, Panel 25 Rounds 3 - 5, and Panel 26 Rounds 1 - 3. The
CV section gathered information on family members’ abilities to receive
treatment without delay from March 2020 (for Panel 23 Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5,
Panel 25 Round 3, and Panel 26 Round 1) and the last interview date for all
other panels.
The following table summarizes the panels and rounds used in construction of CVDLAYCArr, CVDLAYDNrr, and CVDLAYPMrr variables, where rr
indicates a combination of rounds as described in the table below.
rr |
Panel 23 |
Panel 24 |
Panel 25 |
Panel 26 |
31 |
Round 7 |
Round 5 |
Round 3 |
Round 1 |
42 |
Round 8 |
Round 6 |
Round 4 |
Round 2 |
53 |
Round 9 |
Round 7 |
Round 5 |
Round 3 |
These questions asked whether anyone in the household
delayed receiving care because of the coronavirus pandemic. If the respondent
answered ‘1’ (Yes), they were asked to identify who in the household delayed
care. Within a household that had care delayed, the variables CVDLAYCA31,
CVDLAYCA42, CVDLAYCA53 (Delay Med Care For COVID R3/1, R4/2, R5/3), CVDLAYDN31,
CVDLAYDN42, CVDLAYDN53 (Delay Getting Dental For COVID R3/1, R4/2, R5/3), and
CVDLAYPM31, CVDLAYPM42, CVDLAYPM53 (Delay Getting PMED For COVID R3/1, R4/2,
R5/3) indicate with a value of ‘1’ (Yes) that the person was delayed in
receiving that care during the pandemic; a value of ‘2’ (No) for these variables
indicates that the person was not delayed in receiving that type of care during
the pandemic.
COVID-19 Vaccination Status
The CV section also gathers information regarding
vaccination and booster shots ever received for COVID-19 for all members of the
RU. CVVACCINE42 and CVVACCINE53 represent round-specific measures of ever having
received the COVID-19 vaccination. Sample members who were reportedly ever vaccinated
as of Round 4/2 (CVVACINE42=1) had CVVACINE53 coded ‘-1’ (Ever vaccinated)
even though they were not asked in Round 5/3 whether they were ever vaccinated.
BOOSTERSHOT53 was collected only for Panel 23 Round 9, Panel 24
Round 7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3, and it indicates whether the
person had ever received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot before the end of the
reference period.
Return To Table Of Contents
Employment questions were asked of all persons 16
years and older at the time of the interview. Employment variables consist of
person-level indicators such as employment status and job-related variables such
as hourly wage. All job-specific variables refer to a person’s current main job.
The current main job, defined by the respondent, indicates the main source of
employment.
Historically, most employment variables pertain to the
interview date for Rounds 1-4, and to December 31 of the delivery year for Round
5 of a second year panel. In 2021, Employment variables have been constructed to
reflect responses from additional panels. Panel 24 was fielded for a third year
and includes responses from Round 5, Round 6, and Round 7 interviews. Panel 23
was fielded for a fourth year and includes responses from Round 7, Round 8, and
Round 9 interviews.
In 2021, Panel 25 Round 3, Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel
23 Round 7 were fielded as cross-year rounds where respondents were asked to
provide information about the reference period between the prior interview date
in 2020 (Rounds 2, 4, and 6 respectively) and the current round interview date
in 2021. Panel 26 Round 3 and Panel 24 Round 7 were also fielded as cross-year
rounds where respondents were asked to provide information about the reference
period between the prior interview date in 2021 (Rounds 2 and 6 respectively)
and current round interview date (occurring in 2022).
In contrast, Panel 23 Round 9 and Panel 25 Round 5
were fielded as 2021 terminal rounds where respondents were asked to provide
relevant information between the prior interview date in 2021 (Rounds 8 and 4,
respectively) and 12/31/2021.
The following table summarizes reference periods used in construction of Employment variables in this delivery:
Panel/Round |
Reference Period (construction) |
EM Variable Ref Year(s) |
Panel 23 |
Round 7 |
Round 6 2020 intvw
thru Round 7 2021 intvw date |
2020 - 2021 |
Round 8 |
Round 7 2021 intvw
thru Round 8 2021 intvw date |
2021 |
Round 9 |
Round 8 2021 intvw
thru Dec 31, 2021 |
2021 |
Panel 24 |
Round 5 |
Round 4 2020 intvw
thru Round 5 2021 intvw date |
2020 - 2021 |
Round 6 |
Round 5 2021 intvw
thru Round 6 2021 intvw date |
2021 |
Round 7 |
Round 6 2021 intvw
thru Round 7 2022 intvw date |
2021 - 2022 |
Panel 25 |
Round 3 |
Round 2 2020 thru
Round 3 2021 intvw date |
2020-2021
|
Round 4 |
Round 3 2021 intvw
thru Round 4 2021 intvw date |
2021 |
Round 5 |
Round 4 2021 intvw
thru Dec 31, 2021 |
2021 |
Panel 26 |
Round 1 |
Jan 1, 2021 thru Round
1 2021 intvw date |
2021 |
Round 2 |
Round 1 2021 intvw
thru Round 2 2021 intvw date |
2021 |
Round 3 |
Round 2 2021 intvw
thru Round 3 2022 intvw date |
2021-2022 |
No additional adjustments were necessary for 2021
variables, however, users combining 2021 data with 2020 MEPS data should refer
to 2020 documentation to fully understand adjustments that were made for Panel
23 variables in Round 5 and Round 6 in the 2020 file.
Variable naming protocol is consistent with all prior
years. Historically, round dates have been indicated by two numbers following
the variable name; the first number representing the round for second panel
persons (Panel 25), the second number representing the round for first panel
persons (Panel 26). For example, EMPST31 refers to employment status on the
Round 3 interview date for Panel 25 persons and employment status on the Round 1
interview date for Panel 26 persons. In 2021, a third year panel and a fourth
year panel are included in each of the ‘31’, ‘42’, and ‘53’ variables, but round
numbers of these panels (5/6/7 and 7/8/9 respectively) will not be included in
the variable name. For example, the 2021 version of EMPST31 (noted above) will
also include employment status on the Round 7 interview date for Panel 23
persons and the employment status on the Round 5 interview date for Panel 24
persons. All employment variables reflect the inclusion of the third year of
Panel 24 and the fourth year of Panel 23. Panel 23 Round 7 and Panel 24 Round 5
information is contained in the ‘31’ variables, Panel 23 Round 8 and Panel 24
Round 6 information is contained in the ‘42’ variables, and Panel 23 Round 9 and
Panel 24 Round 7 information is contained in the ‘53’ variables. (Some users
might find it helpful to think of these variables as (75)31, (86)42, and (97)53,
even though the naming convention remains as 31, 42, and 53).
With the exception of some health insurance and wage
variables, no attempt has been made to logically edit any employment variables.
When missing, values were imputed for certain persons’ hourly wages. Due to
confidentiality concerns, hourly wages greater than or equal to $105.77
were top-coded to -10 and the number of employees variable was top-coded at 500.
With the exception of a variable indicating whether the employer has more than
one location (MORE31, MORE42, MORE53), all employer-specific variables on the
Full Year Public Use Release file refer to the specific establishment that is
the location of a person’s current main job.
For users interested in additional jobs (i.e. current
miscellaneous, former main job, and others) or additional details about the
current main job, please refer to the Jobs Public Use release file for the
current delivery year.
The MEPS employment section used dependent
interviewing in Rounds 2 through 9. If employment status and certain job
characteristics did not change from the previous round, as identified in the
Review of Employment (RJ) section, the respondent was skipped through the main
employment section. A code of “Determined in Previous Round” (-2) is used to
indicate that the information in question was obtained in a previous round. For
example, if HRWG42X (Round 8 interview date hourly wage for Panel 23 persons, or
Round 6 interview date hourly wage for Panel 24 persons, or Round 4 interview
date hourly wage for Panel 25 persons, or Round 2 interview date hourly wage for
Panel 26 persons) is coded as “Determined in Previous Round” (-2), it means that
hourly wage was collected in a previous round. In this case, users would need to
refer to HRWG31X (Round 7 interview date hourly wage for Panel 23 persons, or
Round 5 interview date hourly wage for Panel 24 persons, Round 3 interview date
hourly wage for Panel 25 persons, or Round 1 interview date hourly wage for
Panel 26 persons) to obtain the value for HRWG42X. The “-2” value for HRWG42X
indicates that the person was skipped past the hourly wage question at the time
of the Round 8/6/4/2 interview. The same coding applies to HRWG53X when a person
was skipped past the Round 9/7/5/3 interview. Note that users may find a
positive value in the HRWG31X (Round 7/5/3/1 hourly wage) or they may find an
“Inapplicable” code of -1. Unlike HRWG42X and HRWG53X, HRWG31X does not contain
-2 values. For persons skipped in Round 7/5/3/1, the prior year hourly wage
value is used to populate HRWG31X. The prior year round from which the wage was
collected for such cases can be found in the RNDGLG31 variable. These cases will
be discussed in more detail below.
To determine who should be skipped through various
employment questions, certain information, such as employment status, had to be
asked in every round. Note that “-2” codes do not apply to questions asked in
every round, like employment status. Additionally, information on whether the
person currently worked at more than one job (MORJOB) or whether the person held
health insurance from a current main employer (HELDX) was asked in every round,
and, therefore, those variables also have no “-2” codes.
For (a) Panel 23 persons who have a current main job
in Round 7 that continued from a job first reported in Round 1 or 2 of 2018, (b)
Panel 23 persons who have a current main job in Round 7 that continued from a
job first reported in Round 3 or 4 of 2019, (c) Panel 23 persons who have a
current main job in Round 7 that continued from a job first reported in Round 5
or Round 6 of 2020, (d) Panel 24 persons who have a current main job in Round 5
that continued from a job first reported in Round 1 or 2 of 2019, (e) Panel 24
persons who have a current main job in Round 6 that continued from a job first
reported in Round 3 or Round 4 of 2020, or (f) Panel 25 persons who have a
current main job in Round 3 that continued from a job first reported in Round 1
or Round 2 of 2020, the “-2” code is not used. This is because prior year
employment variables do not reside on the current 2021 Full Year Release file,
and are therefore not easily accessible for users (and in some cases, the data
could be impossible to obtain). Instead, the values for the variables resulting
from skipped questions are copied from the appropriate prior year file (2018,
2019, or 2020) to the 2021 Full Year Public Use Release ‘31’ variable, depending
on the round in which the job first became the current main job:
- the Panel 23 Round 1 or 2 constructed variable from the 2018
Full Year Release file, or
- the Panel 23 Round 3 or 4 constructed variable from the 2019
Full Year Release file, or
- the Panel 23 Round 5 or 6 constructed variable from the 2020
Full Year Release file or
- the Panel 24 Round 1 or 2 constructed variable from the 2019
Full Year Release file.
- the Panel 24 Round 3 or 4 constructed variable from the 2020
Full Year Release file or
- the Panel 25 Round 1 or 2 constructed variable from the 2020
Full Year Release file.
The accompanying 2021 variable RNDFLG31 indicates the
round from which these data were collected. For example, if the Panel 25 person
has a Round 3 current main job that continues from Round 2 and was first
reported as the current main job in Round 2, HRWG31X in the 2021 Full Year
Public Use release will be a copy of the HRWG42X variable from the 2020 Full
Year Public Use release, and RNDFLG31 in the 2021 Full Year Public Use release
will be “2”, indicating the round in which the job was first reported as the
current main job.
Employment Status (EMPST31, EMPST42, and EMPST53)
Employment status was asked for all persons age 16 or
older. Allowable responses to the employment status questions were as follows:
- “currently employed” if the person had a job at the
interview date;
- “has a job to return to” if the person did not work during
the reference period but had a job to return to as of the
interview date;
- “employed during the reference period” if the person had no
job at the interview date but did work during the round;
- “not employed with no job to return to” if the person did
not have a job at the interview date, did not work during the
reference period, and did not have a job to which they could
return.
These responses were mutually exclusive. A current
main job was defined for persons who either reported that they were currently
employed and identified a current main job or who reported and identified a job
to return to. Therefore, job-specific information such as hourly wage exists for
persons not presently working at the interview date but who have a job to return
to as of the interview date.
The analyst should note that there are cases where
EMPSTrr = 1 or 2 (has current job or job to return to) where DDNWRK21 contains a
positive value, indicating the number of times the person lost a half-day or
more from work. This is because the responses to the Disability Days questions
in the survey are independent of the responses to the employment questions.
Data Collection Round for Round 7, 5, 3, or 1 CMJ (RNDFLG31)
As mentioned above, for (a) a Panel 25 person with a
Round 3 current main job (CMJ) that is a continuation CMJ from Round 1 or Round
2, (b) a Panel 24 person with a Round 5 CMJ that is a continuation CMJ from
Round 1, 2, 3, or 4, or (c) a Panel 23 person with a Round 7 CMJ that is a
continuation CMJ from Round 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, the value for most ‘31’
variables will be copied forward from the 2018, 2019, or 2020 Full Year Public
Use release from the variable representing the round in which the job was first
reported as the CMJ. Therefore, for persons in Panel 23, Panel 24, or Panel 25,
RNDFLG31 indicates the 2018, 2019, or 2020 round in which the Round 7, Round 5,
or Round 3 CMJ was first reported as the CMJ and provides a timeframe for the
reported wage information and other job details. RNDFLG31 is used with many ‘31’
variables to indicate the round on which the reported information is based.
RNDFLG31 is set to “Inapplicable” (-1) for persons in
any panel who are under age 16 or who do not have a CMJ in Panel 23 Round 7,
Panel 24 Round 5, Panel 25 Round 3, or Panel 26 Round 1. For persons who are
part of Panel 23, RNDFLG31 is also set to “Inapplicable” (-1) if the person is
out-of-scope in the 2021 portion of Round 7. For persons who are part of Panel
24, RNDFLG31 is also set to “Inapplicable” (-1) if the person is out-of-scope in
the 2021 portion of Round 5. For persons who are part of Panel 25, RNDFLG31 is
also set to “Inapplicable” (-1) if the person is out-of-scope in the 2021
portion of Round 3. For persons who are part of Panel 26, RNDFLG31 is also set
to “Inapplicable” (-1) if the person is out-of-scope in Round 1. Values for
RNDFLG31 are set as follows:
- 1 continuing Panel 23 Round 7/Panel 24 Round 5/Panel
25 Round 3 CMJ reported first in Round 1, or Panel 26 Round 1 CMJ newly reported
as current main in Round 1
- 2 continuing Panel 23 Round 7/Panel 24 Round 5/Panel
25 Round 3 CMJ reported first in Round 2
- 3 continuing Panel 23 Round 7/Panel 24 Round 5 CMJ
reported first in Round 3 or Panel 25 Round 3 CMJ newly reported as current main
in Round 3
- 4 continuing Panel 23 Round 7/Panel 24 Round 5 CMJ
reported first in Round 4
- 5 continuing Panel 23 Round 7 CMJ reported first in
Round 5 or Panel 24 Round 5 CMJ newly reported as current main in Round 5
- 6 continuing Panel 23 Round 7 CMJ reported first in
Round 6
- 7 Panel 23 Round 7 CMJ newly reported as current main
in Round 7
- -15 Panel 23 Round 7/Panel 24 Round 5 CMJ/Panel 25
Round 3 CMJ is a continuation CMJ (wage information and other details were not
collected in Round 7/Round 5/Round 3) but the Round 6/Round 4/Round 2 CMJ record
either does not exist or is not the same job. This setting applies even in cases
where there is a corresponding Round 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 CMJ for Panel 23, Round 1,
2, or 3 CMJ for Panel 24 or Round 1 CMJ for Panel 25. This can occur in rare
instances because corrections made to a person’s record in a current file cannot
be made to that record in an earlier file due to database processing
constraints. Corrections are made based on respondent comments in subsequent
rounds that affect employment information previously reported. Users may refer
to previously released Jobs Public Use release files to review rosters as
follows:
- 2018 Jobs Public Use release file - for Panel 23 Round 1
through 3 rosters or
- 2019 Jobs Public Use release file - for Panel 23 Round 3
through 5, Panel 24 Round 1 through 3 rosters or
- 2020 Jobs Public Use release file - for Panel 23 Round 5
through 7, Panel 24 Round 3 through 5, or Panel 25 Round 1 through 3
rosters
Self-Employed (SELFCM31, SELFCM42, and SELFCM53)
Information on whether an individual was self-employed
at the current main job was obtained for all persons who reported a current main
job. If an individual reports that they are self-employed at their current main
job, they are also asked to identify whether the self-employed business was
incorporated, a proprietorship, or a partnership (BSNTY31, BSNTY42, BSNTY53).
These questions are not asked of individuals who were not self-employed and, as
a result, individuals who are not self-employed are coded with “Inapplicable”
(-1).
Alternatively, there are several variables that are
only constructed for wage earners (not self-employed). These include benefits,
employment characteristics, and hourly wage variables (covered in the following
two sections). As noted below, self-employed individuals are coded with
“Inapplicable” (-1) for benefits, employment characteristics, and hourly wage
variables.
Benefits and Employment Characteristics
(PAYDR31/42/53, SICPAY31/42/53, PAYVAC31/42/53, RETPLN31/42/53, MORE31/42/53,
JOBORG31/42/53)
Several variables are constructed only for individuals
who report not being self-employed at their current main job. These individuals
are asked questions to indicate whether the establishment reported as the main
source of employment offered any of the following benefits:
- Paid leave to visit a doctor (PAYDR31, PAYDR42, and PAYDR53)
- Paid sick leave (SICPAY31, SICPAY42, and SICPAY53)
- Paid vacation (PAYVAC31, PAYVAC42, and PAYVAC53)
- Pension plan (RETPLN31, RETPLN42, and RETPLN53)
They are also asked information on whether the firm
had more than one business location (MORE31, MORE42, MORE53) and whether the
establishment was a private for-profit, nonprofit, or a government entity
(JOBORG31, JOBORG42, JOBORG53). For persons who were self-employed at their
current main job, all of the variables detailed in this section were coded as
“Inapplicable” (-1).
Hourly Wage (HRWG31X, HRWG42X, HRWG53X), Wage Update
Variable (DIFFWG31, DIFFWG42, DIFFWG53), and Updated Hourly Wage (NHRWG31,
NHRWG42, NHRWG53)
Hourly wage was constructed for all persons who
reported a current main job that was not self-employment (SELFCM). HRWG31X,
HRWG42X, and HRWG53X provide the wage amount reported initially for a person’s
current main job. If a current main job continues into subsequent rounds
DIFFWG31, DIFFWG42, and DIFFWG53 indicate if the wage has changed since the
previous round. If the job continues and there is a different wage at that job,
NHRWG31, NHRWG42, and NHRWG53 indicate the new wage amount. The initial hourly
wage variables (HRWG31X, HRWG42X, HRWG53X) on this file should be considered
along with their accompanying variables - HRHOW31, HRHOW42, and HRHOW53 - which
indicate how the respective round hourly wage was constructed.
Hourly wage could be derived, as applicable, from a
large number of source variables. In the simplest case, hourly wage was reported
directly by the respondent. For other persons, construction of the hourly wage
was based upon salary, the time period on which the salary was based, and the
number of hours worked per time period. If the number of hours worked per time
period was not available, a value of 40 hours per week was assumed, as
identified in the HRHOW variable.
To assist interviewers during collection of wage
amounts, CAPI prompts the respondent to confirm wages reported in the Employment
Wage section if a wage amount falls outside a specified wage range.
Ranges vary depending on the unit of pay as follows:
Unit of Pay |
Wage Range |
Per year |
$5,000.00 -
$200,000.00 |
Per month |
$375.00 - $20,000.00 |
Per 2-week period |
$150.00 - $10,000.00 |
Per week |
$75.00 - $5,000.00 |
Per day |
$10.00 - $750.00 |
Per hour |
$1.00 - $125.00 |
Where there was insufficient information available for
calculating the initial hourly wage, the initial hourly wage variables HRWG31X,
HRWG42X, and HRWG53X were imputed using a weighted sequential hot-deck procedure
for individuals who reported a current main job (and were not self-employed) but
did not know their wage or refused to report a wage. Hourly wage for persons for
whom employment status was not known was coded as “Cannot be Computed” (-15).
Additionally, wages were imputed for wage earners who reported a wage range
instead of a specific wage value. For each of these persons, a value was imputed
from other persons on the file who did report a specific value that fell within
the reported range. Wages from 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 were eligible donors
in this process, expanding the donor pool to cover four years instead of the
typical two years. The expansion of the donor pool to use four years of donors
instead of two allowed AHRQ to maintain a similar sized donor pool to prior
releases - but it does mean that some recipients are assigned a donor wage from
four years prior.
The variables HRWGIM31, HRWGIM42, and HRWGIM53
identify persons whose wages were imputed. Note that wages were imputed only for
persons with a positive person and/or positive family weight.
The variables DIFFWG31, DIFFWG42, and DIFFWG53
indicate whether a person’s wage amount was different in the current round (from
the previous round) at a continuing, current main job. NHRWG31, NHRWG42, and
NHRWG53 contain the updated wage amount in cases where a person indicates a
change in wages (DIFFWG = 1). While the question regarding wage changes pertains
to the primary wage at the main job, occasionally respondents update a person’s
supplemental wage at the main job. In these cases, users should note that the
HRWG31X, HRWG42X, HRWG53X variable may contain the same value as the NHRWG31,
NHRWG42, NHRWG53 variable.
For all Panel 26 Round 1 persons, DIFFWG31 and NHRWG31
are set to “Inapplicable” (-1) because this was the first round that wages could
be reported for those persons. In Rounds 2 through 9 for all panels, no
imputation was performed on NHRWG31, NHRWG42, and NHRWG53. Instead, where an
updated wage amount is “Don’t Know” (-8) or is “Refused” (-7), NHRWG31, NHRWG42,
and/or NHRWG53 is set to “Cannot be Computed” (-15). For persons whose hourly
wage variable HRWG31X, HRWG42X, and/or HRWG53X was imputed and the respondent
provides an updated wage amount in a subsequent round, the new wage, NHRWG31,
NHRWG42, and/or NHRWG53, is not presented. Instead, NHRWG31, NHRWG42, and/or
NHRWG53 is set to “Initial Wage Imputed” (-13) to indicate that the initial
HRWG31X, HRWG42X, and/or HRWG53X was imputed. Users are able to access the value
reported for updated wage for these jobs by referring to the 2021 Jobs Public
Use release file.
In 2021, wage information is logically edited for
consistency using established rules and guidance from AHRQ. Outliers are checked
for persons who report a wage change and the new reported wage (a) is
substantially different from prior wage (change >=100%), (b) is no different
than prior wage, (c) is low in value ($0 < wage < $1) or, (d) has a value higher
than prior year’s top code value. There are numerous sources for these types of
errors, including keystroke or respondent error. In 2021, approximately 100
wages were reviewed per panel, resulting in approximately 90 HRWGrrX/NHRWGrr
wage variable edits (overall).
Users should note that outlier edits were not
performed in 2020 and therefore should be mindful when using the wage variables,
especially when comparing 2020 wages to wages in other data years. To help users
identify cases that would have been reviewed (but not necessarily edited) in
this process, the 2020 data includes wage outlier flag variables, OUTFLAGrr.
These round-specific wage outlier flag variables OUTFLAG31, OUTFLAG42, and
OUTFLAG53 indicated that a person’s updated wage at the current main job would
have been programmatically selected for review during the 2020 wage outlier
editing process (but not necessarily edited). Although the OUTFLAGrr variables
only appear on the 2020 file, they could be relevant to continuing wages on the
2021 file that were first reported in 2020. More information on these variables
may be found in MEPS HC-224: 2020 Full Year Consolidated Data file
documentation. OUTFLAGrr variables were not constructed for the 2021 Population
Characteristics file since outlier reviews were performed.
For reasons of confidentiality, the hourly wage
variables were top-coded. A value of -10 indicates that the hourly wage was
greater than or equal to $105.77. The wage top-code process uses the highest
calculated wage for an individual regardless of whether it was reported in the
HRWG31X, HRWG42X, and HRWG53X variable or the NHRWG31, NHRWG42, and NHRWG53
variable. All wages for a person were top-coded if any wage variable was at or
above the top-code amount.
In order to protect the confidentiality of persons
across deliveries, the same top-code amount used in this 2021 Full-Year
Consolidated file was also applied to the 2021 Jobs file. Because a person can
have other jobs besides a current main job which are included in the
corresponding 2021 Jobs file, wages at these other jobs were reviewed in the
top-coding process. In some cases for these persons, wages reported at the
current main job were below the top-code amount while the wage at another job
had to be top-coded. To further protect the confidentiality of such persons
across deliveries, wages reported at all jobs in the 2021 Jobs file were
top-coded and the wages at their current main job (HRWG31X, HRWG42X,
HRWG53X,NHRWG31, NHRWG42, and NHRWG53) included in this 2021 Full-Year
Consolidated file were also top-coded.
Health Insurance (HELD31X, HELD42X, HELD53X, OFFER31X,
OFFER42X, OFFER53X, CHOIC31, CHOIC42, CHOIC53, DISVW31X, DISVW42X, DISVW53X,
OFREMP31, OFREMP42, OFREMP53)
There are several employment-related health insurance
measures included in this release: health insurance held at a current main job
(HELD31X, HELD42X, HELD53X), health insurance offered through a current main job
(OFFER31X, OFFER42X, OFFER53X), health insurance offered to anyone through the
current main job employer (OFREMP31, OFREMP42, OFREMP53), and choice of health
plans available through the current main job (CHOIC31, CHOIC42, CHOIC53). This
collection of variables reflects the insurance status in the current round. The
variables are logically edited for consistency for each round.
MEPS asks if the person holds health insurance through
the current main job (HELDX) in the first round in which a person is reported as
having that job. If the person does not hold health insurance at the job, then a
follow-up question is asked as to whether the person was offered insurance but
declined coverage (OFFERX). If the person neither holds nor was offered health
insurance at the job, then an additional question is asked to determine whether
any other employees at the current main job were offered health insurance
(OFREMP). If the person either holds insurance from the job or was offered
insurance at the job, then an additional question is asked to determine whether
a choice of health plans is available at the job (CHOIC). Prior to Panel 23
Round 9, Panel 24 Round 7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3, in cases
where HELDX or OFFERX were “Refused” (-7) or “Don’t Know” (-8), CHOIC was also
coded -7/-8, even though the question that populates CHOIC was not asked. As of
Panel 23 Round 9, Panel 24 Round 7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3,
CHOIC is now coded “Cannot be Computed” (-15) for cases where HELDX or OFFERX
were “Refused” (-7) or “Don’t Know” (-8) to reflect that a value cannot be
calculated for CHOIC as a result of skip patterns.
In the rounds after the job is first reported, the
Review of Jobs (RJ) section has the same series of questions with one exception,
it does not ask whether there is a choice of health insurance plans at an
employer. Choice of health insurance plan is only asked in the round the job was
first reported (in the Employment section).
In rounds after the job is first reported, a “held”
question (whether a person now holds health insurance through the employer) is
asked in the Review of Jobs section. This is to determine if there has been any
change in coverage.
RJ70 (HELDX) is asked if insurance was offered, but
not taken by the employee, when the job was first reported and no coverage has
been reported since the initial round.
RJ80 (HELDX) is asked where:
- insurance coverage through the job ended in a prior round or
- insurance coverage through the job was never reported and
the person was not offered insurance through the job in
the round the job was first reported or
- the respondent disavows insurance coverage in the Health
Insurance section despite having previously indicated insurance
coverage through the job in the Employment section of the
interview or
- beginning in Panel 23 Round 9, Panel 24 Round 7, Panel 25
Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3, persons who reported new
employer-sponsored health insurance coverage in the prior round
through the CMJ but the insurance covered the person for only
part of that round (see detailed explanation below).
MEPS then includes several clarifying questions
regarding health insurance status and availability to the jobholder through an
employer. Where the person does not report, does not know, or refuses to
indicate the insurance status at RJ70, or reports no coverage at RJ80, the
respondent is asked if the person was offered insurance (OFFERX).
Lastly, when a respondent indicates that the jobholder
of a reviewed job neither holds nor was offered health insurance at the job, the
respondent is asked if any other employees at the job were offered health
insurance (OFREMP).
If a person does hold insurance through their job,
then that person is not asked the offer question and the OFFERX variable is
automatically set to “Yes” (1). Data users should note that OFREMP is
automatically set to 1 in cases where the jobholder has health insurance
coverage through the job (HELDX=1) or in cases where health insurance is offered
to the employee at their job (OFFERX=1).
Responses in the Employment and Review of Jobs
sections for health insurance held were recoded to be consistent with the
variables in the Health Insurance section of the survey.
For persons who responded in the Employment section or
Review of Jobs section that they held health insurance coverage through the
employer but then disavowed the coverage in the Health Insurance section, MEPS
includes follow-up questions regarding whether health insurance is offered
(either to the employee or any other employee depending on responses to
questions) and whether more than one plan is available. This information is used
in an editing process whereby responses to these variables in the Health
Insurance section are transferred into the Employment section or Review of Jobs
section. Consequently, more information is now available on the MEPS file in the
OFFERX, OFREMP, and CHOIC variables. Consistent with prior years, the
round-specific flag variable DISVWX continues to be constructed and reflects the
disavowal at the current main job in the round.
Beginning Panel 23 Round 9, Panel 24 Round 7, Panel 25
Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3, two CAPI changes impact how insurance information
is collected in the Employment and Review of Jobs sections.
- RJ80 is asked if a person reported new health insurance in
the prior round but that coverage was not active at the
interview date, that is, a response of “No” (2) at HQ01 “Was
{PERSON} covered the whole time from {START DATE} until {END
DATE}” and at HQ02 “Is {PERSON} covered now?”. This CAPI change
means that more persons could be asked if the person was offered
insurance or if other employees were offered insurance at the
employer establishment. The result is that HELDX, OFFERX, OFREMP
could have fewer -15 values.
- If a job holder has insurance at the employer (“Yes” (1) at
EM660) and that person belongs to a union (“Yes” (1) at EM700),
respondents are asked to indicate if the health insurance is
from the employer/business or the union at EM710. Either or both
establishments may be the source of insurance. Prior to the CAPI
change, where both establishments were selected, two sets of
private insurance coverage were created in the Health Insurance
section. Now, only the primary source of private insurance
coverage will be created in the Health Insurance section.
Now that the response options have changed,
respondents are required to identify the primary source - either
employer/business or the union - if the respondent indicates both provide
insurance.
- 1 EMPLOYER
- 2 UNION
- 3 BOTH EMPLOYER AND UNION (EMPLOYER IS PRIMARY)
- 4 BOTH EMPLOYER AND UNION (UNION IS PRIMARY)
The result is that persons who report insurance via
both union and employer sources in the Employment section will no longer have
the secondary source insurance coverage recorded in the Health Insurance
section. However, respondents continue to have the opportunity to report any
additional private coverage in the Health Insurance section at HX190/HX200.
Hours (HOUR31, HOUR42, HOUR53)
The hours variables refer to usual hours worked per
week at the current main job. Note that, in cases where the respondent estimated
hours worked per week at 35 hours or more, HOUR31, HOUR42, and HOUR53 were set
to ‘40.’
Temporary (TEMPJB31, TEMPJB42, TEMPJB53) and Seasonal
(SSNLJB31, SSNLJB42, SSNLJB53) Jobs
The temporary job variables (TEMPJB31, TEMPJB42,
TEMPJB53) indicate whether a newly reported current main job lasts for
only a limited amount of time or until the completion of a project.
The seasonal job variables (SSNLJB31, SSNLJB42,
SSNLJB53) indicate whether the newly reported current main job is only
available during certain times of the year. SSNLJB is “Yes” (1) if the job is
only available during certain times of the year; SSNLJB is “No” (2) if the job
is year round. Teachers and other school personnel who work only during the
school year are considered to work year round.
Both variables are set on current main jobs whether a
person is self-employed or not. These questions are asked only in the round the
job is newly reported. Consequently, in rounds following the initial report, a
code of “Determined In Previous Round” (-2), is used to indicate that the
information in the question was obtained in a previous round. This differs from
some previous files where both questions were asked in each round and -2 was not
an allowed value. Analysts using either of these variables over multiple years
of MEPS should refer to documentation for each year to assure consistency for
the variable.
Number of Employees (NUMEMP31, NUMEMP42, NUMEMP53
NUMEMP indicates the number of employees at the
location of the person’s current main job. Due to confidentiality concerns, this
variable has been top-coded at 500 or more employees. For respondents who do not
know the specific number of employees at the establishment, a categorical
question is offered as an alternative. In these cases, a numerical value for
NUMEMP is constructed using a median estimated size calculated from donors
within the reported categorical range. As always, median values may vary across
panels/rounds since calculations are panel/round specific. One noticeable
difference in 2021, however, was on medians calculated for NUMEMP31 in the
highest estimated range (101-500 employees). Where Panel 26 had a median
establishment size of 220, Panel 25 had a median establishment size of 200,
Panel 24 had a median establishment size of 300, and Panel 23 had a median
establishment size of 150. Otherwise, differences were generally less
pronounced.
CAPI does not accept an establishment size value of 0
to indicate the total number of employees working at a self-employed business.
Where a person is not self-employed at a job, an establishment size of 0
is allowed. NUMEMP is set to “Cannot be Computed” (-15) for these cases.
Other Employment Variables
Information about industry and occupation types for a
person’s current main job at the interview date is also contained in this
release. Based on verbatim text fields collected during the interview, numeric
industry and occupation codes are assigned by trained coders at the Census
Bureau. The coders used 2007 Census Industry and 2010 Census Occupation Coding
schemes, which were developed for the Bureau’s Current Population Survey and
American Community Survey. Users should note that coding schemes are comparable
for the FY 2010 through FY 2021 data files. Earlier versions of Census coding
schemes were used on files prior to FY 2010.
Current main jobs were initially coded at the 4-digit
level for both industry and occupation. Then, for confidentiality reasons, these
codes were condensed into broader groups for release on the file. INDCAT31,
INDCAT42, and INDCAT53 represent the condensed industry codes for a person’s
current main job at the interview date. OCCCAT31, OCCCAT42, and OCCCAT53
represent the condensed occupation codes for a person’s current main job at the
interview date.
This release incorporates crosswalks showing how the
detailed 2007 Census industry codes (Appendix 1) and 2010 Census occupation
codes (Appendix 2) were collapsed into the condensed codes on the file. The
schemes used in this file can be linked directly to the 2007 North American
Industry Code System (NAICS) and the 2010 Standard Occupation Code scheme (SOC)
by going to the
U.S. Census Bureau website where a
variety of additional crosswalks is also available.
Information indicating whether a person belonged to a
labor union (UNION31, UNION42, and UNION53) is also contained in this release.
The month and year that the current main job started
for Rounds 7, 8, and 9 of Panel 23; Rounds 5, 6, and 7 of Panel 24; Rounds 3, 4,
and 5 of Panel 25; and Rounds 1, 2, and 3 of Panel 26 are provided in this
release (STJBMM31, STJBYY31, STJBMM42, STJBYY42, STJBMM53, and STJBYY53).
In Full Year 2021, STJBYY31, STJBYY42, and STJBYY53 are bottom coded to a value
of ‘1951’ to preserve age confidentiality. This value is calculated by taking
the delivery year of 2021 and subtracting the age top code value of 85, then
adding back 15, the age of a person in the year before entering the work force
as defined in MEPS. Thus, the bottom code value will be different in each
delivery year. Because a current main job that continues into Panel 23 Round 7,
Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel 25 Round 3 may have been reported in a previous
delivery year, bottom code values vary for each panel. Therefore, the possible
STJBYY31 values are as follows:
- For Panel 23 Round 7 the values are 1948 - 2021 since the
job may have first been reported in 2018
- For Panel 24 Round 5 the values are 1949 - 2021 since the
job may have first been reported in 2019
- For Panel 25 Round 3 the values are 1950 - 2021 since the
job may have first been reported in 2020
- For Panel 26 Round 1 the values are 1951 - 2021.
There are two measures included in this release that
relate to a person’s work history over a lifetime. One indicates whether a
person ever retired from a job as of the Round 9 interview date for Panel 23
persons, or as of the Round 7 interview date for Panel 24 persons, or as of the
Round 5 interview date for Panel 25 persons, or as of the Round 3 interview date
for Panel 26 persons (EVRETIRE). The other indicates whether a person ever
worked for pay as of the Round 9 interview date for Panel 23 persons, as of the
Round 7 interview date for Panel 24 persons, as of the Round 5 interview date
for Panel 25 persons, or as of the Round 3 interview date for Panel 26 persons
(EVRWRK). The latter was asked of everyone who indicated that they were not
working as of the round interview date. Therefore, anyone who indicated current
employment or who had a job during any of the previous or current rounds was
skipped past the question identifying whether the person ever worked for pay.
These individuals were coded as “Inapplicable” (-1). All persons who ever
reported a job and were 55 years or older as of the round interview date were
asked if they “ever retired”. Since both of these variables are not round
specific, there are no “Determined in Previous Round” (-2) codes.
This release contains variables indicating the main
reason a person did not work since the start of the reference period (NWK31,
NWK42, and NWK53). If a person was not employed at all during the reference
period (at the interview date or at any time during the reference period) but
was employed some time prior to the reference period, the person was asked to
choose from a list the main reason they did not work during the reference
period.
The “Inapplicable” (-1) category for the NWK variables
includes:
- Persons who were employed during the reference period;
- Persons who were not employed during the reference period
and who were never employed;
- Persons who were out-of-scope the entire reference period
and;
- Persons who were less than 16 years old.
A measure of whether an individual had more than one
job on the round interview date (MORJOB31, MORJOB42, and MORJOB53) is provided
on this release. In addition to those under 16 and those individuals who were
out-of-scope, the “Inapplicable” (-1) category includes those who did not report
having a current main job. Because this is not a job-specific variable, there
are no “Determined in Previous Rounds” (-2) codes.
This release contains a variable indicating if a
current main job changed between the seventh and eighth rounds for Panel 23
persons, between the fifth and sixth rounds for Panel 24 persons, between the
third and fourth rounds for Panel 25 persons, or between the first and second
rounds for Panel 26 persons (CHGJ3142). It also contains a variable indicating
if a current main job changed between the eighth and ninth rounds for Panel 23
persons, between the sixth and seventh rounds for Panel 24 persons, between the
fourth and fifth rounds for Panel 25 persons, or between the second and third
rounds for Panel 26 persons (CHGJ4253). In addition to the “Inapplicable” (-1),
“Refused” (-7), “Don’t Know” (-8), and “Cannot be Computed” (-15) categories,
the change job variables were coded to represent the following:
- 1 person left previous round current main job and now
has a new current main job;
- 2 person still working at the previous round’s current
main job but, as of the new round, no longer considers this job to be the
current main job and defines a new current main job (previous round’s current
main job is now a current miscellaneous job);
- 3 person left previous round’s current main job and
does not have a new job;
- 4 person did not change current main job.
Finally, this release contains the reason given by the
respondent for the job change (YCHJ3142 and YCHJ4253). The reasons for a job
change were listed in the CAPI questionnaire and a respondent was asked to
choose the main reason from this list. Beginning Panel 23 Round 9, Panel 24
Round 7, Panel 25 Round 5, and Panel 26 Round 3, in addition to those
out-of-scope, those under 16, those not having a current main job, and workers
who did not change jobs, the “Inapplicable” (-1) category for YCHJ3142 and
YCHJ4253 now also includes workers who continue to work at the main job but no
longer consider it their main job (CHGJrrrr = Changed CMJ/Previous CMJ is Now
Current Miscellaneous job” (2)). These persons did not leave the job and
therefore were not asked why they left a job. Prior to this change, these
persons were set to “Cannot be Computed” (-15).
Employment Variables Imputed for Missing Values
(EMPST31H - RTPLN53H)
To further assist analysts, a series of fully-imputed
employment variables is available on the Full Year Consolidated Data File (FY
PUF). For the years 2000 to 2013 these variables can be found on MEPS HC-131
(MEPS Employment Variables 2000-2013). For the years 2014 and beyond, these
variables can be found in the FY PUF for each data year. The fully-imputed
variables in this file are developed from the constructed Employment variables
in the 2021 FY PUF.
Observations for these employment variables with
values of “Refused” (-7), “Don’t Know” (-8), or “Cannot be Computed” (-15) were
imputed using weighted sequential hot-decking. The imputations were performed
separately for each MEPS HC panel across the nine survey rounds of the MEPS.
First, all missing values of a given variable were imputed for Round 1. If a
person remained in the same job in Round 2, and the MEPS questionnaire did not
ask for updated job information (i.e., if the variable on the FY PUF was coded
as -2), then the value for that variable was pulled forward from Round 1 to
Round 2 (including values that had been imputed in Round 1). After pulling
values forward from Round 1, any remaining missing values were imputed for Round
2. This process was repeated for Rounds 3-9. For Panel 26, the imputed
employment variables use constructed employment variables from Round 1, 2 and 3
data on this file.
However, in order to impute employment variables for Panel 23, Panel 24, and Panel 25, data from the current and prior delivery years are required as follows:
|
MEPS HC-209 2018 |
MEPS HC-216 2019 |
MEPS HC-224 2020 |
MEPS HC-233 2021 |
Panel 23 |
Round 1 - Round 2 |
Round 3 - Round 4 |
Round 5 - Round 6 |
Round 7 - Round 9 |
Panel 24 |
|
Round 1 - Round 2 |
Round 3 - Round 4 |
Round 5 - Round 6 |
Panel 25 |
|
|
Round 1 - Round 2 |
Round 3 - Round 5 |
Panel 26 |
|
|
|
Round 1 - Round 3 |
For Panel 23 Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel 25
Round 3 that cross the calendar year from 2020 to 2021, the most up-to-date
version of data in the round are used. While MEPS HC-224 also has Round 3
information for Panel 25, Round 5 information for Panel 24, and Round 7
information for Panel 23, the 2021 PUF has the most up-to-date version of Round
3-Round 5-Round 7 information. These data are the most consistent with
subsequent rounds in 2021.
Users who wish to combine data on all rounds for an
individual can obtain prior round data from the MEPS HC files noted in the table
above.
Following imputation, no values of -2, -7, -8, or -15
remain on any variable. Due to skip patterns, the majority of -1s (question was
not asked due to skip pattern) remain. For reasons of confidentiality, values of
-10 (hourly wage was top-coded at $105.77) also remain and employer size (number
of employees in establishment) is top-coded at 500.
Variable Naming
The names of the imputed variables are similar to the
names of the corresponding constructed variables in this file. An ‘H’ suffix is
added and the resulting name is shortened to 8 characters when necessary (e.g.,
the imputed version of SELFCM31 is SLFCM31H). The variables CMJHLD31/42/53
differ from this naming convention because they are not imputed (they contain no
missing values) but were constructed using information from the Person Round
Plan (PRPL) File (MEPS HC-232). CMJHLD31/42/53 may be compared with the
constructed Employment variables HELD31X/42X/53X. Both of these sets of
variables provide information on the insurance coverage individuals obtain
through their current main jobs. However, these variables may differ since they
are constructed from two different data files and because the CMJHLD31/42/53
variables capture information on some additional sources of employment-related
insurance that were identified in the insurance section of the instrument while
the HELD31X/42X/53X variables only contain information on sources of coverage
identified in the employment section. In addition, for rounds that cross the
calendar year from 2020 to 2021 (Panel 23 Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel
25 Round 3) the values of CMJHLD31 reflect coverage in the 2021 PRPL file as
well as in the 2020 PRPL file. Note that the variables CMJHLD31/42/53 are
included on this file because they were used to perform logical edits on the
OFFER31H/42H/53H and OFEMP31H/42H/53H variables (edits are described below). The
CMJHLD31H/42H/53H variables were used to edit the OFFER31H/42H/53H and
OFEMP31H/42H/53H variables (rather than the HELD31X/42X/53X variables) because
they were more consistent with the other health insurance variables on the FY
PUF for each year.
The following table provides the name of the
constructed Employment variables that correspond with each imputed Employment
variable.
Employment Variable Crosswalk
Imputed |
Constructed |
EMPST31H |
EMPST31 |
EMPST42H |
EMPST42 |
EMPST53H |
EMPST53 |
SLFCM31H |
SELFCM31 |
SLFCM42H |
SELFCM42 |
SLFCM53H |
SELFCM53 |
NMEMP31H |
NUMEMP31 |
NMEMP42H |
NUMEMP42 |
NMEMP53H |
NUMEMP53 |
MORE31H |
MORE31 |
MORE42H |
MORE42 |
MORE53H |
MORE53 |
INDCT31H |
INDCAT31 |
INDCT42H |
INDCAT42 |
INDCT53H |
INDCAT53 |
OCCCT31H |
OCCCAT31 |
OCCCT42H |
OCCCAT42 |
OCCCT53H |
OCCCAT53 |
HOUR31H |
HOUR31 |
HOUR42H |
HOUR42 |
HOUR53H |
HOUR53 |
JBORG31H |
JOBORG31 |
JBORG42H |
JOBORG42 |
JBORG53H |
JOBORG53 |
UNION31H |
UNION31 |
UNION42H |
UNION42 |
UNION53H |
UNION53 |
BSNTY31H |
BSNTY31 |
BSNTY42H |
BSNTY42 |
BSNTY53H |
BSNTY53 |
HRWG31H |
HRWG31X |
HRWG42H |
HRWG42X |
HRWG53H |
HRWG53X |
CMJHLD31* |
HELD31X |
CMJHLD42* |
HELD42X |
CMJHLD53* |
HELD53X |
OFFER31H |
OFFER31X |
OFFER42H |
OFFER42X |
OFFER53H |
OFFER53X |
OFEMP31H |
OFREMP31 |
OFEMP42H |
OFREMP42 |
OFEMP53H |
OFREMP53 |
PYVAC31H |
PAYVAC31 |
PYVAC42H |
PAYVAC42 |
PYVAC53H |
PAYVAC53 |
SCPAY31H |
SICPAY31 |
SCPAY42H |
SICPAY42 |
SCPAY53H |
SICPAY53 |
PAYDR31H |
PAYDR31 |
PAYDR42H |
PAYDR42 |
PAYDR53H |
PAYDR53 |
RTPLN31H |
RETPLN31 |
RTPLN42H |
RETPLN42 |
RTPLN53H |
RETPLN53 |
* Both CMJHLD and HELDX reflect the insurance status
at a current main job but are constructed from different sources of data. See
the text for a description of possible differences in these variables. CMJHLD is
not an imputed version of HELDX.
Imputation Strategy
The first variables to be imputed were the employment
status variables (EMPST31H/42H/53H) which identify all persons (EMPST31H/42H/53H
= 1 or 2) who should have valid information related to their current main job.
EMPST31H/42H/53H are created from EMPST31/42/53. The
EMPST31/42/53 variables have separate response categories for individuals who
were “employed during the reference period” and those who were “not employed
with no job to return to”. In the imputed variables EMPST31H/42H/53H these
responses are collapsed into a single category for analytic purposes.
The resulting three responses are mutually exclusive as follows:
Value |
Label |
-1 |
INAPPLICABLE |
1 |
EMPLOYED AT RD#/# INT DATE |
2 |
JOB TO RETURN TO AT RD
#/# INT DATE |
34 |
NOT EMPL AT INT
DATE/NOT EMPL DUR RD #/# |
Respondents with EMPST31H/42H/53H equal to 1 or 2 go
through the imputation process. Respondents with EMPST31H/42H/53H equal to -1 or
34 have values of -1 for all remaining imputed employment variables.
The next set of variables to be imputed were the
self-employment/wage-earner variables (SLFCM31H/42H/53H) which determine skip
patterns for the remaining variables (e.g., self-employed persons are not asked
about wages).
Many of the remaining variables were imputed
separately for wage-earners and the self-employed for the following reasons: 1)
self-employed and wage-earners were asked different sets of questions about
their current main jobs; 2) even when variables were asked for both groups, the
quality of the imputations was improved by specifying separate sets of class
variables tailored to the wage-earner and self-employed populations.
The weighted sequential hot decking process requires
class variables to impute missing values. These class variables were identified
with regression models in order to identify the predictive quality of a set of
variables for each variable to be imputed. The set of possible class variables
includes age, gender, region, educational attainment, industry and occupation
code. The same set of variables has been consistently used to impute a given
variable across panels.
As mentioned above, self-employed and wage-earners
were asked different sets of questions about their current main job. These
variables can be categorized into the following sets:
Variables with Valid Data for Wage-Earners but Not for
Self-Employed Individuals
- Hourly wage (HRWG31H, HRWG42H, HRWG53H)
- Paid sick leave (SCPAY31H, SCPAY42H, SCPAY53H)
- Paid leave to visit a doctor (PAYDR31H, PAYDR42H, PAYDR53H)
- Paid vacation (PYVAC31H, PYVAC42H, PYVAC53H)
- Pension plan (RTPLN31H, RTPLN42H, RTPLN53H),
- Business has more than one location (MORE31H, MORE42H,
MORE53H)
- Sector: private-foreign govt/federal government/state-local
government (JBORG31H, JBORG42H, JBORG53H)
Variables with Valid Data for Self-Employed
Individuals but Not for Wage-Earners
- Business was incorporated, a proprietorship, or a
partnership (BSNTY31H, BSNTY42H, and BSNTY53H)
Variables with Valid Data for All Workers
- Usual hours worked per week (HOUR31H, HOUR42H, HOUR53H)
- Number of employees (NMEMP31H, NMEMP42H, NMEMP53H)
- Establishment size for wage-earners
- Business size for self-employed
- Union status (UNION31H, UNION42H, UNION53H)
- Industry category (INDCT31H, INDCT42H, INDCT53H)
- Occupation category (OCCCT31H, OCCCT42H, OCCCT53H)
Variables with Valid Data for All Workers Except for
Self-Employed Individuals with No Employees (i.e., persons for whom
SLFCM31H/42H/53H = 1 and NMEMP31H/42H/53H = 1 within each round)
- Insurance coverage from current main job (CMJHLD31,
CMJHLD42, CMJHLD53)
- Eligible for insurance offered at current main job
(OFFER31H, OFFER42H, OFFER53H)
- Insurance offered to anyone at current main job (OFEMP31H,
OFEMP42H, OFEMP53H)
In situations where SLFCM31/42/53 is imputed to “Self
employed at the current main job” because SELFCM31/42/53 is set to “Refused”
(-7) or “Don’t Know” (-8), imputed job characteristic and wage variables are set
to “Inapplicable” (-1). Corresponding unimputed variables, however, will contain
job characteristic and wage information. This is because persons who indicate
“Refused” (-7) or “Don’t Know” (-8) during the interview when asked if the
jobholder is self-employed at the current main job follow skip patterns for
persons who are not self-employed. Job characteristic and wage information is
collected.
Additional Detail on Specific Variables
Hourly Wage (HRWG31H, HRWG42H, HRWG53H)
Valid data for imputed hourly wages is available for
all wage-earners (SLFCM31H/42H/53H equal to 2). The values for the imputed
hourly wage variables (HRWG31H/42H/53H) reflect the most up-to-date version of
hourly wages for the wage-earner in each round. By contrast, the constructed
hourly wage variables (HRWG31X/42X/53X) identify the wage reported in the round
a current main job is first reported. Information on any wage changes after that
round are contained in the variables DIFFWG31/42/53 and NHRWG31/42/53. These
variables, as well as HRWG31X/42X/53X are used in the construction of the
imputed hourly wage variables.
For reasons of confidentiality, the hourly wage
variables are top-coded. Like the constructed hourly wage variables, imputed
hourly wages greater than or equal to $105.77 are top-coded to a value of -10.
Union Membership (UNION31H/42H/53H)
In addition to using weighted sequential hot-decking
techniques, individuals who were identified as being employed by the military
had their union membership status logically edited to “Inapplicable” (-1).
Health Insurance (CMJHLD31, CMJHLD42, CMJHLD53,
OFFER31H, OFFER42H, OFFER53H, OFEMP31H, OFEMP42H, OFEMP53H)
This file includes several employment-related health
insurance variables, CMJHLD31/42/53, OFFER31H/42H/53H, and OFEMP31H/42H/53H.
These variables are valid for wage-earners (SLFCM31H/42H/53H = 2) and
self-employed individuals with employees (SLFCM31H/42H/53H = 1 and
NMEMP31H/42H/53H > 1).
The variables CMJHLD31/42/53 are constructed from the
Person-Round-Plan (PRPL) public use file and indicate whether the person held
insurance coverage from his/her current main job at some point during the round.
This is primarily defined using the PRPL public use file variable CMJINS which
identifies insurance obtained through a current main job, and STAT1-12, which
indicates whether the coverage is in effect during the month in the delivery
year. Since Panel 23 Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel 25 Round 3 cross two
calendar years, CMJHLD31 indicates if the person held coverage during the
portion of Round 7, Round 5, or Round 3 in either the 2020 or 2021 PRPL public
use file for the individual.
The variables OFFER31H/42H/53H indicate whether the
person was offered (was eligible for) insurance at their current main job at
some point during the round. For records that had a value of “Cannot be
Computed” (-15), valid reported values for OFFER31H/42H/53H were brought forward
from a previous round (including imputed values from that round) if the person
did not change jobs before any further imputations were performed.
The variables OFEMP31H/42H/53H indicate whether an
employer offered health insurance to any employees in the establishment and rely
on OFFER31H/42H/53H during their construction.
OFFER31H/42H/53H and the related variable
OFEMP31H/42H/53H were logically edited as follows. If a person indicates that
they held insurance from their current main job (CMJHLD31/42/53 = 1) then
OFFER31H/42H/53H was set equal to 1. For rounds that cross the calendar year
from 2020 to 2021 (Panel 23 Round 7, Panel 24 Round 5, Panel 25 Round 3),
OFFER31H/53H was set to “Yes” (1) if the person held coverage at any point in
the round in either the first or second calendar year of the round. If a person
indicated that they held insurance (CMJHLD31/42/53 = 1) or were offered
insurance (OFFER31H/42H/53H = 1) at their current main job, then
OFEMP31H/42H/53H, the variable indicating that the employer offered insurance to
at least one employee, was set equal to “Yes” (1).
Number of Employees (NMEMP31H, NMEMP42H, NMEMP53H)
Like the corresponding constructed NUMEMP31/42/53,
NMEMP31H/42H/53H indicate the number of employees at the location of the
person’s current main job. Due to confidentiality concerns, this variable has
been top-coded at 500. Missing value imputation is done using weighted
sequential hot-decking techniques. Note that the definition of NMEMP31H/42H/53H,
like that for NUMPEMP31/42/53, differs for wage-earners and self-employed
individuals. For wage-earners, it represents the size of the worker’s
establishment. For self-employed individuals, it represents the size of the
self-employed individual’s entire business.
Return To Table Of Contents
Throughout Section 2.5.10 references to yy represent
the year, 21, references to mm indicate the month (JA through DE), and
references to rr indicate a combination of rounds (31/42/53, where the first r
denotes the interview round for Panel 25 and the second r denotes the round for
Panel 26) or the end of the calendar year (21). For the two extended panels -
Panel 23 and Panel 24 - the “31” variables contain data from Round 7 (Panel 23)
or Round 5 (Panel 24), the “42” variables contain data from Round 8 (Panel 23)
or Round 6 (Panel 24), and the “53” variables contain data from Round 9 (Panel
23) or Round 7 (Panel 24).
Beginning Panel 22 Round 3/Panel 23 Round 1, design
changes to the health insurance section may impact trend analyses. Analysts
should note that a series of questions were added to the HX section of the
questionnaire to confirm whether a person who did not initially report any
comprehensive coverage during a round has insurance. Starting at HX210,
questions were presented to respondents who at that point in the instrument had
not yet reported any sources of health insurance coverage, or only reported a
source of health insurance without hospital and physician benefits, to determine
whether they had coverage that included hospital and physician benefits. If the
respondent answered affirmatively at HX210, subsequent questions identified the
specific type of coverage (e.g. Medicaid, Private, etc.). This may cause
analysts to see changes to the insurance variables-particularly, changes to the
monthly health insurance coverage indicators: PUBmmyyX, PRImmyyX, INSmmyyX; and
the summary health insurance coverage indicators: UNINSyy, INSCOVyy, INSURCyy,
PUBrrX, PUBATrrX, PRIVrr, PRIVATrr, INSrrX, and INSATrrX.
Other changes were made in FY 2018 to the health
insurance questions that may affect the continuity of estimates. These changes
include modifications to the Medicaid/SCHIP, and TRICARE/CHAMPVA questions to
ask if each person in the household is covered using the person’s name in the
question text (e.g. “Was Person 1 covered?” “What about Person 2?” etc.).
Additionally, in Rounds 2 and 3, respondents are now required to answer “Yes” or
“No” for each person individually when reviewing coverage from a previous round
for these insurance sources. Changes to the Medicare Round 1 series were also
made to probe separately for persons in the RU who were 65 years of age or older
versus RU members who were under 65 years of age. Similar to the Medicaid and
TRICARE series, Medicare coverage questions were asked for each RU member who
was at least 65 years old.
The aforementioned changes to the administration of
the insurance section may also be evident in the Managed Care Variables
(TRISTyyX-PRVHMOyy) because more respondents are now more likely to be asked
about managed care.
Respondents were allowed to simultaneously report
Medicaid and other public hospital/physician coverage. Analysts should be aware
that they might see changes in coverage trends in the constructed variables
relating to Medicaid, edited Medicaid, or Other Public coverage as well as
respondents reporting both after FY 2018.
The variables VERFLG31, VERFLG42, and VERFLGyy
indicate the round in which comprehensive health insurance coverage was first
reported through the verification series of questions collected in the loop that
starts at HX210 (HXLoop_40). These values will be carried through to subsequent
rounds (e.g., from VERFLG31 to VERFLG42) if the coverage initially added through
the verification loop continues, and no other comprehensive source of coverage
is reported for that person outside of the verification loop. If previously
reported coverage through the verification series ends and, in a future round,
new comprehensive coverage is reported through the verification loop, then the
VERFLG31/42/yy variable will reflect the corresponding round of the newly
reported coverage. The VERFLG variables were set to ‘95’ to indicate that: 1)
coverage was reported outside verification; 2) the person did not have coverage;
or 3) the person would have been assigned edited coverage even though they may
have reported coverage in the verification loop. As an example of the latter, a
person who is age 65 or older and reports Medicare coverage through verification
but also reports receipt of social security would have MCAREX set to ‘1’ because
of the report of social security so the report of coverage in the verification
module would not have changed their coverage status in the MEPS. In FY 2019, the
construction of the VERFLG variables was modified such that all persons ages 65
and older who gained edited Medicare through the Medicare coverage of their
spouse also have a value of 95 in the verification variables, provided that the
coverage of the spouse was added outside of the verification series.
Persons who report coverage under Indian Health
Service (IHS) are identified in the constructed variables IHSrr, IHSATrr, and
IHSmmyy. Persons reporting only IHS coverage are not considered covered for the
summary insurance measures PUBmmyyX, PUByyX, INSmmyyX, INSCOVyy, and INSURCyy.
Persons who report coverage under Veteran’s Administration (VA) can be
identified in this file in the constructed variables VAPROGrr, VAPRATrr, VAEVyy,
as well as the monthly variables VAPRmmyy.
Monthly Health Insurance Indicators (TRIJAyyX-INSDEyyX)
Constructed and edited variables are provided that
indicate any coverage in each month of 2021 for the sources of health insurance
coverage collected during the MEPS interviews (Panel 23 Rounds 7 through 9,
Panel 24 Rounds 5 through 7, Panel 25 Rounds 3 through 5, and Panel 26 Rounds 1
through 3). One edit to the private insurance variables corrects for a problem
concerning covered benefits that occurred when respondents reported a change in
any of their private health insurance plan names. Additional edits address
issues of missing data on the time period of coverage for both public and
private coverage that was either reviewed or initially reported in a given
round. Other edits, described below, were performed on the Medicare and Medicaid
or State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) variables to assign persons
to coverage from these sources. Observations that contain edits assigning
persons to Medicare or Medicaid/SCHIP coverage can be identified by comparing
the edited and unedited versions of the Medicare and Medicaid/SCHIP variables.
Starting October 1, 2001, persons 65 years and older have been able to retain
TRICARE coverage in addition to Medicare. Therefore, unlike in earlier MEPS
public use files, persons 65 years and older do not have their reported TRICARE
coverage (TRIJAyyX - TRIDEyyX) overturned. TRICARE acts as a supplemental
insurance for Medicare, similar to Medigap insurance.
Public sources include Medicare, TRICARE/CHAMPVA,
Medicaid, SCHIP, and other public hospital/physician coverage. IHS is not
included as a public source of coverage.
Medicare
Medicare (MCRJAyy - MCRDEyy) coverage was edited (MCRJAyyX
- MCRDEyyX) for persons age 65 or over. Within this age group, individuals were
assigned Medicare coverage if:
- They answered “Yes” to a follow-up question on whether they
received Social Security benefits; or
- They were covered by Medicaid/SCHIP, other public
hospital/physician coverage or Medigap coverage; or
- Their spouse was age 65 or over and covered by Medicare; or
- They reported TRICARE coverage.
Note that age (AGErrX) is checked for edited Medicare,
however date of birth is not considered. Edited Medicare is somewhat imprecise
with regard to a person’s 65th birthday.
Medicaid/SCHIP and Other Public Hospital/Physician
Coverage
Questions about other public hospital/physician
coverage were asked in an attempt to identify Medicaid or SCHIP recipients who
may not have recognized their coverage as such. Beginning Panel 22 Round 3/Panel
23 Round 1, these questions were asked even if a respondent reported Medicaid or
SCHIP directly. (Previously, other public hospital/physician coverage was only
asked for respondents who did not report Medicaid or SCHIP.) Respondents
reporting other public hospital/physician coverage were asked follow-up
questions to determine if the coverage was through a specific Medicaid HMO or if
it included some other managed care characteristics. Respondents who identified
managed care from either source were asked if the recipient paid anything for
the coverage and/or if a government source paid for the coverage.
The Medicaid/SCHIP variables (MCDJAyy - MCDDEyy) have
been edited (MCDJAyyX - MCDDEyyX) to include persons who paid nothing for their
other public hospital/physician insurance when such coverage was through a
Medicaid HMO or reported to include some other managed care characteristics.
To assist users in further editing sources of
insurance, this file contains variables constructed from the other public
hospital/physician series that indicate:
- Respondents who reported coverage through other public
hospital/physician insurance (GVAJAyy - GVADEyy);
- Respondents who reported coverage through other public
hospital/physician insurance and the source was identified as an
HMO or the source of coverage required the covered person to
sign up with a doctor or clinic (GVBJAyy - GVBDEyy);
- Respondents who reported coverage through other public
hospital/physician insurance and the person pays a monthly
premium for this coverage (GVCJAyy - GVCDEyy)
The variables GVAJAyy - GVADEyy, GVBJAyy - GVBDEyy,
and GVCJAyy - GVCDEyy are provided only to assist in editing and should not be
used to make separate insurance estimates for these types of insurance
categories.
Any Public Insurance in Month
The file also includes summary measures that indicate
whether or not a sample person has any public insurance in a month (PUBJAyyX -
PUBDEyyX). Persons identified as covered by public insurance are those reporting
coverage under TRICARE, Medicare, Medicaid or SCHIP, other public
hospital/physician programs, or Veteran’s Administration (VA). IHS is not
included as a public source of coverage. Note that further edits may be made to
the public insurance variables in later MEPS data releases to address cases
where private coverage through a federally-facilitated, state-based or state
partnership exchange/marketplace may have been originally reported as public
insurance. These potential edits could affect the variables MCAIDyyX, GOVTAyy,
GOVTByy, GOVTCyy, and PUByyX.
Private Insurance
Variables identifying private insurance in general (PRIJAyy
- PRIDEyy) and specific private insurance sources [such as employer/union group
insurance (PEGJAyy - PEGDEyy); non-group (PNGJAyy - PNGDEyy); other group (POGJAyy
- POGDEyy)]; and private insurance through a federally-facilitated, state-based
or state partnership exchange/marketplace (PRXJAyy - PRXDEyy) were constructed.
Private insurance sources identify coverage in effect at any time during each
month of 2021. Separate variables beginning with the letter “H” identify
policyholders (e.g., HPEJAyy - HPEDEyy). Both types of variables indicate
coverage or policyholder status for a particular source and do not identify
persons who may have more than one policy of a given source where they are just
covered or are also a policyholder (for example, someone who is a policyholder
for one employer/union group plan and also a dependent on another employer/union
group plan held by his/her spouse). In some cases, the policyholder was unable
to characterize the source of insurance (PDKJAyy - PDKDEyy).
Prior to FY 2018, persons covered under policyholders
living outside the RU were identified in POUJAyy - POUDEyy and PROUTrr.
Beginning FY 2018, the constructed variables PRIEUOrr and PRINEOrr are included.
PRIEUOrr indicates coverage from a policyholder living outside the RU where the
source is through an employer, and PRINEOrr indicates coverage from a
policyholder living outside the RU where the source is not through an employer.
These variables are based on responses to a follow-up question for respondents
who indicate coverage from a policyholder outside the household. The question
HP130 asks “Is the {INSURANCE SOURCE NAME} health coverage {POLICYHOLDER} has
through an employer or previous employer?” If the respondent’s answer to HP130
was unknown, the person’s coverage is now included in PRIDKrr.
An individual was considered to have private health
insurance coverage if, at a minimum, that coverage provided benefits for
hospital and physician services (including Medicare supplemental coverage).
Note, however, that persons covered by private insurance through an
exchange/marketplace (PRSTXrr and PRXJAyy - PRXDEyy) were considered to have
private health coverage if that coverage provided hospital/physician services,
but excluded coverage that was explicitly identified as Medicare supplemental
coverage (HX620/OE130=5). If a person reported Medicare supplemental coverage
through the exchange/marketplace, then the source of the insurance purchased was
edited to reflect coverage “from a professional association” (HP40=1) or
coverage “from a group or association” (HX200/HX300=1). Further descriptions of
the exchange variables are detailed below. Sources of insurance with missing
information regarding the type of coverage were assumed to contain
hospital/physician coverage. Persons who reported private insurance that did not
provide hospital/physician insurance were not counted as privately insured.
Coverage indicated by these variables may be from any type of job whereas the
employment section insurance variables delivered on this file reflect only
coverage through a current main job.
Health insurance through a job or union (PEGJAyy -
PEGDEyy) was initially asked about in the Employment Section of the interview
and later confirmed in the Health Insurance Section.
Insurance that was reported in the employment section
through a job classified as self-employed with firm size of 1 is included in the
other private insurance variables: PEGJAyy - PEGDEyy; PNGJAyy - PNGDEyy; POGJAyy
- POGDEyy; PDKJAyy-PDKDEyy; HPEJAyy-HPEDEyy; HPNJAyy-HPNDEyy; HPOJAyy-HPODEyy;
HPDJAyy-HPDDEyy; and PRIEUrr, PRINGrr, PRIOGrr, and PRIDKrr based on responses
at HP40.
Private insurance that was not employment-related (POGJAyy
- POGDEyy, PNGJAyy - PNGDEyy, PDKJAyy - PDKDEyy, PNEJAyy - PNEDEyy, and PRXJAyy
- PRXDEyy) was reported in the Health Insurance section only.
Beginning in Panel 14 Round 5/Panel 15 Round 3, “High
Risk Pool” was added to the list of categories (HX03 =10 and HX23 =13).
Beginning FY 2010, High Risk Pool was included in all Other Group insurance
categories. Beginning in Panel 22 Round 3/Panel 23 Round 1, the response
category “High Risk Pool” was removed from HP40, HX200, and HX300.
“Federal/State Exchange” is included in the list of
private insurance categories (HP40=8 and HX200/HX300 =11). Information on
federal/state exchanges is also collected at question HP50 (“Is this coverage
through {state exchange name}?”) for respondents reporting insurance from a
group, directly from an insurance company or HMO, from an insurance agent or
from an “other” unspecified source and at OE40 in Rounds 3, 5, and 7 only (“Is
this coverage through {state exchange name}?”) for respondents who previously
reported private insurance coverage from an insurance company or HMO, or from an
insurance agent that was not through an exchange/marketplace. Note that the
state-specific name for the exchange/marketplace was used when asking these
questions and was also used on the list of private insurance categories at HP40,
HX200, and HX300. The variables PRSTXrr have been constructed to include persons
less than 65 years old who report private insurance through a
federally-facilitated, state-based or state partnership exchange/marketplace at
HP40, HX200, or HX300, or persons 65 years old or older who report private
insurance through a federally-facilitated, state-based or state partnership
exchange/marketplace at HP40, HX200, or HX300 and who were not covered by
Medicare. In addition, persons who reported a source of insurance at HX200 or
HX300 that was not through an exchange/marketplace (e.g., through a group or
directly from an insurance company) but who answered yes to HP50 or OE40 were
also classified as having exchange/marketplace coverage instead of being
assigned to the category they originally reported. In addition to reporting
coverage through an exchange/marketplace, coverage needed to have been
identified as hospital/physician coverage at HX620/OE130 (=1 or missing ( -7,
-8)), but not identified as having Medicare supplemental coverage
(HX620/OE130=5). The variables PRSTXrr contain information on private coverage
that was reported as obtained through a federally-facilitated, state-based or
state partnership marketplace. Consistent with the approach used in the Current
Population Survey and the National Health Interview Survey, MEPS respondents
reporting public coverage were asked whether the public coverage was obtained
through a federal or state marketplace in case respondents were confused about
whether the source of coverage was public or private. Responses to these
questions were not used to edit the PRSTXrr variables.
Any Insurance in Month
The file also includes summary measures that indicate
whether or not a person has any insurance in a month (INSJAyyX - INSDEyyX).
Persons identified as insured are those reporting coverage under TRICARE,
Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, other public hospital/physician or private
hospital/physician insurance (including Medigap plans), or Veteran’s
Administration (VA). A person is considered uninsured if not covered by one of
these insurance sources. IHS is not included as a source of coverage.
Summary Insurance Coverage Indicators
(PRVEVyy-INSURCyy)
The variables PRVEVyy-UNINSyy summarize health
insurance coverage for the person in 2021 for the following types of insurance:
private (PRVEVyy); TRICARE/CHAMPVA (TRIEVyy); Medicaid or SCHIP (MCDEVyy);
Medicare (MCREVyy); other public coverage (GVAEVyy); other public coverage that
is an HMO (GVBEVyy); other public coverage where a premium is paid (GVCEVyy).
Each variable was constructed based on the values of the corresponding 12
month-by-month health insurance variables described above. For persons not in
scope for the full year, these summary variables are based on the period of
eligibility. If the person was not in scope for all 12 months throughout
the year, the values are based on the months the person was eligible. A value of
1 indicates that the person was covered for at least one day of at least one
month during 2021. A value of 2 indicates that the person was not covered for a
given type of insurance for all of 2021. The variable UNINSyy summarizes
PRVEVyy-GVAEVyy. Where PRVEVyy-GVAEVyy are all equal to 2, then UNINSyy equals
1, person was uninsured for all of 2021. Otherwise, UNINSyy is set to 2, insured
for all or part of 2021.
For user convenience, this file contains a constructed
variable INSCOVyy that summarizes health insurance coverage for the person in
2021, with the following three values:
- 1 = ANY PRIVATE (Person had any private insurance
coverage [including TRICARE/CHAMPVA] any time during 2021)
- 2 = PUBLIC ONLY (Person had only public insurance
coverage [excluding TRICARE/CHAMPVA] during 2021)
- 3 = UNINSURED (Person was uninsured during all of
2021)
INSURCyy summarizes health insurance coverage for the
person in 2021 using eight categories of insurance separated by age using the
person’s age on December 31st, 2021:
- 1 = ANY PRIVATE (0-64) (Person is between 0 and 64
years old and is covered by private insurance or TRICARE/CHAMPVA in 2021)
- 2 = PUBLIC ONLY (0-64) (Person is between 0 and 64
years old and is covered by public insurance only (excluding TRICARE/CHAMPVA) in
2021)
- 3 = UNINSURED (0-64) (Person is between 0 and 64 years
old and is uninsured for all of 2021)
- 4 = EDITED MEDICARE ONLY (65+) (Person is 65 years old
or more and is covered by edited Medicare only in 2021)
- 5 = EDITED MEDICARE & PRIV (65+) (Person is 65 years
old or more and is covered by edited Medicare and private insurance or
TRICARE/CHAMPVA in 2021)
- 6 = EDITED MEDICARE & OTH PUB ONLY (65+) (Person is 65
years old or more and is covered by edited Medicare and public insurance
including edited Medicaid/SCHIP or other public coverage but excluding
TRICARE/CHAMPVA in 2021)
- 7 = UNINSURED (65+) (Person is 65 years old or more
and is uninsured for all of 2021)
- 8 = NO MEDICARE BUT ANY PUBLIC/PRIVATE (65+) (Person
is 65 years old or more and is not covered by Medicare but is covered by private
insurance, Medicaid, TRICARE/CHAMPVA, Veteran’s Administration, or other public
coverage in 2021)
Please note, beginning in 2012, Category 7 was revised
to categorize persons who are 65 years or older and uninsured, and Category 8
was added to include persons 65 years or older who do not have Medicare, but are
covered by public or private insurance.
Please note that IHS is not included as a source of
coverage for either INSCOVyy or INSURCyy.
Please note that both INSCOVyy and INSURCyy categorize
TRICARE as private coverage. All other health insurance indicators included in
this data release categorize TRICARE as public coverage. If an analyst wishes to
consider TRICARE public coverage, the variable can easily be reconstructed using
the PRVEVyy and TRIEVyy variables. Also note that these categories are mutually
exclusive, with preference given to private insurance and TRICARE. Persons with
both private insurance/TRICARE and public insurance will be coded as “1” for
INSCOVyy and INSURCyy.
Users wishing to compare INSCOVyy and INSURCyy across
years should note at least two changes beginning in 2018 that may affect the
continuity of estimates: 1) increased reports of coverage due to the inclusion
of the coverage verification series; and 2) the inclusion of Veteran’s
Administration coverage as a public coverage source.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAGT31-PFSAMT31)
Respondents in Rounds 1, 3, 5, and 7 were asked if any
RU members set aside pre-tax dollars of their own money to pay for out-of-pocket
health care expenses. If an RU has a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), then
FSAGT31 was set to 1 (Yes), and two follow-up questions were asked - HASFSA31
and PFSAMT31. HASFSA31 was set for each RU member to indicate which RU member
has an FSA. The constructed variable PFSAMT31 indicates the total amount the
individual RU member contributed to their FSA. If no RU member has an FSA, then
both HASFSA31 and PFSAMT31 are set to -1 (Inapplicable).
Unedited Health Insurance Variables
(PREVCOVR-MORECOVR
Duration of Uninsurance
If a person was identified as being without insurance
as of January 1st in the MEPS Round 1 interview, a series of
follow-up questions was asked to determine the duration of uninsurance prior to
the start of the MEPS survey. Persons who were insured as of January 1st,
and persons with a date of birth on or after December 31, 2021 or whose age
category was less than 1 year old were skipped past this loop of questions.
These questions are asked in Round 1 only.
PREVCOVR indicates if the person was covered by
insurance in the two years prior to the MEPS Round 1 interview. For persons who
reported only non-comprehensive coverage as of January 1st, a question was asked
to determine if they had been covered by more comprehensive coverage that paid
for medical and doctors’ bills in the previous two years (MORECOVR). Beginning
Panel 23 Round 1, the follow-up questions to PREVCOVR and MORECOVR that
collected information on the most recent month and year of coverage (COVRMM,
COVRYY, INSENDMM, INSENDYY) and type of coverage (Employer-sponsored (WASESTB),
Medicare (WASMCARE), Medicaid/SCHIP (WASMCAID), TRICARE/CHAMPVA (WASCHAMP),
VA/Military Care (WASVA), Other public (WASOTGOV, WASAFDC, WASSSI, WASSTAT1-4,
WASOTHER), private coverage purchased through a group, association or insurance
company (WASPRIV)) are no longer asked. Therefore, these variables will no
longer be constructed.
Note that these variables are unedited and have been
taken directly as they were recorded from the raw data. There may be
inconsistencies with the health insurance variables released on public use files
that indicate that an individual is uninsured in January. Out-of-scope persons
in both panels have been set to “Inapplicable” (-1) for PREVCOVR and MORECOVR.
All other persons have PREVCOVR and MORECOVR copied directly from the value of
the unedited source variable.
Persons whose January 1st insurance
coverage status could not be determined due to their reference period beginning
after January 1st were also asked the follow-up questions described
above. In these cases, persons who reported comprehensive coverage were asked if
they were ever without insurance. Those who were uninsured were asked to
determine the duration of uninsurance prior to the start of their reference
period. Those who reported only non-comprehensive coverage were asked if they
had been covered by comprehensive coverage that paid for medical and doctors’
bills in the previous two years. Coverage is determined by health insurance
status during the whole reference period or the month of January and ignores
that these persons were not in the household on January 1st.
Health Insurance Coverage Variables - At Any Time/At
Interview Date/At 12-31 Variables (TRICR31X-INSATyyX)
Constructed and edited variables are provided that
indicate health insurance coverage at any time in a given round, as well as at
the MEPS interview dates and on December 31, 2021. Note that for persons who
left the RU before the MEPS interview date or before December 31st,
the variables measuring coverage at the interview date or on December 31st
represent coverage at the date the person left the RU.
Variables indicating coverage for Panel 25 members for
any time in the round that end in “31” indicate coverage for the portion of
Round 3 that occurred in calendar year 2021, unless noted otherwise (see “Dental
and Prescription Drug Private Insurance” section). This is also true for data
from Panel 24 Round 5 and Panel 23 Round 7 - the 2021 portion of those rounds is
contained in the “31” variables. Variables indicating coverage for Panel 26
members ending in “53” indicate coverage at any time in Round 3, including the
portion of the round that occurred in calendar year 2022. Similarly, all of the
Panel 24 Round 7 data, including data collected in 2022, are contained in the
“53” variables. For Round 3 coverage for Panel 26 members or Round 7 data for
Panel 24 members that occurred in calendar year 2021, users should use variables
ending in “yy”. The Panel 23 Round 8 data, Panel 24 Round 6 data, Panel 25 Round
4 data, and Panel 26 Round 2 data are stored in the 42 variables.
The health insurance variables are constructed for the
sources of health insurance coverage collected during the MEPS interviews (Panel
23 Rounds 7 through 9, Panel 24 Rounds 5 through 7, Panel 25 Rounds 3 through 5,
and Panel 26 Rounds 1 through 3). Note that the Medicare variables on this file
as well as the private insurance variables that indicate the particular source
of private coverage (rather than any private coverage) only measure coverage at
the interview date and on December 31st. Users should also note that
the same general editing rules were followed for the month-by-month health
insurance variables released on this public use file (see the section “Monthly
Health Insurance Indicators” for details). Editing programs checking for
consistencies between these sets of variables were developed in order to provide
as much consistency as possible between the round-specific indicators and the
month-by-month indicators of insurance.
Public sources include Medicare, TRICARE, Veteran’s
Administration (VA), Medicaid/SCHIP, and other public hospital/physician
coverage. IHS was not considered a public coverage source.
Medicare
Medicare coverage variables (MCARErr) and the edited
versions of these variables (MCARErrX) were constructed similarly to the
month-by-month Medicare variables. Since Medicare coverage is logically edited
to continue for a person once it has been reported in MEPS, the Medicare
coverage variables can be considered as either “coverage at any time in the
round ” or “coverage at the interview date” variables. The same caveats as noted
above regarding persons who left the RU prior to the interview date or regarding
coverage on December 31st variables and restrictions on Round 3,
Round 5, and Round 7 coverage to reflect coverage in 2021.
Medicaid/SCHIP and Other Public Hospital/Physician
Coverage
Medicaid/SCHIP variables (MCAIDrr) and the edited
versions of these variables (MCAIDrrX and MCDATrrX) were constructed similarly
to the month-by-month Medicaid/SCHIP variables.
Other public coverage variables indicating coverage
through other public hospital/physician insurance (GOVTArr and GOVAATrr); other
public coverage that is an HMO (GOVTBrr and GOVBATrr); and other public coverage
that requires a premium (GOVTCrr and GOVCATrr) were constructed similarly to the
month-by-month Other Public variables.
Any Public Insurance
Any public insurance variables (PUBrrX and PUBATrrX)
were constructed similarly to the month-by-month any public insurance variables.
The variables indicating coverage through Veteran’s Administration (VAPROGrr and
VAPRATrr) are included in this file and were constructed similarly to the
Veteran’s Administration month-by-month variables.
Private Insurance
Variables identifying private insurance in general (PRIVrr
and PRIVATrr) and specific private insurance sources (such as employer/union
group insurance [PRIEUrr]; other group coverage [PRIOGrr]; coverage through an
unknown private category [PRIDKrr]; coverage from a policyholder living outside
the RU that is employer based coverage [PRIEUOrr]; coverage from a policyholder
living outside the RU that is not employer-based coverage [PRINEOrr]; and
coverage through an exchange [PRSTXrr]) were constructed similarly to the
month-by-month variables in the section “Monthly Health Insurance Indicators.”
Variables indicating any private insurance coverage are available for the
following time periods: at any time in a given round, at the interview date, and
on December 31st. The variables for the specific sources of private
coverage are only available for coverage on the interview dates and on December
31st.
Any Insurance in Period
Any insurance variables (INSrrX and INSATrrX) were
constructed similarly to the month-by-month any insurance program variables.
FY 2021 PUF Managed Care Variables (TRIST31X- PRVHMOyy)
In addition to the month-by-month indicators of
coverage, there are round-specific health insurance variables indicating
coverage by an HMO or managed care plan. Managed care variables have been
constructed from information on health insurance coverage at any time in a
reference period and the characteristics of the plan. A separate set of managed
care variables has been constructed for private insurance, Medicaid/SCHIP, and
Medicare coverage. The purpose of these variables is to provide information on
managed care participation during the portion of the three rounds (i.e.,
reference periods) that fall within the same calendar year.
Managed care variables for calendar year 2021 are
based on responses to health insurance questions asked during the Round 7, 8,
and 9 interviews of Panel 23, the Round 5, 6, and 7 interviews of Panel 24, the
Round 3, 4, and 5 interviews of Panel 25, and the Round 1, 2, and 3 interviews
of Panel 26. Each managed care variable ends in “rr” where the first r denotes
the interview round for Panel 25 and the second r denotes the round for Panel
26, respectively. For the two extended panels - Panel 23 and Panel 24 - the “31” variables contain data from Round 7 (Panel 23) or Round 5 (Panel 24), the “42”
variables contain data from Round 8 (Panel 23) or Round 6 (Panel 24), and the
“53” variables contain data from Round 9 (Panel 23) or Round 7 (Panel 24). The
variables ending in “31” and “42” correspond to the first two interviews of each
panel in the calendar year. Because Round 3 interviews typically overlap the
final months of one year and the beginning months of the next year, the “31”
managed care variables for Panels 24 and 25 indicate whether or not a person has
coverage from a managed care plan in the 2021 calendar year. This is also the
case for the Panel 23 Round 7 and Panel 24 Round 5 data - the “31” managed care
variables are limited to the 2021 calendar year. Similarly, the Panel 24 Round 7
and Panel 26 Round 3 managed care variables indicate whether or not a person has
coverage from a managed care plan in the 2021 calendar year, and the variables
have been given the suffix “yy” (as opposed to “53”) to emphasize the restricted
time frame. Further descriptions of the implications to managed care plan
coverage due to the overlapping calendar year in Rounds 3 and 5 are detailed
below.
Construction of the managed care variables is
straightforward, but three caveats are appropriate. First, MEPS estimates of the
number of persons in HMOs are higher than figures reported by other sources,
particularly those based on HMO industry data. The differences stem from the use
of household-reported information, which may include respondent error, to
determine HMO coverage in MEPS.
Second, the managed care questions are asked about the
last plan held by a person through their establishment (employer or insurer)
even though the person could have had a different plan through the establishment
at an earlier point during the interview period. As a result, in instances where
a person changed their establishment-related insurance, the managed care
variables describe the characteristics of the last plan held through the
establishment.
Third, the “yy” versions of the managed care variables are developed from two sets of Rounds 3, 5, and 7 source variables that cover different time frames. Using Round 3 managed care variables as an example, the first set of source variables - Round 3 health insurance status variables - are restricted to the same calendar year as the Round 1 and Round 2 data. The second set of source variables - Round 3 variables describing plan type - overlap the next calendar year, 2022.
As a consequence, the “yy” managed care variables may not describe the
characteristics of the last plan held in the calendar year if the person changed plans in the beginning of the following year.
The variables PRVHMOrr indicate coverage by a private
HMO in Panel 26 Rounds 1 - 3, Panel 25 Rounds 3 - 5, Panel 24 Rounds 5 - 7, and
Panel 23 Rounds 7 - 9. The variables MCRPHOrr indicate coverage by a Medicare
managed care plan (or “Medicare Advantage” plan) in Panel 26 Rounds 1 - 3, Panel
25 Rounds 3 - 5, Panel 24 Rounds 5 - 7, and Panel 23 Rounds 7 - 9. The variables
MCRPDrr indicate coverage by Medicare prescription drug benefit, also known as
Part D, in Panel 26 Rounds 1 - 3, Panel 25 Rounds 3 - 5, Panel 24 Rounds 5 - 7,
and Panel 23 Rounds 7 - 9. The edited version of the Medicare prescription drug
coverage variables (MCRPDrrX) include persons who are covered by both edited
Medicare and edited Medicaid. The variables MCDHMOrr and MCDMCrr indicate
coverage by a Medicaid or SCHIP HMO or managed care plan in Panel 26 Rounds 1 -
3, Panel 25 Rounds 3 - 5, Panel 24 Rounds 5 - 7, and Panel 23 Rounds 7 - 9. The
Tricare plan variables are similarly defined.
For Panel 26, the “31” version indicates coverage at
any time in Round 1, the “42” version indicates coverage at any time in Round 2,
and the “yy” version represents coverage at any time during the 2021 portion of
Round 3. For Panel 25, the “31” version indicates coverage at any time during
the 2021 portion of Round 3, the “42” version indicates coverage at any time in
Round 4, and the “yy” version represents coverage at any time during Round 5
since Round 5 ends on 12/31/2021 for Panel 25. For Panel 24, the “31” version
indicates coverage at any time during the 2021 portion of Round 5, the “42”
version indicates coverage at any time in Round 6, and the “yy” version
represents coverage at any time during the 2021 portion of Round 7. For Panel
23, the “31” version indicates coverage at any time during the 2021 portion of
Round 7, the “42” version indicates coverage at any time during Round 8, and the
“yy” version represents coverage at any time during Round 9, since Round 9 ends
on 12/31/2021 for Panel 23.
In the health insurance section of the questionnaire,
respondents reporting private health insurance were asked to identify what types
of coverage a person had via a checklist. If the respondent selected
prescription drug or dental coverage from this checklist, variables were
constructed to indicate prescription drug or dental coverage respectively. It
should be noted, however, that in some cases respondents may have failed to
identify prescription drug or dental coverage that was included as part of a
hospital and physician plan.
TRICARE Plan Variables
In Fall 2022 the response options for the CAPI TRICARE
questions HX125_01, HX260 and PR280_01 were changed. Options “Tricare Standard”,
“Tricare Prime”, “Tricare Extra”, and “Tricare For Life” were replaced by the
single response option “Tricare”. As a result the previous plan-specific
variables TRICARE Standard (TRISTrrX), TRICARE Prime (TRIPRrrX), TRICARE Extra
(TRIEXrrX), and TRICARE for Life (TRILIrrX) were dropped from the 2021 data, and
new variable TRIrrX (Person Covered by Tricare at Any Time during the Reference
Period) was added.
Beginning in Panel 9 Rounds 4 and 5/Panel 10 Rounds 1
through 3, CHAMPVA was added to the list of TRICARE/CHAMPVA Plans collected in
the instrument. Therefore, the variables TRICH42/yyX were created. The “31”
version of this variable was constructed starting in 2006. It should be noted
that the TRICARE Plan information was elicited from a pick-list,
code-all-that-apply question that asked which type of TRICARE plan the person
obtained. Beginning Panel 22 Round 3/Panel 23 Round 1, questions related to
military health coverage were asked at the person-level. If it was reported that
someone in the RU had coverage through military health care, a follow-up
question was asked to determine who in the RU was covered; then, the pick-list,
code-all-that-apply question described above was asked to determine which type
of military coverage the person obtained. VA (Veteran’s Administration) was
added to this list beginning Panel 22 Round 3/Panel 23 Round 1.
In each round, the TRICARE variable has four possible
values:
- 1 The person was covered by a TRICARE plan.
- 2 The person was covered by CHAMPVA but not TRICARE.
- 3 The person was not covered by TRICARE/CHAMPVA.
- -1 The person was out-of-scope.
Medicare Managed Care Plans, Part B, and Prescription
Drug Benefit
Persons were assigned Medicare coverage based on their
responses to the health insurance questions or through logical editing of the
survey data. A small number of persons were edited to have Medicare. For this
group, coverage through a managed care plan, Part B, and coverage by
prescription drug plan questions were not asked. Since no Medicare
establishment-person pair exists for this group, the persons’ Medicare managed
care, Part B, and prescription drug benefit statuses are set to -15 (Cannot be
Computed). For those persons who reported Medicare coverage based on their
responses to the health insurance questions, the Medicare managed care plan,
Part B, and prescription drug benefit questions were asked. Medicare managed
care plan and prescription drug benefit questions were asked for each round a
person indicates Medicare coverage. Medicare Part B questions were asked during
the first report of Medicare only. The Medicare Part B indicator for those
persons who indicated not having a Medicare card available was introduced for
Panel 14 Round 2 and Panel 13 Round 4. For those persons who reported having
Medicare coverage in Round 1, but did not have a Medicare card available,
Medicare Part B coverage was set to -15 (Cannot be Computed).
The Medicare prescription drug benefit variables (MCRPDrr)
have been edited (MCRPDrrX) to turn on coverage for all persons who are covered
by both edited Medicare and edited Medicaid regardless of the status on their
unedited Medicare prescription drug benefit variable.
In each round, the variables MCRPHOrr have five
possible values:
- 1 The person was covered by Medicare and covered
through a Medicare Managed Care or Medicare Advantage Plan.
- 2 The person was covered by Medicare but not covered
through a Medicare Managed Care or Medicare Advantage Plan.
- 3 The person was not covered by Medicare.
- -15 The person was covered by Medicare but whether the
coverage is through a Medicare Managed Care or Medicare Advantage Plan cannot be
computed.
- -1 The person was out-of-scope.
In each round, the variables MCRPDrr/MCRPDrrX have
five possible values:
- 1 The person was covered by Medicare and covered by
prescription drug benefit.
- 2 The person was covered by Medicare but not covered
by prescription drug benefit.
- 3 The person was not covered by Medicare.
- -15 The person was covered by Medicare but
prescription drug benefit coverage cannot be computed.
- -1 The person was out-of-scope.
In each round, the variables MCRPBrr have five
possible values:
- 1 The person was covered by Medicare and covered by Part B.
- 2 The person was covered by Medicare but not covered by Part B.
- 3 The person was not covered by Medicare.
- -15 The person was covered by Medicare but Part B cannot be computed.
- -1 The person was out-of-scope.
Medicaid/SCHIP Managed Care Plans
Persons were assigned Medicaid or SCHIP coverage based
on their responses to the health insurance questions or through logical editing
of the survey data. The number of persons who were edited to have Medicaid or
SCHIP coverage is small. These persons indicated coverage through an Other
Government program that was identified as being in a Medicaid HMO or gatekeeper
plan that did not require premium payment from the insured party. By definition,
respondents were asked about the managed care characteristics of this insurance
coverage.
Medicaid/SCHIP HMOs
If Medicaid/SCHIP or Other Government programs were
identified as the source of hospital/physician insurance coverage, the
respondent was asked about the characteristics of the plan. The variables
MCDHMOrr were set to “Yes” if an affirmative response was provided to the
following question:
Under {Medicaid{, also known as {STATE NAME FOR
MEDICAID},} or {STATE CHIP NAME}/{PROGRAM NAME FROM HX160/HX270}, the program
sponsored by a state or local government agency which provides hospital and
physician benefits,}} {{are/is}/{were/was}} {PERSON 1}, {PERSON 2}, {PERSON 3},
{PERSON 4}, {PERSON N} enrolled in an HMO, that is a Health Maintenance
Organization {between {START DATE} and {END DATE}}?
[With an HMO, you must generally receive care from HMO
physicians. If another doctor is seen, the expense is not covered unless you
were referred by the HMO, or there was a medical emergency.]
In subsequent rounds, for persons who had been
previously identified as covered by Medicaid, the respondent was asked whether
the name of the person’s insurance plan had changed since the previous
interview. An affirmative response triggered the previous set of questions about
managed care (name on list of Medicaid HMOs or signed up with an HMO).
In each round, the variables MCDHMOrr have five
possible values:
1 The person was covered by a Medicaid/SCHIP HMO.
2 The person was covered by Medicaid/SCHIP but the
plan was not an HMO.
3 The person was not covered by Medicaid/SCHIP.
-15 The person was covered by Medicaid/SCHIP but the
plan type cannot be computed.
-1 The person was out-of-scope.
Medicaid/SCHIP Gatekeeper Plans
If a person did not belong to a Medicaid/SCHIP HMO, a
third question was used to determine whether the person was in a gatekeeper
plan. The variables MCDMCrr were set to “Yes” if the respondent provided an
affirmative response to the following question:
{Does/Between {START DATE} and {END DATE}, did}
{Medicaid{,{STATE NAME FOR MEDICAID},} or{STATE CHIP NAME}/{PROGRAM NAME FROM
HX160/HX270}, the program sponsored by a state or local government agency which
provides hospital and physician benefits,} require {PERSON 1}, {PERSON 2},
{PERSON 3}, {PERSON 4}, {PERSON N} to sign up with a certain primary care
doctor, group of doctors, or with a certain clinic which they must go to for all
of their routine care?
PROBE: Do not include emergency care or care from a
specialist they were referred to.
In each round, the variables MCDMCrr have five
possible values:
1 The person was covered by a Medicaid/SCHIP
gatekeeper plan.
2 The person was covered by Medicaid/SCHIP, but it was
not a gatekeeper plan.
3 The person was not covered by Medicaid/SCHIP.
-15 The person was covered by Medicaid/SCHIP but the
plan type cannot be computed.
-1 The person was out-of-scope.
Private Managed Care Plans
Persons with private insurance were identified from
their responses to questions in the health insurance section of the MEPS
questionnaire. In some cases, persons were assigned private insurance as a
result of comments collected during the interview, but data editing was minimal.
As a consequence, most persons with private insurance were asked about the
characteristics of their plan, and their responses were used to identify HMO and
gatekeeper plans.
Private HMOs
Persons with private insurance were classified as
being covered by an HMO if they met any of the three following conditions:
- The person reported that their insurance was purchased
directly through an HMO,
- The person reporting private insurance coverage identified
the type of insurance company as an HMO, or
- The person answered “Yes” to the following question:
{Is/Was} {your/{POLICYHOLDER}'s} {NAME OF INSURER} an
HMO {as of {END DATE}}? {When answering this question, do not consider
{your/his/her} insurance through Medicare.}
[With an HMO, you must generally receive care from HMO
physicians. For other doctors, the expense is not covered unless you were
referred by the HMO or there was a medical emergency.]
In subsequent rounds, policyholders were asked whether
the name of their insurance plan had changed since the previous interview. An
affirmative response triggered the detailed question about managed care (i.e.,
was the insurer an HMO).
Some insured persons have more than one private plan.
In these cases, if the policyholder identified any plan as an HMO, the variables
PRVHMOrr were set to “Yes.” If a person had multiple plans and one or more were
identified as not being an HMO and the other(s) had missing plan type
information, the person-level variable was set to missing. Additionally, if a
person had multiple plans and none were identified as an HMO, the person-level
variable was set to “No.” In each round, the variables PRVHMOrr have five
possible values:
1 The person was covered by a private HMO.
2 The person was covered by private insurance, but it
was not an HMO.
3 The person was not covered by private insurance.
-15 The person was covered by private insurance, but
the plan type cannot be computed.
-1 The person was out-of-scope.
Dental and Prescription Drug Private Insurance
Variables (DENTIN31-PMDINSyy)
Dental Private Insurance Variables
Round-specific variables (DENTINrr) are provided that
indicate the person was covered by a private health insurance plan that included
at least some dental coverage for each round of 2021. It should be noted that
the information was elicited from a pick-list, code-all-that-apply, question
that asked what type of health insurance a person obtained through an
establishment. The list included: hospital and physician benefits including
coverage through an HMO, Medigap coverage, vision coverage, dental, and
prescription drugs. It is possible that some dental coverage provided by
hospital and physician plans was not independently enumerated in this question.
Users should also note that persons with missing information on dental benefits
for all reported private plans and those who reported that they did not have
dental coverage for one or more plans but had missing information on other plans
are coded as not having private dental coverage. Persons with reported dental
coverage from at least one reported private plan were coded as having private
dental coverage.
DENTIN53 reflects coverage for all of Panel 26 Round
3, all of Panel 25 Round 5, all of Panel 24 Round 7, and all of Panel 23 Round 9
where the end reference year for Panels 24 and 26 could extend into 2022.
DENTIN31 for Panel 25 Round 3, Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel 23 Round 7 reflects
coverage in 2020 and 2021 since the reference period for all three rounds spans
both years. A second version of these dental coverage indicators was built to
reflect only current year coverage (DNTINSrr).
Prescription Drug Private Insurance Variables
Round-specific variables (PMEDINrr) are provided that
indicate the person was covered by a private health insurance plan that included
at least some prescription drug insurance coverage for each round of 2021. It
should be noted that the information was elicited from a pick-list,
code-all-that-apply, question that asked what type of health insurance a person
obtained through an establishment. The list included: hospital and physician
benefits including coverage through an HMO, Medigap coverage, vision coverage,
dental, and prescription drugs. It is possible some prescription drug coverage
provided by hospital and physician plans was not independently enumerated in
this question. Persons with reported prescription drug coverage from at least
one reported private plan were coded as having private prescription drug
coverage. Users should note that persons with missing information on
prescription drug benefits for all reported private plans and those who reported
that they did not have prescription drug coverage for one or more plans but had
missing information on other plans are coded as not having private prescription
drug coverage.
PMEDIN53 reflects coverage for all of Panel 26 Round
3, all of Panel 25 Round 5, all of Panel 24 Round 7, and all of Panel 23 Round
9, where the end reference year for Panels 24 and 26 could extend into 2022.
PMEDIN31 for Panel 25 Round 3, Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel 23 Round 7 reflects
coverage in 2020 and 2021 since the reference period for all three rounds spans
both years. A second version of these prescription drug coverage indicators was
built to reflect only current year coverage (PMDINSrr).
Medical Debt Variables (PROBPY42 - PYUNBL42)
Questions relating to medical debt were asked in the
health insurance section. Respondents in Round 2, Round 4, Round 6, or Round 8
were asked questions HX770 (“In the past 12 months did anyone in the family have
problems paying or were unable to pay any medical bills?”), HX780 (“Does anyone
in your family currently have any medical bills that are being paid off over
time?”), and HX790 (“Does anyone in your family currently have any medical bills
that you are unable to pay at all?”). The corresponding constructed variables
PROBPY42, CRFMPY42, and PYUNBL42 are included in this file. PROBPY42 was set to
1 (Yes) if the respondent indicated that someone in their family had problems
paying or were unable to pay any medical bills. Additional questions ascertained
if anyone in the family currently had medical bills that were being paid off
over time (CRFMPY42), and if anyone in the family currently had any medical
bills that were unable to be paid at all (PYUNBL42). If the respondent indicated
that someone in their family currently has any medical bills that are being paid
off over time, then CRFMPY42 was set to 1 (Yes). Note that if the respondent
indicates that no one in their family had problems paying medical bills, then
PYUNBL42 is set to -1 (Inapplicable).
Prescription Drug Usual Third Party Payer Variables
(PMEDUP31-PMEDPY53)
Round-specific variables are provided that indicate
whether the sample member had a usual third party payer for prescription
medications (PMEDUPrr), and if so, what type of payer (PMEDPYrr). These
questions were asked only of sample members who reportedly had at least one
prescription medication purchase in the round. In each interview, if the sample
member reportedly had a third party payer, then the respondent was asked the
name of the sample member’s usual third party payer. These responses were coded
into the following source of payment categories in PMEDPYrr: Private Insurance,
Medicare, Medicaid, VA/CHAMPVA, TRICARE, State/Local Government, and Other.
Users should note that these questions were asked in the Prescribed Medicines
(PM) section of the questionnaire, and that no attempt was made to reconcile the
responses with information collected in the health insurance section of the
questionnaire. In particular, respondents may report the names of private entities (such as insurance companies) that contract with public programs, and these may be coded as private insurance instead of the public programs.
Return To Table Of Contents
The MEPS Household Component (HC) collects data in
each round on use and expenditures for office- and hospital-based care, home
health care, dental services, vision aids, and prescribed medicines. Data were
collected for each sample person at the event level (e.g., doctor visit,
hospital stay) and summed across Rounds 7 - 9 for Panel 23 (excluding 2020
events covered in Round 7), Rounds 5 - 7 for Panel 24 (excluding 2020 events
covered in Round 5 and 2022 events covered in Round 7), Rounds 3 - 5 for Panel
25 (excluding 2020 events covered in Round 3) and across Rounds 1 - 3 for Panel
26 (excluding 2022 events covered in Round 3) to produce the annual utilization
and expenditure data for 2021. In addition, the MEPS Medical Provider Component
(MPC) is a follow-back survey that collected data from a sample of medical
providers and pharmacies that were used by sample persons in 2021. Expenditure
data collected in the MPC are generally regarded as more accurate than
information collected in the HC and were used to improve the overall quality of
MEPS expenditure data in this file (see below for description of methodology
used to develop expenditure data).
This file contains utilization and expenditure
variables for several categories of health care services. In general, there is
one utilization variable (based on HC responses only), 11 expenditure variables
(derived from both HC and MPC responses), and one charge variable for each
category of health care service. The utilization variable is typically a count
of the number of medical events reported for the category. The 11 expenditure
variables consist of an aggregate total payments variable and 10 main component
source of payment category variables (see below for description of source of
payment categories). Expenditure variables for all categories of health care
combined are also provided. These variables generally represent a full year of
use and expenditures. However, for persons who were not inscope for the entire
year, these variables reflect only the period of eligibility.
The table in Appendix 3 provides an overview of the
utilization and expenditure variables included in this file. For each health
service category, the table lists the corresponding utilization variable(s) and
provides a general key to the expenditure variable names (11 per service
category). The first three characters of the expenditure variable names reflect
the service category (except only two characters for prescription medicines)
while the subsequent three characters (*** in table) reflect the naming
convention for the source of payment categories described below (except only two
characters for Veterans Administration). The last two positions of all
utilization and expenditure variable names reflect the survey year (i.e., 21).
More details are provided on the utilization and expenditure variables in
Section 2.5.11 below.
Expenditures Definition
Expenditures on this file refer to what is paid for
health care services. More specifically, expenditures in MEPS are defined as the
sum of direct payments for care provided during the year, including
out-of-pocket payments and payments by private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare,
and other sources. Payments for over-the-counter drugs are not collected in
MEPS. Indirect payments not related to specific medical events, such as Medicaid
Disproportionate Share and Medicare Direct Medical Education subsidies, are also
not included.
The definition of expenditures used in MEPS is
somewhat different from the 1987 NMES and 1977 NMCES surveys where charges
rather than sum of payments were used to measure expenditures. This change was
adopted because charges became a less appropriate proxy for medical expenditures
during the 1990s due to the increasingly common practice of discounting charges.
Another change from the two prior surveys is that charges associated with
uncollected liability, bad debt, and charitable care (unless provided by a
public clinic or hospital) are not counted as expenditures because there are no
payments associated with those classifications.
While the concept of expenditures in MEPS has been
operationalized as payments for health care services, variables reflecting
charges for services received are also provided on the file (see below).
Analysts should use caution when working with the charge variables because they
do not typically represent actual dollars exchanged for services or the resource
costs of those services.
Data Sources on Expenditures
The expenditure data included on this file were
derived from the MEPS Household and Medical Provider Components. Only HC data
were collected for non-physician visits, dental and vision services, other
medical equipment and services, and home health care not provided by an agency.
Data on expenditures for care provided by home health agencies were only
collected in the MPC. In addition to HC data, MPC data were collected for a
sample of office-based visits to physicians (or medical providers supervised by
physicians), hospital-based events (e.g., inpatient stays, emergency room
visits, and outpatient department visits), and prescribed medicines. For these
types of events, MPC data were used if complete; otherwise, HC data were used if
complete. Missing data for events where HC data were not complete and MPC data
were not collected or complete were derived through an imputation process (see
below).
A series of logical edits were applied to both the HC
and MPC data to correct for several problems including, but not limited to,
outliers, copayments or charges reported as total payments, and reimbursed
amounts that were reported as out-of-pocket payments. In addition, edits were
implemented to correct for misclassifications between Medicare and Medicaid and
between Medicare HMOs and private HMOs as payment sources. Data were not edited
to ensure complete consistency between the health insurance and source of
payment variables on the file.
Imputation for Missing Expenditures and Data
Adjustments
Expenditure data were imputed to 1) replace missing
data, 2) provide estimates for care delivered under capitated reimbursement
arrangements, and 3) to adjust household-reported insurance payments because
respondents were often unaware that their insurer paid a discounted amount to
the provider. This section contains a general description of the approaches used
for these three situations. A more detailed description of the editing and
imputation procedures is provided in the documentation for the MEPS event-level
files.
The predictive mean matching (PMM) imputation method
was used to impute missing expenditures. This procedure uses regression models
(based on events with completely reported expenditure data) to predict total
expenses for each event. Then, for each event with missing payment information,
a donor event with the closest predicted payment with the same pattern of
expected payment sources as the event with missing payment was used to impute
the missing payment value.
The general approach that was used to impute missing
expenditure data on prescribed medicines is described in Section 2.5.11 below.
Payments under capitated arrangement and, in some cases, public clinics are not tied to individual episodes of medical care. Therefore, expenditures for medical care covered under capitated arrangement or for some services delivered in public settings were imputed. Using a weighted sequential hot-deck procedure, events covered under capitated arrangements were imputed using donor events covered by a managed care organization but paid on a fee-for-service basis. For other events, including public clinics, expenditures were imputed using the PMM method where selected predictor variables were used to predict expenditures and match recipient and donor events.
An adjustment was also applied to some HC-reported
expenditure data because an evaluation of matched HC/MPC data showed that
respondents who reported that charges and payments were equal were often unaware
that insurance payments for the care had been based on a discounted charge. To
compensate for this systematic reporting error, a weighted sequential hot-deck
imputation procedure was implemented to determine an adjustment factor for
HC-reported insurance payments when charges and payments were reported to be
equal. As for the other imputations, selected predictor variables were used to
form groups of donor and recipient events for the imputation process.
Methodology for Flat Fee Expenditures
Most of the expenditures for medical care reported by
MEPS participants are associated with single medical events. However, in some
situations one charge covers multiple contacts between a medical provider and
patient (e.g., obstetrician services, orthodontia). In these situations
(generally called flat or global fees), total payments for the flat or global
fee were included if the initial service was provided in 2021. For example, all
payments for an orthodontist’s fee that covered multiple visits over three years
were included if the initial visit occurred in 2021. However, if a visit in 2021
to an orthodontist was part of a flat fee in which the initial visit occurred in
2020, then none of the payments for the flat fee were included.
It is important to note that certain flat fee bundle
types reported by healthcare providers (HC) were identified as having a high
likelihood of being simple events misidentified as bundle events. To address
this, starting in 2021, HC-reported flat fee bundles were considered as flat
fees if the bundle consisted only of dental events, or the bundle started in the
previous year and also had events in 2021.
Other HC-reported bundles were not allowed as flat fee
bundles, and events in these bundles were treated as simple events. HC-reported
bundles that included a mix of emergency room and hospitalization events were
treated as linked events. All emergency room expenditures were combined with
hospital inpatient expenditures. However, provider-reported flat fees were
processed in a similar way to prior years.
Zero Expenditures
There are some medical events reported by respondents
where the payments were zero. This could occur for several reasons including (1)
free care was provided, (2) bad debt was incurred, (3) care was covered under a
flat fee arrangement and it was not the initial event of the bundle (see prior
section on Methodology for Flat Fee Expenditures), or (4) follow-up visits were
provided without a separate charge (e.g., after a surgical procedure). In
summary, these types of events have no impact on totals for the person-level
expenditure variables contained in this file.
Source of Payment Categories
In addition to total expenditures, variables are
provided that itemize expenditures according to the major source of payment
categories. These categories are:
- Out of pocket by patient or patient’s family (SLF)--includes
any deductible, coinsurance, and copayment amounts not covered
by other sources, as well as payments for services and providers
not covered by the person’s insurance or other sources;
- Medicare (MCR);
- Medicaid (MCD);
- Private Insurance (PRV);
- Veterans’ Administration/CHAMPVA, excluding TRICARE (VA);
- TRICARE (TRI);
- Other Federal Sources--includes Indian Health Service,
military treatment facilities, and other care provided by the
federal government (OFD);
- Other State and Local Sources--includes community and
neighborhood clinics, state and local health departments, and
state programs other than Medicaid (STL);
- Worker’s Compensation (WCP);
- Other Unclassified Sources--includes sources such as
automobile, homeowner’s, liability, and other miscellaneous or
unknown sources (OSR).
Prior to 2019, for cases where reported insurance
coverage and sources of payment appear inconsistent, the positive amount from a
source inconsistent with reported insurance coverage was moved to one or both of
the source categories Other Private and Other Public. Beginning in 2019, this
step is removed and the apparent inconsistency between the payment sources and
insurance coverage is allowed to remain - the amounts are not moved to Other
Private and Other Public categories any more. The two source of payment
categories, Other Private and Other Public, are no longer available. Some
inconsistencies arise from either misreporting of health insurance coverage or
sources of payment. However, apparent inconsistencies may also have logical
explanations. For example, private insurance coverage in MEPS is defined as
having a major medical plan covering hospital and physician services. If a MEPS
sample person did not have such coverage but had a single service type insurance
plan (e.g., dental insurance) that paid for a particular episode of care, those
payments may be classified as “other private.” Some of the “other public”
payments may stem from confusion between Medicaid and other state and local
programs or may be for persons who were not enrolled in Medicaid, but were
presumed eligible by a provider who ultimately received payments from the
program.
The naming conventions used for the source of payment
expenditure variables are shown in parentheses in the list of categories above
and in the key to the attached table in Appendix 3. In addition, total
expenditure variables (EXP in key) based on the sum of the 10 source of payment
variables above are provided.
Charge Variables
In addition to the expenditure variables described
above, a variable reflecting total charges is provided for each type of service
category (except prescribed medicines). This variable represents the sum of all
fully established charges for care received and usually does not reflect actual
payments made for services, which can be substantially lower due to factors such
as negotiated discounts, bad debt, and free care (see above). The weighted
sequential hot-deck procedure was used to impute the missing total charges. The
naming convention used for the charge variables (TCH) is also included in the
key to the attached table in Appendix 3. The total charge variable across
services (TOTTCH21) excludes prescribed medicines.
Utilization and Expenditure Variables by Type of
Medical Service
The following sections summarize definitional,
conceptual, and analytic considerations when using the utilization and
expenditure variables in this file. Separate discussions are provided for each
MEPS medical service category. There is also a discussion in the section dealing
with analyses of trends using MEPS data (Section 3.12).
Medical Provider Visits (i.e., Office-Based Visits)
Medical provider visits consist of encounters that
took place primarily in office-based settings and clinics. Care provided in
other settings such as a hospital, nursing home, or a person’s home are not
included in this category.
The total number of office-based visits reported for
2021 (OBTOTV21) as well as the number of such visits to physicians (OBDRV21) are
contained in this file.
Expenditure variables associated with all medical
provider visits and physician visits can be identified using the attached table
in Appendix 3.
Hospital Events
Separate utilization variables for hospital care are
provided for each type of setting (outpatient department, emergency room, and
inpatient stays) along with three expense variables per setting: one for basic
hospital facility expenses, one for payments to physicians who billed separately
for services provided at the hospital (referred to as “separately billing
doctor” or SBD expenses) and one that aggregates the facility and SBD expenses
(aggregated variable not included in files prior to 2007).
Hospital facility expenses include all expenses for
direct hospital care, including room and board, diagnostic and laboratory work,
x-rays, and similar charges, as well as any physician services included in the
hospital charge. SBD expenses typically cover services provided to patients in
hospital settings by providers like radiologists, anesthesiologists, and
pathologists, whose charges are often not included in hospital bills.
Hospital Outpatient Visits
Variables for the total number of reported visits to
hospital outpatient departments in 2021 (OPTOTV21) as well as the number of
outpatient department visits to physicians (OPDRV21) are contained in this file.
Expenditure variables (both facility and SBD)
associated with all medical provider visits and physician visits can be
identified using the attached table in Appendix 3.
Hospital Emergency Room Visits
The variable ERTOT21 represents a count of all
emergency room visits reported for the survey year. Expenditure variables
associated with ERTOT21 are identified in the attached table in Appendix 3. It
should be noted that for emergency room visits that immediately preceded an
inpatient stay, the facility expenditures associated with the emergency room
visits are included in the inpatient expenditures. To avoid double counting,
these emergency room visits resulted in $0 facility expenditures (but there
still may be associated SBD expenses). However, these $0 emergency room visits
are still counted as separate visits in the utilization variable ERTOT21.
Hospital Inpatient Stays
Two measures of total inpatient utilization are
provided on the file:
- IPDIS21 is the total number of hospital discharges.
- IPNGTD21 is the total number of nights associated with these
discharges. Please note that the variable IPNGTD21 is an imputed
version of the IPNGT21 variable released earlier on HC-228. For
the FY 2021 data, the number of imputed length of stay cases is
7.
Expenditure variables associated with hospital
inpatient stays are identified in the attached table in Appendix 3. As described
in the previous section, payments associated with emergency room visits that
immediately preceded an inpatient stay are included with the inpatient
expenditures. In addition, payments associated with healthy newborns are
included with expenditures for the mother. Specifically, data used to construct
the inpatient utilization and expenditure variables for newborns were edited to
exclude stays where the newborn left the hospital on the same day as the mother.
This edit was applied because discharges for infants without complications after
birth were not consistently reported in the survey, and charges for newborns
without complications are typically included in the mother’s hospital bill.
However, if the newborn was discharged at a later date than the mother was
discharged, then the discharge was considered a separate stay for the newborn
when constructing the utilization and expenditure variables.
Telehealth Events
The Telehealth (TH) module is asked of all events
tagged as TH events by the respondent. As part of the TH module, a question is
asked about whether the provider or facility is owned or operated by a hospital.
Post-collection, the response to this question is used to reclassify all TH
events as either OB or OP. The TH module items were designed to align with the
existing OB and OP items to easily allow for reclassifying the event type.
Dental Care Visits
The total number of dental care visits variable
(DVTOT21) includes those to any person(s) for dental care including general
dentists, dental hygienists, dental technicians, dental surgeons, orthodontists,
endodontists, and periodontists.
Home Health Care
In contrast to other types of medical events where
data were collected on a per visit basis, information on home health care
utilization is collected in MEPS on a per month basis. Variables are provided
that indicate the total number of days in 2021 where home health care was
received from the following: from any type of paid or unpaid caregiver
(HHTOTD21), from agencies, hospitals, or nursing homes (HHAGD21), from
self-employed persons (HHINDD21), and from unpaid informal caregivers not living
with the sample person (HHINFD21). The number of provider days represents the
sum across months of the number of days on which home health care was received,
with days summed across all providers seen. For example, if a person received
care in one month from one provider on two different days, then the number of
provider days would equal two. The number of provider days would also equal two
if a person received care from two different providers on the same day. However,
if a person received care from one provider two times on the same day, then the
provider days would equal one. These variables were assigned missing values if
the number of provider days could not be computed for any month in which the
specific type of home health care was received.
Separate expenditure variables are provided for
agency-sponsored home health care (includes care provided by home health
agencies, hospitals, and nursing homes) and care provided by self-employed
persons. The attached table in Appendix 3 identifies the home health care
utilization and expenditure variables contained in the file.
Other Medical Equipment and Services
The new CAPI instrument collects round-specific Other
Medical (OM) expenditures for all OM types (glasses/contact lenses, ambulance,
disposable supplies, and long-term equipment). Please note for disposable
supplies, the total charge and out-of-pocket expenditures are collected in a
range format. The ranges were replaced with mean dollar amounts of respective
expenditures reported in each range in prior years.
Prescribed Medicines
There are one total utilization variable (RXTOT21) and
11 expenditure variables included on the 2021 full-year file relating to
prescribed medicines. These 11 expenditure variables include an annual total
expenditure variable (RXEXP21) and 10 corresponding annual source of payment
variables (RXSLF21, RXMCR21, RXMCD21, RXPRV21, RXVA21, RXTRI21, RXOFD21,
RXSTL21, RXWCP21, and RXOSR21). The total utilization variable is a count of all
fills and refills of prescribed medications obtained during 2021. The total
expenditure variable sums all amounts paid out-of-pocket and by third party
payers for each prescription obtained in 2021. No variables reflecting charges
for prescription medicines are included because a large proportion of
respondents to the MEPS pharmacy component survey did not provide charge data
(see below).
Prescribed Medicines Data Collected
Data regarding prescription drugs were obtained
through the household questionnaire and a pharmacy component survey. During each
round of the MEPS HC, all respondents were asked to supply the name of any
prescribed medication they or their family members purchased or otherwise
obtained during that round. For each medication and in each round, the following
information was collected: the number of times the prescription drug was
obtained or purchased. In the round each
medication was first reported, the following information was collected: the
name(s) of any health conditions the medication was prescribed for, and the year
and month which the person first used the medication. Respondents were also asked the names, addresses, and types of pharmacies that filled the household�s prescriptions. Payment information was
collected in the pharmacy component survey.
Pharmacy providers identified by the household were
contacted by telephone in the pharmacy component if permission to release their
pharmacy records was obtained in writing from the person with the prescription.
The signed permission forms were provided to the various establishments prior to
making any requests for information. Each establishment was informed of all
persons participating in the survey that had prescriptions filled there in 2021
and a computerized printout containing information about these prescriptions was
sought. For each medication listed, the following information was requested:
national drug code (NDC), medication name, strength of medicine (amount and
unit), quantity (package size and amount dispensed), and payments by source.
Information about diabetic supplies and equipment,
such as syringes and test strips, were reported in the prescription drug section
of MEPS and use of and expenditures for these items are included in the
person-level prescribed medicine variables.
Prescribed Medicines Data Editing and Imputation
The general approach to preparing the household
prescription data for this file was to utilize the pharmacy component
prescription data to assign expenditure values to the household drug mentions.
For those with Pharmacy Component data, a matching program was adopted to link
pharmacy component drugs and the corresponding drug information to household
drug mentions. To improve the quality of these matches, all drugs on the
household and pharmacy files were coded based on the medication names provided
by the household and pharmacy, and when available, the national drug code (NDC)
provided in the pharmacy survey. Considerable editing was done prior to the
matching to correct data inconsistencies in both data sets, fill in missing
data, and correct outliers on the pharmacy file.
Drug price per unit outliers were analyzed on the
pharmacy file by first identifying the national average drug acquisition cost
(NADAC) per unit, wholesale acquisition unit cost (WAUC), and average wholesale
unit price (AWUP) of the drug by linkage through the NDC to secondary databases.
In general, prescription drug unit prices were deemed to be outliers by
comparing unit prices reported in the pharmacy database to the NADAC per unit
and were edited, as necessary. Prior to 2020, AWUP was the benchmark used to
identify outlier prices for prescription medications in the PC. Beginning with
the 2007 data, the rules used to identify outlier prices relative to the AWUP
changed. New outlier thresholds were established based on the distribution of
the ratio of retail unit prices relative to the AWUP in the 2006 MarketScan
Outpatient Pharmaceutical Claims database.
Starting with the 2008 Prescribed Medicine file,
improvements in the data editing changed the distribution of payments by source:
(1) more spending on Medicare beneficiaries is by private insurance, rather than
Medicare, and (2) there are less out-of-pocket payments and more Medicaid
payments among Medicaid enrollees. Beginning with the 2009 data, another change
affected the data for Medicare beneficiaries with both Part D and Medicaid
coverage: reported Medicaid and other state and local program payments were no
longer edited to be Medicare payments. Beginning with the 2017 data, changes in
the price imputation procedures for specialty drugs with missing payment
information resulted in higher total prescribed medicines expenditures.
Beginning with the 2020 data, the rules used to
identify outlier prices for prescription medications in the PC were improved
based on newer price benchmarks and analyses (Ding & Hill, 2022). New outlier
thresholds were established based on the distribution of the ratio of retail
unit prices relative to the NADAC per unit, collected for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services. When the NADAC per unit is not available, then
the WAUC is used, and if neither are available, the AWUP is used. AWUP and WAUC
are list prices, not averages, so the NADAC per unit better reflects the prices
paid for drugs, and as a result the prices paid for generics are lower in the
2020 data, compared with the 2019 data, and fewer generic fills have third party
payments.
For Round 3, Panel 24 Round 5, and Round 7, which span
two years, drug mentions in those rounds were allocated between the years based
on the following information: the number of times the respondent said the drug
was purchased in the respective year, the year the person started taking the
drug, the length of the person’s round, the dates of the person’s round, and the
number of fills of that drug for that person in the round.
Collapsed Source of Payment Variables
Two additional source of payment variables are
included for each health care service category as a convenience to data users
since they are common analytic groupings of the payment sources. The first
(***PTR21 series) is the sum of the private and Tricare payer categories (i.e.,
***PTR21=***PRV21+***TRI21). The second (***OTH21 series) is the sum of the
least common source of payment categories including: 1) other federal
(***OFD21), 2) state and local (***STL21), and 3) other sources (***OSR21).
Since the ***PTR21 and ***OTH21 variable series represent combined totals of
existing individual source of payment variables, analysts should exercise
caution to avoid inappropriate double counting of expenditures when working with
these variables.
Return To Table Of Contents
Variables were added and removed from the file due to
changes in the questions asked in 2021 relative to prior years. The MEPS HC
questionnaires can be found on the MEPS website.
Following is a list of changes to the variable list
for the 2021 full-year consolidated data file.
Added
- BOOSTERSHOT53
- CVDLAYCA31
- CVDLAYCA42
- CVDLAYDN31
- CVDLAYDN42
- CVDLAYPM31
- CVDLAYPM42
- CVVACCINE42
- CVVACCINE53
- SDAFRDHOME
- SDCHURCH
- SDCLUBORG
- SDCMPM
- SDCMPY
- SDCOMM
- SDCOMPAN
- SDDAYEXER
- SDDEBT
- SDDSCRMDR
- SDDSCRMHS
- SDDSCRMJOB
- SDDSCRMPOL
- SDDSCRMPUB
- SDDSCRMSTR
- SDDSCRMWRK
- SDENICPROD
- SDFAMILY
- SDFRCSXCH
- SDFRIENDS
- SDGETTGT
- SDHLTHFOOD
- SDHMALC
- SDHMBEAT
- SDHMDEPR
- SDHMDIV
- SDHMDRG
- SDHMJAIL
- SDHOME
- SDHURTCHLD
- SDINSCHLD
- SDINSULT
- SDISOL
- SDLATERENT
- SDLATEUTIL
- SDLEFTOUT
- SDLIFE
- SDMEDCARE
- SDMINSEXER
- SDMISSCCLN
- SDNOFOOD
- SDNOTRANS
- SDOHELIG
- SDOHWT21F
- SDPARKS
- SDPAYBASICS
- SDPHYSHURT
- SDPROBCOOK
- SDPROBHEAT
- SDPROBLEAD
- SDPROBLEAKS
- SDPROBMOLD
- SDPROBNONE
- SDPROBPEST
- SDPROBSMKDET
- SDPROX
- SDPUBTRANS
- SDSCREAM
- SDSFCRIME
- SDSHUTUTIL
- SDSTRESS
- SDTCHADLT
- SDTCHCHLD
- SDTHRHARM
- SDTLKPHN
- SDUNEXPEXP
- SDWRRYFD
- TRI21X
- TRI31X
- TRI42X
Added (included in alternating years only, will not be
included in 2022):
- ADAPPT42
- ADEXPL42
- ADEZUN42
- ADFFRM42
- ADFHLP42
- ADHECR42
- ADILCR42
- ADILWW42
- ADINSA42
- ADINSB42
- ADINST42
- ADLIST42
- ADNSMK42
- ADOVER42
- ADPRTM42
- ADRESP42
- ADRISK42
- ADRTCR42
- ADRTWW42
- ADSMOK42
- ADSNSP42
- ADSPCL42
- ADTLHW42
- ADUPRO42
- CHAPPT42
- CHEXPL42
- CHEYRE42_M18
- CHHECR42
- CHILCR42
- CHILWW42
- CHLIST42
- CHPRTM42
- CHRESP42
- CHRTCR42
- CHRTWW42
- CHSPEC42_M18
- DADPRO42
- GETTRB42
- HAVFUN42
- HOMEBH42
- KIDPRO42
- MOMPRO42
- NERVAF42
- SCHLBH42
- SCHPRO42
- SIBPRO42
- SPRPRO42
- UNHAP42
Deleted
- OUTFLAG31
- OUTFLAG42
- OUTFLAG53
- TRIEX21X
- TRIEX31X
- TRIEX42X
- TRILI21X
- TRILI31X
- TRILI42X
- TRIPR21X
- TRIPR31X
- TRIPR42X
- TRIST21X
- TRIST31X
- TRIST42X
Deleted (included in alternating years only, will be
included in 2022):
- ADAGE42
- ADAPPTRT42
- ADBLDS42
- ADBMI42
- ADBNDN42
- ADBPCK42
- ADBRST42
- ADBRTC42
- ADCHLC42
- ADCLNS42
- ADCOLN42
- ADDSCU42
- ADFLST42
- ADGRPTRT42
- ADKALC42
- ADMDVT42
- ADMMGR42
- ADMNTRT42
- ADMOOD42
- ADNOAP42
- ADNUMDRK42
- ADOFTALC42
- ADOFTB42
- ADONLTRT42
- ADOSTP42
- ADPAP42
- ADPAPG42
- ADPHONTRT42
- ADPNEU42
- ADPROBTRT42
- ADPROS42
- ADPSAG42
- ADQTHP42
- ADQTMD42
- ADQTTB42
- ADRATETRT42
- ADRELTRT42
- ADRNK442
- ADRNK542
- ADSCHTRT42
- ADSEX42
- ADSGMD42
- ADSHNG42
- ADSLEEP42
- ADSTAL42
- ADTBAC42
- ADTRTEXP42
- ADTRTHLP42
- ADTRTPD42
- ADUNABTRT42
- ADUTRM42
- ADWGHD42
- ADWTAD42
- BOOST42
- CHBMIX42
- EATHLT42
- HELMET42
- LAPBLT42
- MESHGT42
- MESVIS42
- MESWGT42
- NOSMOK42
- PHYSCL42
- SAFEST42
- TIMALN42
- WHNBST42
- WHNEAT42
- WHNHEL42
- WHNHGT42
- WHNLAP42
- WHNPHY42
- WHNSAF42
- WHNSMK42
- WHNWGT42
Return To Table Of Contents
Records on this file can be linked to 2021 MEPS HC
public use event and conditions files by the sample person identifier
(DUPERSID). The Panel 25 cases on this file (PANEL=25), the Panel 24 cases on
this file (PANEL=24), and the Panel 23 cases on this file (PANEL=23) can also be
linked back to the 2020 MEPS HC public use event and condition files. In
addition, the Panel 23 and Panel 24 cases can be linked back to the 2019 MEPS HC
public use event and condition files, and the Panel 23 cases can be linked back
to the 2018 MEPS HC public use event and condition files.
Return To Table Of Contents
The set of households selected for MEPS is a subsample
of those participating in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS); thus,
each MEPS panel can also be linked back to the previous year’s NHIS public use
data files. For information on obtaining MEPS/NHIS link files please see the
AHRQ website.
Return To Table Of Contents
Panel-specific longitudinal files are available for
downloading in the data section of the MEPS website. For all four panels (Panel
23, Panel 24, Panel 25, and Panel 26), the longitudinal file comprises MEPS
survey data obtained all rounds of the panel and can be used to analyze changes
over the entire length of the panel. For Panel 24, a file representing a
three-year period will also be established and updated to cover four years with
the release of 2022 data. For Panel 23, a file representing a four-year period
will be established. 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 years covered
by each panel.
For more details or to download the data files, please
see Longitudinal Weight Files at the
AHRQ website.
Return To Table Of Contents
The challenges associated with MEPS data collection in
2020 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic continued into 2021. The major
modifications to the standard MEPS study design remained in effect, permitting
data to be collected safely but with accompanying concerns related to the
quality of the data obtained. These data quality issues are discussed below. The
suggestion made in the documentation for the
FY2020 MEPS Consolidated Data File
(as well as for most federal major in-person surveys conducted in 2021 and 2020)
still holds. Researchers are counseled to take care in the interpretation of
estimates based on data collected from these two calendar years. This includes
the comparison of such estimates to those of other years and corresponding trend
analyses.
Return To Table Of Contents
Section 3.1 of the documentation for the
2020 Full Year Consolidated Data File
provides a general discussion of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on several
other major in-person federal surveys as well as on MEPS. In addition, it offers
a detailed look at how MEPS was modified to permit safe data collection and the
development of useful estimates at a time when the way the U.S. health care
system functioned underwent many transformations to meet population needs.
In this corresponding 2021 document, focus is placed
mostly on MEPS data quality in 2021. However, it also includes how data quality
issues related to the two federal surveys most closely connected to it, the
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) carried out by the National Center for
Health Statistics (NCHS) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) carried out by
the Census Bureau, have an impact on the data quality issues of MEPS.
Specifically, the following discussion describes: 1)
data quality issues experienced by the NHIS and CPS that affect MEPS; 2)
modifications to the MEPS sample design in 2021 due to the continuing pandemic;
and 3) potential data quality issues in the FY 2021 MEPS data related to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Return To Table Of Contents
Households fielded for Round 1 of MEPS in each year
have been selected as a subsample from among the NHIS responding households from
the prior year. The MEPS first year panel in 2021 was Panel 26. The households
fielded for MEPS in Round 1 of Panel 26 were thus selected from NHIS responding
households in 2020. It is important to note here that the NHIS households
eligible for use in MEPS are restricted to the first three quarters of the NHIS
as the fourth quarter households cannot be made available in time for MEPS data
collection early in the next calendar year.
The onset of the pandemic in 2020 at a national level
took place in mid-March of that year, when the NHIS data collection for the
first quarter of 2020 was virtually completed and that of the second quarter was
about to begin. The NHIS had to make a rapid transition from in-person to
telephone interviewing, to attempt to gather NHIS data for the second quarter of
2020. While NCHS was able to make the transition, assessments made by NCHS at
the time indicated a much lower response rate than is typically experienced
during Quarter 2 and the quality of Quarter 2 data was of particular concern.
NCHS thus modified the 2020 NHIS sample design for Quarters 3 and 4. A randomly
selected subsample of the sampled housing units originally selected for fielding
in Quarters 3 and 4 of 2020 was removed from the sample to be fielded. This
reduced sample for Quarters 3 and 4 was then enhanced by randomly selecting
responding households from the 2019 NHIS for interviewing in 2020 as well. In
consideration of the data quality issues and sample design modifications
associated with the 2020 NHIS, the MEPS sample design for FY 2021 was modified,
as discussed below.
The quality of CPS data is always of particular
importance to MEPS as March CPS-ASEC estimates serve as the basis of control
totals for the raking component of the MEPS weighting process. These control
totals incorporate the following demographic variables: age, sex,
race/ethnicity, region, MSA status, educational attainment, and poverty status.
The CPS estimates of educational attainment and poverty status used in the
development of the FY 2021 MEPS PUFs were of particular concern. Evaluations of
these estimates undertaken by the Census Bureau have shown that they suffered
from bias due to survey nonresponse, with CPS income estimates being on the high
side and the estimate of those under the poverty threshold being on the low
side. The impact of these CPS estimates on the quality of MEPS estimates has
been carefully considered. The approach used for the MEPS FY 2021 Consolidated
PUF sample weights is discussed in Section 3.4
References (Bramlett et al., 2021; Dahlhamer et al.,
2021; Lau et al, 2021; Rothbaum & Bee, 2021, 2022; Zuvekas & Kashihara, 2021)
discussing the fielding of these surveys during the pandemic and possible bias
concerns, can be found in the References section of this document.
Return To Table Of Contents
The MEPS sample is usually selected from Quarters 1 to 3 of NHIS Panels 1 and 3. However, 2020 NHIS Quarter 2 data quality and sample size issues needed to be considered in planning for selecting and fielding a MEPS sample for 2021. It became clear that it would be prudent to modify the 2021 MEPS sample design for MEPS Panel 26 by replacing 2020 NHIS Quarter 2 with another quarter from 2020 NHIS Panels 2 and 4. Action had to be taken immediately because the MEPS sample
selection from NHIS responding households begins in the late summer/early fall
of each year.
AHRQ contacted NCHS, reviewing the various issues and
asking if responding households in NHIS Panels 2 and 4 from Quarter 1 of 2020
could be made available for MEPS sample selection. Virtually all of these
households were interviewed in-person prior to the major onset of the pandemic,
so the Quarter 1 response rates for all four NHIS panels were consistent with
prior years and the data quality issues associated with the pandemic could be
avoided. NCHS was fully supportive of this approach and made NHIS Panels 2 and 4
for Quarter 1 available for use by MEPS. Thus, for MEPS Panel 26, the NHIS
responding households subsampled for MEPS were selected among all NHIS
responding households in all four NHIS panels in Quarter 1 as well as those responding in Quarter 3 of NHIS Panels 1 and 3.
As an adjunct to this modification, it was decided to
take advantage of the additional PSUs (sampled localities) available from NHIS
Panels 2 and 4 and appearing in the MEPS sample for the first time. State level
estimation is of interest to MEPS, and the added PSUs would serve to increase
the precision of variance estimation for state level estimates. State estimates that would be expected to benefit the most from these added PSUs were the “middle-sized” states where sample sizes were marginal but usually not enough PSUs for variance estimation. The
largest states already had large sample sizes while precision for the smallest
states would remain low. As a result, from Quarter 1 of 2020 NHIS Panels 2 and 4, the MEPS sample focused on oversampling the “middle-sized” states rather than Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics.
Finally, it was decided to collect 2021 data for nine rounds of Panel 23
and seven rounds of Panel 24, so that these two panels will contribute to
MEPS estimates for four calendar years for Panel 23 and three calendar years for Panel 24. In so doing, the number of respondents
to MEPS will be kept at a relatively high level despite the decline in response
rates due to the pandemic. The MEPS FY 2021 PUF records thus consist of data
obtained from the following MEPS Panels and corresponding rounds: Panel 23,
Rounds 7-9; Panel 24, Rounds 5-7; Panel 25, Rounds 3-5; and Panel 26, Rounds
1-3.
Return To Table Of Contents
Three sources of potential bias were identified for
MEPS for FY 2020: long recall period for Round 6 of Panel 23; switching from
in-person to telephone interviewing which likely had a larger impact on Panel
25; and the impact of CPS bias on the MEPS weights. A number of statistically
significant differences were found between panels for FY 2020. Those findings
are discussed in the documentation for the 2020 Full Year Consolidated Data
File, MEPS HC-224.
With this in mind, there were a number of
uncertainties for FY 2021 warranting examination. Would Panel 23 data quality
increase substantially once the issue of an extensive recall period was
eliminated? Would the switching from in-person to telephone interview in Round 1
continue to impact Panel 25 estimates? Since Panel 26 was the first year MEPS
panel in 2021, would Panel 26 estimates tend to be different than those of the
other three panels?
Analyses undertaken to examine the quality of MEPS FY
2021 data appearing on the Consolidated PUF have been focused on the comparison
of health care utilization and health insurance status distribution (some
private insurance, some public insurance, no health insurance) for the MEPS
target population between the panels fielded. These comparisons were undertaken
for the full sample and the three age groups of 0-17, 18-64, and 65+.
Comparisons of health care utilization data for Panel
24 and Panel 23 found no statistically significant differences in any of the
analysis variables, suggesting that Panel 23 data quality increased
substantially once the issue of an extensive recall period was eliminated.
Comparisons of Panel 26 and Panel 24 health care utilization data did not detect
any notable differences among event types of a salient nature.
Similar to FY 2020, comparisons of Panel 25 health
care utilization data with those from other panels found that the difference in
estimates reached statistical significance for several event types, with those
from Panel 25 generally being higher. However, the gap between the Panel 25
estimates and other panels has shown a sizeable decrease.
Another set of analyses compared estimates based on
the four panels pooled together using the FY 2021 Consolidated PUF weight
compared to the estimates based on the individual panel data and weights.
Analyses indicated that event estimates combining data from all four panels show
little difference from event estimates of the individual panels.
The analyses undertaken for health insurance status
distribution suggest no major differences between the four panels for various
event type estimates. Even though slight differences were observed with Panel 25
(e.g., the distribution associated with the age range 18-64 showed a higher
percentage of all public insurance compared to the other three panels while
those at least 65 years of age showed a lower percentage of some private
insurance compared to the other three panels), no statistically significant
differences were detected.
Ongoing work is also comparing trends in MEPS utilization estimates to external data sources including preliminary 2021 data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Medicare fee for service claims, Medicare Advantage encounter data, Medicaid T-MSIS data, and private insurance claims. Preliminary analyses suggest that inpatient hospital stays and emergency room utilization in 2021 were lower than expected when comparing trends in the MEPS to trends in these other sources. However, exact comparisons are difficult to make because of differences in populations covered, definitional differences, and other differences between MEPS and administrative data sources. Nevertheless, researchers are cautioned to take particular care in the interpretation of estimates based on inpatient hospital stays and emergency room visits. No such concerns were noted with other types of health care events in the comparisons to external data sources. AHRQ continues to investigate the reporting of all heath care events in the MEPS throughout the pandemic.
Return To Table Of Contents
The various actions taken in the development of the
person-level weights for the MEPS FY 2021 Consolidated PUF were designed to
limit the potential for bias in the data due to changes in data collection and
response bias. However, evaluations of MEPS data quality in 2021, consistent
with those of other Federal surveys fielded in 2021, suggest that users of the
MEPS FY 2021 Consolidated PUF should exercise caution when interpreting
estimates and assessing analyses based on these data as well as in comparing
2021 estimates to those of prior years.
Return To Table Of Contents
The MEPS is designed to produce estimates at the
national and regional level over time for the civilian, noninstitutionalized
population of the United States and some subpopulations of interest. The data in
this public use file pertain to calendar year 2021. The data were collected in
Rounds 1, 2, and 3 for MEPS Panel 26, Rounds 3, 4, and 5 for MEPS Panel 25,
Rounds 5, 6, and 7 for MEPS Panel 24, and Rounds 7, 8, and 9 for MEPS Panel 23.
As usual, Round 3 for a MEPS panel (this time for
Panel 26) has been designed to overlap two calendar years, as illustrated below.
However it may be noted that, with the fielding of a third and fourth panel in
2021 (as indicated in the data quality discussion in Section 3.1), the structure
of other rounds has changed. Round 7 of Panel 24 and Round 5 of Panel 25 serve
the same purpose. Thus, Round 7 was fielded in 2020 and designed to collect data
for the remainder of 2020 as well as the period of time from January 1, 2021 up
through the date of the Round 7 interview. Round 5 of Panel 24 was designed for
the same purpose, collecting data associated with both 2020 and 2021. This was
done to permit all three of these panels to provide data for the FY 2021 MEPS
data sets as well as those for FY 2020.
Variables convey the same information for this full
year consolidated file that has been provided for the full year consolidated
files associated with years 1996 - 2020 of MEPS.
A sample design feature shared by Panel 23, Panel 24,
and Panel 25 involved the partitioning of the sample domain “Other” (serving as
the catchall stratum and consisting mainly of households with “White” members)
into two sample domains. This was done for the first time in Panel 16. The two
domains distinguished between those households characterized as “complete”
respondents to the NHIS and those characterized as “partial completes.” NHIS
“partial completes” typically have a lower response rate to MEPS and for all
three MEPS panels the “partial” domain was sampled at a lower rate than the
“complete” domain. This approach has served to reduce survey costs, since the
“partials” tend to have higher costs in gaining survey participation, but has
also increased sample variability due to the resulting increased variability in
sampling rates. Starting with
Panel 25, the “Other, Partial” domain includes the NHIS households that have
provided only a roster of household members. For detailed information on
the MEPS sample design, see Chowdhury et al. (2019). This feature was not of
particular emphasis in Panel 26, for reasons discussed in Section 3.1.4.
Return To Table Of Contents
Each responding household found in this 2021 MEPS
dataset is associated with one of the four separate and overlapping MEPS panels,
Panel 23, Panel 24, Panel 25, and Panel 26. These panels consist of subsamples
of households participating in the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 NHIS,
respectively. The Full Year 2018 PUF was the first one where both MEPS panels
reflect the new NHIS sample design first implemented in 2016.
Whenever there is a change in sample or study design,
it is good survey practice to assess whether such a change could affect the
sample estimates. For example, increased coverage of the target populations with
an updated sample design based on data from the latest Census can improve the
accuracy of the sample estimates. MEPS estimates have been and will continue to
be evaluated to determine if an important change in the survey estimates might
be associated with a change in design. Discussion on the potential effects of
such MEPS design changes in 2021 appears in the data quality section, 3.1.
Background on the two NHIS sample designs of interest here is provided next.
Background on the NHIS Sample Redesign Implemented in
2016
Beginning in 2016, NCHS implemented another new sample
design for the NHIS, which differed substantially from the prior design. Each of
the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia served as explicit strata for
sample selection purposes with the intent of providing the capability of
state-level NHIS estimates obtained through pooling across years if the sample
size for a single year would result in unreliable estimates. In contrast to the
previous design, households in areas with relatively high concentrations of
minorities are not oversampled. PSUs are still formed at the county level.
However, within sampled PSUs, the clusters of addresses that have been sampled
for each year of the NHIS are not in the form of segments (consisting of one or
more census blocks) as was done for the previous NHIS designs. For the 2016
NHIS, each such cluster consisted of roughly 25 subclusters selected using
random systematic sampling across the full geography of the PSU. Each subcluster
is made up of, generally, four nearby addresses, or roughly 100 addresses in
all. The number of subclusters per cluster can vary from year to year.
Another major change is that the list of DUs
(addresses) was obtained from the Computerized Delivery Sequence File (CDSF) of
the U.S. Postal Service, which is a different approach than the standard listing
process for area probability samples used in the pre-2016 designs. While
addresses in the CDSF provide very high coverage of most areas of the country,
coverage in rural areas can be somewhat lower. For rural areas where this was a
concern, address lists were created through the conventional listing process. A
description of the NHIS sample design
is provided by NCHS on the NHIS website.
Panel 23 Household Sample Size
A subsample of 9,700 households (occupied DUs) was
randomly selected for MEPS Panel 23 from NHIS responding households in 2017, of
which 9,694 were fielded for MEPS after the elimination of any units
characterized as ineligible for fielding.
Panel 24 Household Sample Size
A subsample of 9,700 households was randomly selected
for MEPS Panel 24 from the households responding to the 2018 NHIS, of which
9,684 were fielded for MEPS after the elimination of any units characterized as
ineligible for fielding.
Panel 25 Household Sample Size
A subsample of 9,900 households was randomly selected
for MEPS Panel 25 from the households responding to the 2019 NHIS, of which
9,888 were fielded for MEPS after the elimination of any units characterized as
ineligible for fielding.
Panel 26 Household Sample Size
A subsample of 9,510 households was randomly selected
for MEPS Panel 26 from the households responding to the 2020 NHIS, of which all
9,510 were fielded for MEPS after the elimination of any units characterized as
ineligible for fielding.
Implications of the New Design on MEPS Estimates
Under the new design, MEPS sampled households reflect
the clustering of the NHIS, as described above but to a somewhat lesser degree
due to the sampling from NHIS respondents. Due to the spreading of the NHIS
sample in small subclusters across the PSU and the sampling limited to only NHIS
respondents, the impact of clustering on the variance of MEPS estimates may be
more limited. Also, in contrast to the previous design, the NHIS sampling rates
at the address level currently do not vary due to oversampling of minorities
(although this could change in subsequent years). On balance, the overall
variation in sampling rates/weights at the national level for the NHIS is
expected to be lower with a corresponding positive impact on the precision of
MEPS estimates. However, with a reduction in the sample sizes of minority
households, precision levels of MEPS estimates for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics
may be reduced to some extent.
Return To Table Of Contents
In the dataset “MEPS HC-233: 2021 Full Year
Consolidated Data File,” weight variables are provided for generating MEPS
estimates of totals, means, percentages, and rates for persons and families in
the civilian noninstitutionalized population. The person-level weight variable
PERWT21F provided in this file supersedes the corresponding person-level weight
variable provided in the 2021 Full Year Population Characteristic File (HC-228).
Procedures and considerations associated with the construction and
interpretation of person and family-level estimates using these and other
variables are discussed below. It should be noted that NCHS has made a
modification to the NHIS sample design that has affected the MEPS variance
structure. This is discussed in more detail in Section 3.11.1.
Return To Table Of Contents
For most MEPS panels, a sample representing about
three-eighths of the NHIS responding households is made available for use in
MEPS. This was the case for MEPS Panel 23, Panel 24, and Panel 25. For Panel 26,
the sample made available for use in MEPS represented about five-eighths of the
NHIS responding households for the reasons discussed in Section 3.1.4.
Because the MEPS subsampling has to be done soon after
NHIS responding households are identified, a small percentage of the NHIS
households initially characterized as NHIS respondents are later classified as
nonrespondents for the purposes of NHIS data analysis. This actually serves to
increase the overall MEPS response rate slightly since the percentage of NHIS
households designated for use in MEPS (all those characterized initially as
respondents from the NHIS panels and quarters used by MEPS for a given year) is
slightly larger than the final NHIS household-level response rate and some NHIS
nonresponding households do participate in MEPS. However, as a result, these
NHIS nonrespondents who are MEPS participants have no NHIS data available to
link with MEPS data. Once the MEPS sample is selected from among the NHIS
households, characterized as NHIS respondents, RUs consisting entirely of
military personnel are deleted from the sample. Military personnel not living in
the same RU as civilians are ineligible for MEPS. After these exclusions, all
RUs associated with households, selected from among those identified as NHIS
responding households are then fielded in the first round of MEPS.
Table 3.1 shows in Rows A, B, and C the three
informational components just discussed. Row A indicates the percentage of NHIS
households eligible for MEPS. Row B indicates the number of NHIS households
sampled for MEPS. Row C indicates the number of sampled households actually
fielded for MEPS (after dropping the military members discussed above and a
small number of NHIS households sampled in error). Note that all response rates
discussed here are unweighted.
Table 3.1. Sample Size and Unweighted Response Rates
for 2021 Full Year File (Panel 26 Rounds 1-3/Panel 25 Rounds 3-5/Panel 24 Rounds
5-7/Panel 23 Rounds 7-9)
Components |
Panel 23 |
Panel 24 |
Panel 25 |
Panel 26 |
2021 Combined |
A. Percentage of NHIS
households designated for use in MEPS (those
initially characterized as responding) * |
67.1% |
64.3% |
65.7% |
60.6% |
- |
B. Number of
households sampled from the NHIS |
9,700 |
9,700 |
9,900 |
9,510 |
- |
C. Number of
Households sampled from the NHIS and fielded for
MEPS |
9,694 |
9,684 |
9,888 |
9,510 |
- |
D. Round 1 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
10,089 |
10,090 |
10,152 |
9,795 |
- |
E. Round 1 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
7,351 |
7,186 |
6,265 |
5,882 |
- |
F. Round 2 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
7,492 |
7,323 |
5,958 |
6,045 |
- |
G. Round 2 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
6,960 |
6,777 |
4,677 |
4,799 |
- |
H. Round 3 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
7,082 |
6,890 |
5,189 |
4,876 |
- |
I. Round 3 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
6,703 |
6,289 |
4,230 |
4,103 |
- |
J. Round 4 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
6,776 |
6,371- |
4,307 |
- |
- |
K. Round 4 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
6,522 |
5,446- |
3,685 |
- |
- |
L. Round 5 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
6,536 |
5,495- |
3,706 |
- |
- |
M. Round 5 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
6,383 |
4,770- |
3,278 |
- |
- |
N. Round 6 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
6,480 |
4,808 |
- |
- |
- |
O. Round 6 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
5,120 |
3,959 |
- |
- |
- |
P. Round 7 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
5,170 |
4,002 |
- |
- |
- |
Q. Round 7 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
4,513 |
3,500 |
- |
- |
- |
R. Round 8 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
4,548 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
S. Round 8 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
3,984 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
T. Round 9 - Number of
RUs eligible for interviewing |
3,996 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
U. Round 9 - Number of
RUs with completed interviews |
3,603 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Overall annual
unweighted response rates
P26: A x (E/D) x (G/F)
x (I/H)
P25: A x (E/D) x (G/F)
x (I/H) x (K/J) x (M/L)
P24: A x (E/D) x (G/F)
x (I/H) x (K/J) x (M/L) x (O/N) x (Q/P)
P23: A x (E/D) x (G/F)
x (I/H) x (K/J) x (M/L) x (O/N) x (Q/P) x (S/R)
x (U/T)
Combined: 0.22 x P23 +
0.22 x P24 + 0.25 x P25 + 0.31 x P26
|
22.0% (Panel 23
through Round 9) |
20.7% (Panel 24
through Round 7) |
19.6% (Panel 25
through Round 5) |
24.3% (Panel 26 through
Round 3) |
21.8% |
*Among the panels and quarters of the NHIS allocated
to MEPS, the percentage of households that were considered to be NHIS
respondents at the time the MEPS sample was selected.
Return To Table Of Contents
In order to produce annual health care estimates for
calendar year 2021 based on the full MEPS sample data from the MEPS Panel 23,
Panel 24, Panel 25, and Panel 26, the four panels are combined. More
specifically, full calendar year 2021 data collected in Rounds 7 through 9 for
the MEPS Panel 23, Rounds 5, 6, and 7 for the MEPS Panel 24, and Rounds 3
through 5 for the MEPS Panel 25 sample are pooled with data from the first three
rounds of data collection for the MEPS Panel 26 sample (the general approach is
described below).
As mentioned above, all response rates discussed here
are unweighted. To understand the calculation of MEPS response rates, some
features related to MEPS data collection should be noted. When an RU is visited
for a round of data collection, changes in RU membership are identified. Such
changes include the formation of student RUs as well as other new RUs created
when RU members from a previous round have moved to another location in the U.S.
Thus, the number of RUs eligible for MEPS interviewing in a given round is
determined after data collection is fully completed. The ratio of the number of
RUs completing the MEPS interview in a given round to the number of RUs
characterized as eligible to complete the interview for that round represents
the “conditional” response rate for that round expressed as a proportion. It is
“conditional” in that it pertains to the set of RUs characterized as eligible
for MEPS for that round and thus is “conditioned” on prior participation rather
than representing the overall response rate through that round. For example, in
Table 3.1, for Panel 26 Round 2 the ratio of 4,799 (Row G) to 6,045 (Row F)
multiplied by 100 represents the response rate for the round (79.4 percent when
computed), conditioned on the set of RUs characterized as eligible for MEPS for
that round. Taking the product of the percentage of the NHIS sample eligible for
MEPS (Row A) with the product of the ratios for a consecutive set of MEPS rounds
beginning with Round 1 produces the overall response rate through the last MEPS
round specified.
The overall unweighted response rate for 2021 for the
combined sample after pooling the respondents across the four panels was
obtained by computing the product of the compositing factor associated with each
panel (discussed in Section 3.4.6 describing the development of the final weight
for the FY 2021 Consolidated PUF) and the corresponding overall panel response
rate and then summing the four products. Panel 26 represents about 31.5 percent
of the combined sample size, Panel 25 represents about 24.7 percent of the
combined sample size, and Panel 24 represents about 22.1 percent, and Panel 23
represents the remaining 21.7 percent. Thus, the combined response rate of 21.8
percent was computed as 0.22 times 22.0 (22.0 is the overall Panel 23 response
rate through Round 9) plus 0.22 times 20.7 (20.7 is the overall Panel 24
response rate through Round 7) plus 0.25 times 19.6 (19.6 is the overall Panel
25 response rate through Round 5) plus 0.31 times 24.3 (24.3 is the overall
Panel 26 response rate through Round 3.)
The overall response rate of 21.8 percent for 2021 is
lower than that for 2020 (27.6 percent), reflecting the continued impact of the
pandemic on data collection efforts.
Return To Table Of Contents
For MEPS Panel 26 Round 1, 9,510 households were
fielded in 2021 (Row C of Table 3.1), a randomly selected subsample of the
households responding to the 2020 NHIS.
Table 3.1 shows the number of RUs eligible for
interviewing in each Round of Panel 26 as well as the number of RUs completing
the MEPS interview. Computing the individual round “conditional” response rates
as described in Section 3.3.1 and then taking the product of these three
response rates and the factor 60.6 (the percentage of the NHIS sampled
households characterized as responding at the time of sample selection of
households for MEPS) yields an overall response rate of 24.3 percent for Panel
26 through Round 3.
Return To Table Of Contents
A total of 9,888 households were fielded in 2020 for
MEPS Panel 25 (as indicated in Row C of Table 3.1), a randomly selected
subsample of the households responding to the 2019 National Health Interview
Survey (NHIS).
Table 3.1 shows the number of RUs eligible for
interviewing and the number completing the interview for all five rounds of
Panel 25. The overall response rate for Panel 25 was computed in a similar
fashion to that of Panel 26 but covering all five rounds of MEPS interviewing as
well as the factor representing the percentage of NHIS sampled households
eligible for MEPS. The overall response rate for Panel 25 through Round 5 is
19.6 percent.
Return To Table Of Contents
A total of 9,684 households were fielded in 2019 for
MEPS Panel 24 (as indicated in Row C of Table 3.1), a randomly selected
subsample of the households responding to the 2018 National Health Interview
Survey (NHIS).
Table 3.1 shows the number of RUs eligible for
interviewing and the number completing the interview for all seven rounds of
Panel 24. The overall response rate for Panel 24 was computed in a similar
fashion to that of Panel 25 but covering all seven rounds of MEPS interviewing
as well as the factor representing the percentage of NHIS sampled households
eligible for MEPS. The overall response rate for Panel 24 through Round 7 is
20.7 percent.
Return To Table Of Contents
A total of 9,694 households were fielded in 2018 for
MEPS Panel 23 (as indicated in Row C of Table 3.1), a randomly selected
subsample of the households responding to the 2017 National Health Interview
Survey (NHIS).
Table 3.1 shows the number of RUs eligible for
interviewing and the number completing the interview for all nine rounds of
Panel 23. The overall response rate for Panel 23 was computed in a similar
fashion to that of Panel 24 but covering all nine rounds of MEPS interviewing as
well the factor representing the percentage of NHIS sampled households eligible
for MEPS. The overall response rate for Panel 23 through Round 9 is 22.0
percent.
Return To Table Of Contents
A combined panel response rate for the survey
respondents in this data set is obtained by taking a weighted average of the
panel-specific response rates. The Panel 23 response rate was weighted by a
factor of 0.22, the Panel 24 response rate was weighted by a factor of 0.22, the
Panel 25 response rate was weighted by a factor of 0.25, and the Panel 26
response rate was weighted by a factor of 0.31, reflecting approximately the
distribution of the overall sample between the four panels. The resulting
combined response rate for the combined panels was computed as (0.22 x 22.0)
plus (0.22 x 20.7) plus (0.25 x 19.6) plus (0.31 x 24.3) or 21.8 percent (as
shown in Table 3.1).
Return To Table Of Contents
Oversampling is a feature of the MEPS sample design,
helping to increase the precision of estimates for some subgroups of interest.
Before going into details related to MEPS, the concept of oversampling will be
discussed.
In a sample where all persons in a population are
selected with the same probability and survey coverage of the population is
high, the sample distribution is expected to be proportionate to the population
distribution. For example, if Hispanics represent 15 percent of the general
population, one would expect roughly 15 percent of the persons sampled to be
Hispanic. However, in order to improve the precision of estimates for specific
subgroups of a population, one might decide to select samples from those
subgroups at higher rates than the remainder of the population. Thus, one might
select Hispanics at twice the rate (i.e., at double the probability) of persons
not oversampled. As a result, an oversampled subgroup comprises a higher
proportion of the sample than it represents in the general population. Sample
weights ensure that population estimates are not distorted by a disproportionate
contribution from oversampled subgroups. Base sample weights for oversampled
groups will be smaller than for the portion of the population not oversampled.
For example, if a subgroup is sampled at roughly twice the rate of sample
selection for the remainder of the population not oversampled, members of the
oversampled subgroup will receive base or initial sample weights (prior to
nonresponse or poststratification adjustments) that are roughly half the size of
the group not oversampled.
As mentioned above, oversampling is implemented to
increase the sample sizes and thus improve the precision of survey estimates for
particular subgroups of the population. The “cost” of oversampling is that the
precision of estimates for the general population and subgroups not oversampled
will be reduced to some extent compared to the precision one could have achieved
if the same overall sample size were selected without any oversampling.
The NHIS no longer oversamples households with members
who are Asian, Black, or Hispanic. Nevertheless, these minority groups are still
of analytic interest for MEPS. As a result for Panels 23, 24, and 25, all
households in the Asian, Hispanic, and Black domains were sampled with certainty
(i.e., all households assigned to those domains were included in the MEPS). In
addition, all households in Panel 23 who had a member who was a veteran were
also selected with certainty. Among all remaining households for Panel 23, the
“Other, complete” domain was sampled at a rate of about 69 percent while the
“Other, partial complete” domain was sampled at a rate of about 43 percent. For
Panel 24, the corresponding sampling rates for the “Other, complete” domain and
the “Other, partial complete” domain were about 79 percent and 50 percent,
respectively. For Panel 25, the corresponding sampling rates for the “Other,
complete” domain and the “Other, partial complete” domain were about 77 percent
and 50 percent, respectively. The somewhat lower sampling rates for Panel 23 in
the two “Other” domains arose due to the oversampling of veterans in that panel.
With a specified overall sample size of 9,700 fewer were needed from those
assigned to the “Other” domains in that panel.
Within the “noncertainty” strata (the “Other” domains)
for the three panels, responding NHIS households were selected for MEPS using a
systematic sample selection procedure from among those eligible. The selection
of the households was with probability proportionate to size (pps) where the
size measure was the inverse of the NHIS initial probability of selection. The
pps sampling was undertaken to help reduce the variability in the MEPS weights
incurred due to the variability of the NHIS sampling rates.
As discussed in Section 3.1.4, the Panel 26 sample
focused on oversampling the “middle-sized” states rather than Asians, Blacks,
and Hispanics.
A note with respect to the interpretation of MEPS
response rates, which are unweighted. Typically, sample allocations across
sample domains change from one MEPS panel to another. The sample domains used
may also vary by panel as is the case for Panel 23 versus Panel 24, Panel 25,
and Panel 26. When one compares unweighted measures (e.g., response rates)
between panels and years, one should take into account such differences.
Suppose, for example, members of one domain have a lower propensity to respond
than those of another domain. Then, if that domain has been allocated a higher
proportion of the sample, the corresponding panel may have a lower unweighted
response rate simply because of the differences in sample allocation.
Return To Table Of Contents
There is a single full year person-level weight
(PERWT21F) assigned to each record for each key, in-scope person who responded
to MEPS for the full period of time that they were inscope during 2021. A key
person is either a member of a responding NHIS household at the time of
interview or joined a family associated with such a household after being
out-of-scope at the time of the NHIS (the latter circumstance includes newborns
as well as those returning from military service, an institution, or residence
in a foreign country). A person is inscope whenever they are a member of the
civilian noninstitutionalized portion of the U.S. population.
Return To Table Of Contents
The person-level weight PERWT21F was developed in
several stages. Initially, weights were developed for the Full Year 2021
Population Characteristics PUF, released a number of months earlier. Preliminary
person-level weights for Panel 23, Panel 24, Panel 25, and Panel 26 were first
created separately. The weighting process for each panel included adjustments
for nonresponse over time and a calibration to the same independent population
figures. Only those who were inscope on December 31, 2021 were raked to Current
Population Survey (CPS) control totals.
The calibration was undertaken for each panel
separately by raking the nonresponse adjusted weights to CPS population
estimates based on six variables. The six variables used in the establishment of
the person-level control figures were:
education of the reference person
(no degree, high school/GED no college or some college, Bachelor’s degree or
higher); census region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West); MSA status
(MSA, non-MSA); race/ethnicity (Hispanic; Black, non-Hispanic; Asian,
non-Hispanic; and other); sex; and age. (It may be noted that, for
confidentiality reasons, the MSA status variables are no longer released for
public use. This started with the Full-Year 2013 Person-Level Use PUF.)
A weight for the full sample was created by applying
compositing factors to the weights associated with each panel where the factors
are all greater than 0 and sum to 1. The compositing factors for these weights
reflect the relative “effective sample size” of each panel, representing the
inverse of the relative amount of variability in the individual panel estimates
attributable to the variability of the sample weights and sample size. Using
these factors helps limit the variability of the estimates obtained using the
composited weights across the four samples pooled.
The effective sample sizes were computed for each
panel by dividing the sample size by the design effect associated with the
variability of the nonresponse-adjusted person weights in that panel (i.e.,
prior to raking the weights of a panel) across the person-level respondents in
the panel. The relative effective sample size was then computed by taking the
ratio of the effective sample size for a panel to the sum of the effective
sample sizes across the four panels.
Using the relative nominal sample sizes (the
proportions that the number of respondents in a panel represent among the total
number of respondents in the four panels) as compositing factors has worked well
for MEPS in previous years. However, using the relative effective sample size
for 2021 data increases the effectiveness of the compositing factors to limit
variance to some extent in a year where the panel weights are more variable due
to the higher than usual nonresponse. This approach is planned for MEPS in
future years as well.
In terms of the actual details, the individual panel
weights from Panel 23 were multiplied by the factor .22, each weight from Panel
24 was multiplied by the factor .22, each weight from Panel 25 by the factor
.25, and each weight from Panel 26 by the factor .31. Once the compositing
factors were applied to produce a full-sample weight, a final raking was
undertaken, based on the same six variables used in the raking of the individual
panel weights. This weight served as the person-level weight appearing on the
Full Year 2021 Population Characteristics PUF.
The standard approach for establishing the Full Year
2021 Consolidated PUF weight from the Full Year 2021 Population Characteristics
PUF is as follows. When MEPS poverty status information derived from income
variables becomes available, a final raking is undertaken. The full sample
weight appearing on the Population Characteristics PUF for a given year is
re-raked, replacing educational attainment with poverty status while retaining
the other five raking variables previously indicated. Specifically, control
totals based on CPS estimates of poverty status (five categories: below poverty,
from 100 to 125 percent of poverty, from 125 to 200 percent of poverty, from 200
to 400 percent of poverty, at least 400 percent of poverty) as well as age,
race/ethnicity, sex, region, and MSA status were used in the weight calibration
process. Only those inscope on December 31, 2021 were included in the raking
process.
Return To Table Of Contents
The person-level weight for MEPS Panel 23 was
developed using the 2020 full-year weight for an individual as the initially
assigned weight for 2020 survey participants present in 2021. For key, in-scope
members who joined an RU some time in 2021 after being out-of-scope in 2020, the
initially assigned person-level weight was the corresponding 2020 family weight.
The weighting process included an adjustment for person-level nonresponse over
Rounds 8 and 9 as well as raking to population control figures for December 2021
for key, responding persons in-scope on December 31, 2021. These control totals
were derived by scaling back the population distribution obtained from the March
2022 CPS to reflect the December 31, 2021 estimated population total (estimated
based on Census projections for January 1, 2022). Variables used for
person-level raking included: education of the reference person (three
categories: no degree; high school/GED only or some college; Bachelor’s or
higher degree); Census region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West); MSA status
(MSA, non-MSA); race/ethnicity (Hispanic; Black, non-Hispanic; Asian,
non-Hispanic; and other); sex; and age. (It may be noted that for
confidentiality reasons, the MSA status variables are no longer released for
public use.) The final weight for key, responding persons who were not in-scope
on December 31, 2021 but were in-scope earlier in the year was the
nonresponse-adjusted person weight without raking. ’’
The 2020 full-year weight used as the base weight for
Panel 23 was derived from the 2018 MEPS Round 1 weight and reflected adjustment
for nonresponse over the remaining data collection rounds in 2018, 2019, and
2020 as well as raking to the December 2018, December 2019, and December 2020
population control figures.
Return To Table Of Contents
The person-level weight for MEPS Panel 24 was
developed using the 2020 full-year weight for an individual as a “base” weight
for survey participants present in 2021. For key, in-scope members who joined an
RU some time in 2021 after being out-of-scope in 2020, the initially assigned
person-level weight was the corresponding 2020 family weight. The weighting
process also included an adjustment for person-level nonresponse over Rounds 6
and 7 as well as raking to the same population control figures for December 2021
used for the MEPS Panel 23 weights for key, responding persons in-scope on
December 31, 2021. The same six variables employed for Panel 23 raking
(education level, census region, MSA status, race/ethnicity, sex, and age) were
also used for Panel 24 raking. Similar to Panel 23, the Panel 24 final weight
for key, responding persons not in-scope on December 31, 2021 but in-scope
earlier in the year was the nonresponse-adjusted person weight without raking.
Note that the 2020 full-year weight that was used as
the base weight for Panel 24 was derived using the 2019 MEPS Round 1 weight and
reflected adjustment for nonresponse over the remaining data collection rounds
in 2019 and 2020 as well as raking to the December 2019 and December 2020
population control figures.
Return To Table Of Contents
The person-level weight for MEPS Panel 25 was
developed using the 2020 full-year weight for an individual as a “base” weight
for survey participants present in 2021.
For key, in-scope members who joined an RU sometime in
2021 after being out-of-scope in 2020, the initially assigned person-level
weight was the corresponding 2020 family weight. The weighting process also
included an adjustment for person-level nonresponse over Rounds 4 and 5 as well
as raking to the same population control figures for December 2021 used for the
MEPS Panels 23 and 24 weights for key, responding persons in-scope on December
31, 2021. The same six variables employed for Panels 23 and 24 raking (education
level, census region, MSA status, race/ethnicity, sex, and age) were also used
for Panel 25 raking. Similar to Panels 23 and 24, the Panel 25 final weight for
key, responding persons not in-scope on December 31, 2021 but in-scope earlier
in the year was the nonresponse-adjusted person weight without raking.
Note that the 2020 full-year weight that was used as
the base weight for Panel 25 was derived using the 2020 MEPS Round 1 weight and
reflected adjustment for nonresponse over the remaining data collection rounds
in 2020 as well as raking to the December 2020 population control figures.
Return To Table Of Contents
The person-level weight for MEPS Panel 26 was
developed using the 2021 MEPS Round 1 person-level weight as a “base” weight.
The MEPS Round 1 weights incorporated the following components: the original
household probability of selection for the NHIS adjusted to reflect the NHIS
subsample reserved for MEPS and an adjustment for NHIS nonresponse, the
probability of selection for MEPS from NHIS, an adjustment for nonresponse at
the dwelling unit level for Round 1, and poststratification to control figures
at the person level obtained from the March CPS of 2021. For key, in-scope
members who joined an RU after Round 1, the Round 1 DU weight served as a “base”
weight.
The weighting process also included an adjustment for
nonresponse over the remaining data collection rounds in 2021 as well as raking
to the same population control figures for December 2021 used for the MEPS Panel
23, Panel 24, and Panel 25 weights for key, responding persons in-scope on
December 31, 2021. The same six variables employed for Panel 23, Panel 24, and
Panel 25 raking (education level of the reference person, census region, MSA
status, race/ethnicity, sex, and age) were also used for Panel 26 raking.
Similar to Panel 23, Panel 24, and Panel 25, the Panel 26 final weight for key,
responding persons who were not in-scope on December 31, 2021 but were in-scope
earlier in the year was the nonresponse-adjusted person weight without raking.
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As described in Section 3.4.2, person-level weights
from the four panels were then composited using factors identified in 3.4.2 and,
for those persons inscope on December 31, raked to CPS based control totals
reflecting poverty status as well as census region, MSA status, race/ethnicity,
sex, and age. In addition, the composite weights of two groups of persons who
were out-of-scope on December 31, 2021 underwent weight calibration to adjust
for expected undercoverage. Specifically, the weights of those who were inscope
sometime during the year, out-of-scope on December 31, and entered a nursing
home during the year were poststratified to an estimate of the number of persons
who were residents of Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes for part of
the year (approximately 3-9 months) during 2014. This estimate was developed
from data on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS). The weights of persons who died while inscope during 2021 were
poststratified to corresponding estimates derived using data obtained from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS), Underlying Cause of Death, 2018-2021 on
CDC
WONDER Online Database, released in 2023, the latest
available data at the time. Separate decedent control totals were developed for
the “65 and older” and “under 65” civilian noninstitutionalized populations.
The sum of the person-level weights across all persons
assigned a positive person-level weight, (i.e., for the civilian,
noninstitutionalized or in-scope population over the course of the year (based
on PERWT21F>0) is 331,249,393 (see Table 3.2). The corresponding total for the
population that was inscope on December 31, 2021 is 327,209,772.
Table 3.2. Number of person-level respondents and
corresponding population estimates for the 2021 Full Year Consolidated File
Populations of
Interest |
Panel 23 |
Panel 24 |
Panel 25 |
Panel 26 |
Combined |
Population estimate
(weighted total of combined samples) |
Civilian,
Noninstitutionalized Population over the course
of 2021 |
6,674 |
6,441 |
5,990 |
8,227 |
27,332 |
331,249,393 |
Civilian,
Noninstitutionalized Population on December 31,
2021 |
6,596 |
6,370 |
5,934 |
8,118 |
27,018 |
327,209,772 |
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Beginning with the 2021 Full Year data, MEPS
transitioned to 2020 census-based population estimates from the CPS for
poststratification and raking. CPS estimates began reflecting 2020 census-based
data in 2022, and the March 2022 CPS data serve as the basis for the 2021 MEPS
weight calibration efforts.
Use of the updated population controls will have a
noticeable effect on estimated totals for some population subgroups. The article
Adjustments to Household Survey Population Estimates in January
2023 compares some 2022 CPS estimates for those aged
16 and older “as published” with those that would have been generated had the
updated population controls been used. The more notable increase among the
subgroups was for Asians (440 thousand more, a 2.6 percent increase).
Corresponding changes were thus anticipated for MEPS full year data beginning
with the 2021 MEPS PUF.
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The target population associated with this MEPS
database is the 2021 U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population. However,
the MEPS sampled households are a subsample of the NHIS households interviewed
in 2017 (Panel 23), 2018 (Panel 24), 2019 (Panel 25), and 2020 (Panel 26). New
households created after the NHIS interviews for the respective panels and
consisting exclusively of persons who entered the target population after 2017
(Panel 23), after 2018 (Panel 24), after 2019 (Panel 25), or after 2020 (Panel
26) are not covered by MEPS. Neither are previously out-of-scope persons who
join an existing household but are unrelated to the current household residents.
Persons not covered by a given MEPS panel thus include some members of the
following groups: immigrants, persons leaving the military, U.S. citizens
returning from residence in another country, and persons leaving institutions.
Those not covered represent a small proportion of the MEPS target population.
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There are two family weight variables provided in this
release: FAMWT21F and FAMWT21C. FAMWT21F can be used to make estimates for the
cross-section of families in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population
on December 31, 2021 where families are identified based on the MEPS definition
of a family unit. Estimates can include MEPS families that existed at some time
during 2021 but whose members became out-of-scope prior to the end of the year
(e.g., all family members moved out of the country, died, etc.) as well as MEPS
families in existence on December 31, 2021. FAMWT21C can be used to make
estimates for the cross-section of families in the U.S. civilian,
noninstitutionalized population on December 31, 2021 where families are
identified based on the CPS definition of a family unit. It may be noted that
married couples, regardless of gender, are assigned to the same family unit for
the CPS. This represents a definitional change in family structure for the CPS
with the 2021 CPS ASEC file, associated specifically with March, 2021. It is
reflected in MEPS starting with the 2019 Full Year Consolidated PUF.
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A MEPS family generally consists of two or more
persons living together in the same household who are related by blood,
marriage, or adoption. MEPS also defines as a family unmarried persons living
together who consider themselves a family unit (these are not families under the
CPS definition). Single people who live with neither a relative nor a person
identified as a “significant other” have also been assigned a family ID value
and a family-level weight. Thus, they can be included or excluded from
family-level estimates, as desired. Relatives identified as usual residents of
the household who were not present at the time of the interview, such as college
students living away from their parents’ home during the school year, were
considered as members of the family that identified them.
To make estimates at the family level, it is necessary
to prepare a family-level file containing one record per family (see
instructions below), family-level summary characteristics, and the family-level
weight variable (FAMWT21F or FAMWT21C). Each MEPS family unit is uniquely
identified by the combination of the variables DUID and FAMIDYR while each CPS
family unit is uniquely identified by the combination of the variables DUID and
CPSFAMID. Only persons with positive nonzero family weight values are candidates
for inclusion in family estimates.
Two sets of families for whom estimates can be
obtained are defined in Table 3.3 below (along with respective sample sizes).
Persons with FMRS1231=1 were a member of a MEPS family on 12/31/21. The more
expansive definition of families (second row in Table 3.3) includes families and
members of families who were not inscope at the end of the year. While MEPS
includes individual persons as family units (about one-third of all units),
analysts may restrict their analyses to families with two or more members using
the family size variables shown in Table 3.3 (for example, to limit
consideration to the cross-section of families with two or more members on
December 31, 2021, analyze only families where FAMS1231 is 2 or more). Estimates
can also be made for the cross-section of CPS families on December 31, 2021
based on the 13,461 sample CPS families in this data file.
Table 3.3. Identifying MEPS Families and Corresponding Sample Sizes
Population of Interest |
Cases to Include |
Sample Size
(Includes single person units) |
Family Size Variable |
Cross-section of
Families in the Civilian Noninstitutionalized
Population on 12/31/21 |
FAMWT21F>0 &
FMRS1231=1 |
12,910 |
FAMS1231 |
Families in the
Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population on
12/31/21 plus families and members of families
in existence earlier in 2021 who were not part
of the civilian noninstitutionalized population
on 12/31/21 |
FAMWT21F>0 |
13,014 |
FAMSZEYR |
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The following is a summary of the steps and the
variables to be used for family-level estimation based on the MEPS definition of
families.
- Restrict the records of interest to those where FAMWT21F>0
- Concatenate the variables DUID and FAMIDYR into a new
variable (e.g., DUIDFAMY).
- To create a family-level file, sort by DUIDFAMY and then
subset to one record per DUIDFAMY value by retaining only the
reference person record (FAMRFPYR=1) for each value of DUIDFAMY.
Some family-level measures needed for analytic purposes (e.g.,
means or totals) can be obtained after aggregating person-level
information across all members of a family. For other types of
measures, analysts frequently use the characteristics of the
reference person to characterize their family unit (e.g., the
race/ethnicity, marital status, or age of the reference person).
- Apply the weight FAMWT21F to the analytic variable(s) of
interest to obtain national MEPS family estimates.
It should be noted that the MEPS families defined
above include members who were out-of-scope on December 31, 2021 although they
were members of the family immediately prior to going out of scope for the
remainder of the year. If an analyst wishes to restrict MEPS family members to
those who were a family member on December 31, 2021, the analyst should restrict
family members to those with FMRS1231=1.
The following is a summary of the steps and the
variables to be used for family-level estimation based on the CPS definition of
families.
- Restrict the records of interest to those where FAMWT21C>0
- Concatenate the variables DUID and CPSFAMID into a new
variable (e.g., DUIDFAMC).
- To create a family-level file, sort by DUIDFAMC and then
subset to one record per DUIDFAMC value by retaining only the
reference person record (FCRP1231=1) for each value of DUIDFAMC.
Some family-level measures needed for analytic purposes (e.g.,
means or totals) can be obtained after aggregating person-level
information across all members of a family. For other types of
measures, analysts frequently use the characteristics of the
reference person to characterize their family unit (e.g., the
race/ethnicity, marital status, or age of the reference person).
(Note that to be strictly comparable to the CPS definition of
families, only those with two or more family members should be
included in analyses.)
- Apply the weight FAMWT21C to the analytic variable(s) of
interest to obtain national CPS family estimates.
It should be noted that these CPS-families consist
solely of those who were family members on December 31, 2021.
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Because health care related decisions are influenced
by a family's economic status, poverty status is incorporated into the
poststratification component of the weighting process. However, poverty status
is defined based on the CPS definition of a family, which differs from the MEPS
family definition in that unmarried partners living together are considered
separate family units. Since data are collected in MEPS family units (RUs),
prior to poststratification MEPS families in existence on December 31, 2021
containing unmarried partners living together were partitioned into units that
correspond to CPS families (families with no unmarried partners are defined as
family units in both MEPS and CPS).
The process of calibrating the family weights to
achieve consistency with CPS control figures was carried out in several steps.
First, all CPS-like family units were assigned an initial family-level weight
based on the person-level weight (PERWT21F) of the family reference person
(FAMRFPYR=1) of the MEPS family with which they were associated. These CPS
family-level weights (FAMWT21C) were obtained by raking to population control
figures derived from CPS estimates for December 2021 (derived by projecting the
family population totals for the March 2021 CPS forward to reflect December 31,
2021). In addition to poverty status, the calibration process for the
family-level weights incorporated the following variables: Census region; MSA
status; race/ethnicity of reference person (Hispanic, Black but non-Hispanic,
Asian, and other); family type (reference person married, living with spouse;
male reference person, unmarried or spouse not present; female reference person,
unmarried or spouse not present); age of reference person; and family size on
December 31, 2021. The family-level weight variable for MEPS families (FAMWT21F)
was then constructed by putting MEPS families that consisted of more than one
CPS-like family back together and assigning the MEPS family-level weight based
on the CPS family weight of the MEPS family reference person.
The weighted population estimate for CPS families on
December 31, 2021 based on 13,461CPS families in the sample is 143,980,355.
Overall, the weighted population estimate for the 12,910 MEPS family units
containing at least one member of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized
population on December 31, 2021 (those families whose members have FAMWT21F>0
and FMRS1231=1) is 137,896,483. The inclusion of families whose members left the
in-scope population prior to December 31, 2021 increases the estimated total
number of families represented by the 13,014 MEPS responding families (whose
members have FAMWT21F>0) to 142,463,160.
Table 3.4. Families with a family weight >0 for the
2021 Full Year Consolidated Data File
|
Panel 23 |
Panel 24 |
Panel 25 |
Panel 26 |
Combined |
Population estimate
(weighted total of combined samples) |
Number |
3,227 |
3,177 |
2,874 |
3,736 |
13,014 |
142,463,160 |
Return To Table Of Contents
To construct a weight for use in analysis using Health
Insurance Eligibility Units, as identified by the variable HIEUIDX:
- Identify the HIEU head by your analytic intent, i.e. if only
studying health insurance unit with female heads of households,
choose the female adult as head of household.
- If the weight of the HIEU head is non-zero, use the weight
of the HIEU head for all members of that HIEU; or
If the weight of the HIEU head is zero, delete the
case.
Return To Table Of Contents
For analytic purposes, a single person-level weight
variable, SAQWT21F, has been provided for use with the data obtained from the
Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ). This questionnaire was administered in
Panel 26 Round 2, Panel 25 Round 4, Panel 24 Round 6, and Panel 23 Round 8 and
was to be completed by each adult (person aged 18 or older) in the family. Thus,
the target population for the SAQ is adults in the civilian,
noninstitutionalized population at the time data were collected for Rounds
2/4/6/8 (generally speaking, the fall of the year in question).
The final full-year person-level SAQ weight for 2021
was constructed as follows with only those with a 2021 full year person weight
(PERWT21F>0) eligible to receive the 2021 SAQ weight. The weighting process was
similar to that of the full sample person-level weights: nonresponse adjustments
for the weights for each panel separately; raking to CPS control totals;
compositing the weights from the three panels; and finally re-raking of the
composited weights.
Variables used in the nonresponse adjustment process
were region, MSA status, family size, marital status, level of education, health
status, health insurance status, age, sex, and race/ethnicity. The weights were
raked to Current Population Survey (CPS) estimates corresponding to December
2021 (the same source of control figures used for the full year person weights).
The variables used to form control figures (education of the reference person,
region, MSA status, age, sex, and race/ethnicity) are the same variables that
were used for the full year person weights. The only difference was that age
categories were developed after excluding ages under 18, since only adults were
eligible for the SAQ.
The final 2021 SAQ weight for this consolidated data
file was then obtained by raking the preliminary weight to CPS estimates that
were based on poverty status (replacing education of the reference person) as
well as the aforementioned variables. This final weight was assigned the
variable name SAQWT21F.
In all, there were 15,422 persons assigned an SAQ
weight with the sum of the weights being 254,207,493 (an estimate of the
civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 18 or older at the time the SAQ
was administered).
The Panel 23 unweighted response rate for the 2021 SAQ
was 63.6 percent, the Panel 24 unweighted response rate for the 2021 SAQ was
60.4 percent, the Panel 25 unweighted response rate for the 2021 SAQ was 65.1
percent, and the Panel 26 unweighted response rate for the 2021 SAQ was 64.9
percent. Pooled unweighted response rates for the survey respondents have been
computed by taking a weighted average of the panel-specific response rates,
where the weights were the same factors used for the weight compositing as
described in Section 3.4.2 (a value of 0.22 was associated with Panel 23, a
value of 0.22 was associated with Panel 24, a value of 0.25 was associated with
Panel 25, and a value of 0.31 was associated with Panel 26). The pooled
unweighted response rate for the combined panels for the 2021 SAQ is 63.7
percent.
Return To Table Of Contents
A person-level weight, DIABW21F, was developed for use
with the data obtained from the Diabetes Care Survey (DCS). This weight was
assigned to each person aged 18 or over with an SAQ weight who completed the DCS
and self-reported as having diabetes. (Although diabetes diagnosis is now asked
of all ages, the DCS is only given to participants if they are 18 years of age
or older.) The general weighting process was to assign the SAQ expenditure
weight as the initial weight to each individual eligible for a DCS weight. This
weight was adjusted to compensate for RU level nonresponse to the question as to
whether or not each RU member had diabetes and then for nonresponse among those
receiving the DCS questionnaire.
Prior to Panel 12, the identification of people
eligible to receive the DCS questionnaire was focused on the Rounds 3/5
interview. During the Rounds 3/5 regular MEPS interview, each RU respondent was
asked to complete a “conditions” question to identify all
current/deceased/institutionalized RU members of any age who had been diagnosed
with diabetes. Each RU member who was identified as having diabetes by the RU
respondent was then eligible to receive the DCS questionnaire. To determine
which DCS respondents actually had diabetes (and thus were members of the target
population), each DCS respondent was asked if s/he was told by a physician that
s/he had diabetes. While the DCS questionnaire was distributed to persons under
the age of 18, the constructed DCS variables released in the person-level PUF
applied only to adults. Beginning in Panel 12, a different screening process has
been employed to identify those eligible to receive the DCS questionnaire. This
process, described next, involves asking screener questions in each round, with
the group of persons about whom these questions are asked varying from round to
round.
In Round 1, the RU respondent is asked to identify all
RU members (including those who went out of scope unless they died prior to the
date of interview) with diabetes. In Rounds 2/4/6/8, the same screening
information is gathered but only for new RU members (as long as they did not die
during the round). In Round 3, Round 5, and Round 7 the screening questions are
asked of the RU respondent for all RU members who were: (a) inscope sometime
during the round but had not died prior to the date of interview; and (b) had
not been identified as having diabetes in a previous round (this includes people
with missing data, classified as not having diabetes in all previous rounds of
MEPS, and all new members of the RU in Round 3, Round 5, or Round 7). Any RU
member 18 years or older who has been identified by the RU respondent as having
diabetes at any time during MEPS will be asked to complete a DCS questionnaire.
This process has been designed to help ensure that all RU members who were 18
years or older with diabetes will be given a DCS questionnaire to complete.
In all, 1,640 people were assigned a DCS weight
(DIABW21F>0). The sum of the DCS weights is 27,972,020, an estimate of the adult
population self-reporting as having been diagnosed with diabetes based on the
two-step process described above.
The Panel 23 unweighted response rate for the 2021 DCS
was 54.9 percent. The Panel 24 unweighted response rate for the 2021 DCS was
54.2 percent. The Panel 25 unweighted response rate for the 2021 DCS was 55.3
percent. The Panel 26 unweighted response rate for the 2021 DCS was 57.7
percent. The pooled unweighted response rate, calculated based on applying the
compositing factors described in Section 3.4.2, for the combined panels for the
DCS is 55.7 percent.
Return To Table Of Contents
For analytic purposes, a single person-level weight
variable, SDOHWT21F, has been provided for use with the data obtained from the
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) questionnaire. This questionnaire was
administered in Panel 26, Round 1, Panel 25 Round 3, Panel 24 Round 5, and Panel
23 Round 7. These were the rounds associated with the initial fielding of each
panel in 2021. The questionnaire was to be completed by each adult (person aged
18 or older) in the family. Thus, the target population for the SDOH is adults
in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population at the time data were collected
for Rounds 1/3/5/7 (generally speaking, the late winter/spring of 2021).
The final full-year person-level SDOH weight for 2021
was constructed as follows with only those with a 2021 full year person weight
(PERWT21P>0) eligible to receive the 2021 SDOH weight.
The weighting process for the
SDOH weight initiated with the 2021 full year person weights of each panel. The
full sample person-level weights were adjusted to account for nonresponse to the
SDOH for each panel separately. A raking process similar to the full sample
weight were then implemented for each panel. The final steps were to composite
the weights from the four panels and re-rake the composited weights.
March 2021 CPS control totals were used to rake each
panel separately.
Variables used in the nonresponse adjustment process
were region, MSA status, family size, marital status, level of education,
employment status of the reference person, health status, health insurance
status, age, sex, and race/ethnicity. The March 2021 CPS control totals were
formed based on the following variables: educational attainment of the reference
person, region, MSA status, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and poverty status. The
age categories were developed after excluding ages under 18 since only adults
were eligible for the SDOH.
This final weight was assigned the variable name
SDOHWT21F.
In all, there were 18,400 persons assigned an SDOH
weight with the sum of the weights being 252,273,615 (an estimate of the
civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 18 or older at the time the SDOH
was administered).
The unweighted response rates for the 2021 SDOH for
each panel were: Panel 23, 79.7 percent; Panel 24, 75.5 percent; Panel 25, 76.8
percent; and Panel 26, 68.5. The pooled unweighted response rate for the SDOH
survey respondents has been computed by taking a weighted average of the
panel-specific response rates, where the weights were the same factors used for
the weight compositing as described in Section 3.3 (these values are: Panel 23,
0.22; Panel 24, 0.22; Panel 25, 0.25; and Panel 26, 0.31). The pooled unweighted
response rate for the combined panels for the 2021 SDOH is 74.5 percent.
Return To Table Of Contents
To obtain estimates of variability (such as the
standard error of sample estimates or corresponding confidence intervals) for
MEPS estimates, analysts need to take into account the complex sample design of
MEPS for both person-level and family-level analyses. Several methodologies have
been developed for estimating standard errors for surveys with a complex sample
design, including the Taylor-series linearization method, balanced repeated
replication, and jackknife replication. Various software packages provide
analysts with the capability of implementing these methodologies. MEPS analysts
most commonly use the Taylor Series approach. Although this data file does not
contain replicate weights, the capability of employing replicate weights
constructed using the Balanced Repeated Replication (BRR) methodology is also
provided if needed to develop variances for more complex estimators (see Section
3.11.2).
Return To Table Of Contents
The variables needed to calculate appropriate standard
errors based on the Taylor-series linearization method are included on this and
all other MEPS public use files. Software packages that permit the use of the
Taylor-series linearization method include SUDAAN, R, Stata, SAS (version 8.2
and higher), and SPSS (version 12.0 and higher). For complete information on the
capabilities of a package, analysts should refer to the corresponding software
user documentation.
Using the Taylor-series linearization method, variance
estimation strata and the variance estimation PSUs within these strata must be
specified. The variables VARSTR and VARPSU on this MEPS data file serve to
identify the sampling strata and primary sampling units required by the variance
estimation programs. Specifying a “with replacement” design in one of the
previously mentioned computer software packages will provide estimated standard
errors appropriate for assessing the variability of MEPS survey estimates. It
should be noted that the number of degrees of freedom associated with estimates
of variability indicated by such a package may not appropriately reflect the
number available. For variables of interest distributed throughout the country
(and thus the MEPS sample PSUs), one can generally expect to have at least 100
degrees of freedom associated with the estimated standard errors for national
estimates based on this MEPS database.
Prior to 2002, MEPS variance strata and PSUs were
developed independently from year to year, and the last two characters of the
strata and PSU variable names denoted the year. Beginning with the 2002
Point-in-Time PUF, the approach changed with the intention that variance strata
and PSUs would be developed to be compatible with all future PUFs until the NHIS
design changed. Thus, when pooling data across years 2002 through the Panel 11
component of the 2007 files, the variance strata and PSU variables provided can
be used without modification for variance estimation purposes for estimates
covering multiple years of data. There are 203 variance estimation strata, each
stratum with either two or three variance estimation PSUs.
From Panel 12 of the 2007 files, a new set of variance
strata and PSUs were developed because of the introduction of a new NHIS design.
There are 165 variance strata with either two or three variance estimation PSUs
per stratum, starting from Panel 12. Therefore, there are a total of 368
(203+165) variance strata in the 2007 Full Year file as it consists of two
panels that were selected under two independent NHIS sample designs. Since both
MEPS panels in the Full Year files from 2008 through 2016 were based on the next
NHIS design, there are only 165 variance strata. These variance strata (VARSTR
values) have been numbered from 1001 to 1165 so that they can be readily
distinguished from those developed under the former NHIS sample design if data
are pooled for several years.
The NHIS sample design was changed again in 2016,
effectively changing the MEPS design beginning with calendar year 2017. From
Panel 22 of the 2017 files, a new set of variance strata and PSUs were
developed. There are 117 variance strata with either two or three variance
estimation PSUs per stratum. Therefore, there are a total of 282 (165+117)
variance strata in the 2017 Full Year file as it consists of two panels that
were selected under two independent NHIS sample designs. To make the pooling of
data across multiple years of MEPS more straightforward, the numbering system
for the variance strata has changed. Those strata associated with the new design
were numbered from 2001 to 2117.
However, the NHIS sample design was further modified
in 2018. With the modification in the 2018 NHIS sample design, the MEPS variance
structure for the 2019 Full Year file was also modified, reducing the number of
variance strata to 105. Consistency was maintained with the prior structure in
that the 2019 Full Year file variance strata were also numbered within the range
of values from 2001-2117, although there are now gaps in the values assigned
within this range. Due to the modification, each stratum could contain up to
five variance estimation PSUs.
For Panel 26 in the 2021 Full Year file, additional
NHIS sample was used for MEPS to account for increasing nonresponse during the
pandemic (as discussed in Section 3.1.4). The additional sample was assigned to
the existing variance strata, so the 2021 Full Year file continues to have 105
variance strata, numbered 2001-2117, with a few gaps in the values in that
range. In many cases, the additional sample was assigned to new variance
estimation PSUs, so in the 2021 Full Year file, each stratum could contain up to
eight variance estimation PSUs.
Some analysts may be interested in pooling data across
multiple years of MEPS data. If pooling across years is to be undertaken, it
should be noted that, to obtain appropriate standard errors when doing so, it is
necessary to specify a common variance structure. Prior to 2002, each annual
MEPS public use file was released with a variance structure unique to the
particular MEPS sample in that year. Starting in 2002, the annual MEPS public
use files were released with a common variance structure that allowed users to
pool data from 2002 through 2018. However, with the need to modify the variance
structure beginning with 2019, this can no longer be routinely done.
To ensure that variance strata are identified
appropriately for variance estimation purposes when pooling MEPS data across
several years, one can proceed as follows:
- When pooling any years between 2002 through 2018, use the
variance strata numbering as is.
- When pooling (a) any year from 1996 to 2001 with any year
from 2002 or later, or (b) the year 2019 and beyond with any
earlier year, use the pooled linkage public use file HC-036 that
contains the proper variance structure. The HC-036 file is
updated every year so that appropriate variance structures are
available with pooled data. Further details on the HC-036 file
can be found in the public use documentation of the HC-036 file.
Return To Table Of Contents
BRR replicate weights are not provided on this MEPS
PUF for the purposes of variance estimation. However, a file containing a BRR
replication structure is made available so that the users can form replicate
weights, if desired, from the final MEPS weight to compute variances of MEPS
estimates using either BRR or Fay’s modified BRR (Fay, 1989) methods. The
replicate weights are useful to compute variances of complex non-linear
estimators for which a Taylor linear form is not easy to derive and not
available in commonly used software. For instance, it is not possible to
calculate the variances of a median or the ratio of two medians using the Taylor
linearization method. For these types of estimators, users may calculate a
variance using BRR or Fay’s modified BRR methods. However, it should be noted
that the replicate weights have been derived from the final weight through a
shortcut approach. Specifically, the replicate weights are not computed starting
with the base weight and all adjustments made in different stages of weighting
are not applied independently in each replicate. Thus, the variances computed
using this one-step BRR do not capture the effects of all weighting adjustments
that would be captured in a set of fully developed BRR replicate weights. The
Taylor Series approach does not fully capture the effects of the different
weighting adjustments either.
The dataset HC-036BRR, MEPS 1996-2021 Replicates for
Variance Estimation File, contains the information necessary to construct the
BRR replicates. It contains a set of 128 flags (BRR1-BRR128) in the form of half
sample indicators, each of which is coded 0 or 1 to indicate whether the person
should or should not be included in that particular replicate. These flags can
be used in conjunction with the full-year weight to construct the BRR replicate
weights. For analysis of MEPS data pooled across years, the BRR replicates can
be formed in the same way using the HC-036, MEPS 1996-2021 Pooled Linkage
Variance Estimation File. For more information about creating BRR replicates,
users can refer to the documentation for the
HC-036BRR pooled linkage file on the
AHRQ website.
Return To Table Of Contents
Which weight variable to use is decided based on a
hierarchy.
For person-level analyses not involving variables from
the SAQ, DCS, or SDOH, PERWT21F should always be used.
For person-level analysis involving variables from the
SAQ but not the DCS, the weight variable SAQWT21F should be used. For example,
if examining access to care or quality of care variables from the SAQ by
socio-demographics, health status, or health insurance status, SAQWT21F is the
appropriate weight even though person-level socio-demographic, health status,
and health insurance status variables are part of the core person-level
questionnaire. Whenever data from the Diabetes Care Survey (DCS) are used, alone
or in conjunction with data from other questionnaires, the weight variable
DIABW21F should be used for those eligible to provide DCS data.
For person-level analysis involving variables from the
SDOH, the weight variable SDOHWT21F should be used.
For all family-level analyses, FAMWT21F or FAMWT21C
should be used.
Return To Table Of Contents
First, of course, we note that there are uncertainties
associated with 2020 and 2021 data quality as discussed earlier in the data
quality section (Section 3.1). Evaluations of important MEPS estimates suggest
that they are of reasonable quality. Nevertheless, analysts are advised to
exercise caution in interpreting these estimates, particularly in terms of trend
analyses since access to health care was substantially affected by the COVID-19
pandemic as were related factors such as health insurance and employment status
for many people.
MEPS began in 1996, and the utility of the survey for
analyzing health care trends expands with each additional year of data; however,
when examining trends over time using MEPS, the length of time being analyzed
should 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.
With respect to methodological considerations, in 2013
MEPS introduced an effort focused on field procedure changes such as interviewer
training to obtain more complete information about health care utilization from
MEPS respondents with full implementation in 2014. This effort likely resulted
in improved data quality and a reduction in underreporting starting in the
second half of 2013 and throughout the 2014 full year files and have had some
impact on analyses involving trends in utilization across years.
The changes in the NHIS sample design in 2016 and 2018
could also potentially affect trend analyses. The new NHIS sample design is
based on more up-to-date information related to the distribution of housing
units across the U.S. As a result, it can be expected to better cover the full
U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population, the target population for MEPS,
as well as many of its subpopulations. Better coverage of the target population
helps to reduce the potential for bias in both NHIS and MEPS estimates.
Another change with the potential to affect trend
analysis involved major modifications to the MEPS instrument design and data
collection process, particularly in the events sections of the instrument. These
were introduced in the Spring of 2018 and thus affected data beginning with
Round 1 of Panel 23, Round 3 of Panel 22, and Round 5 of Panel 21. Since the
Full Year 2017 PUFs were established from data collected in Rounds 1-3 of Panel
22 and Rounds 3-5 of Panel 21, they reflected two different instrument designs.
In order to mitigate the effect of such differences within the same full year
file, the Panel 22 Round 3 data and the Panel 21 Round 5 data were transformed
to make them as consistent as possible with data collected under the previous
design. The changes in the instrument were designed to make the data collection
effort more efficient and easy to administer. In addition, expectations were
that data on some items, such as those related to health care events, would be
more complete with the potential of identifying more events. Increases in
service use reported since the implementation of these changes are consistent
with these expectations. Data users should be aware of possible impacts on
the data and especially trend analysis for these data years due to the design
transition.
Process changes, such as data editing and imputation,
may also affect trend analyses. For example, users should refer to Section
2.5.11 above and, for more detail, the documentation for the prescription drug
file (HC-229A) when analyzing prescription drug spending over time.
As always, it is recommended that data users review
relevant sections of the documentation for descriptions of these types of
changes that might affect the interpretation of changes over time before
undertaking trend analyses.
Analysts may also wish to consider using statistical
techniques to smooth or stabilize analyses of trends using MEPS data such as
comparing pooled time periods (e.g., 1996-1997 versus 2011-2012), 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, statistical significance tests should be
conducted to assess the likelihood that observed trends are not attributable to
sampling variation. In addition, 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.
Return To Table Of Contents
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Bramlett, M.D., Dahlhamer, J.M., & Bose, J. (2021,
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Ding, Y. and Hill, S.C. (2022). Evaluating Alternative
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Coronavirus Infects Surveys, Too: Survey Nonresponse Bias and
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Return To Table Of Contents
FOR MEPS HC-233: 2021 CONSOLIDATED DATA FILE
SURVEY ADMINISTRATION VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
DUID |
Panel # + Encrypted DU
Identifier |
Assigned in Sampling |
PID |
Person Number |
Assigned in Sampling
or by CAPI |
DUPERSID |
Person ID (DUID + PID) |
Assigned in Sampling |
PANEL |
Panel Number |
Constructed |
FAMID31 |
Family ID (Student
Merged In) - R3/1 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMID42 |
Family ID (Student
Merged In) - R4/2 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMID53 |
Family ID (Student
Merged In) - R5/3 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMID21 |
Family ID (Student
Merged In) - 12/31/21 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMIDYR |
Annual Family
Identifier |
Constructed |
CPSFAMID |
CPS-Like Family
Identifier |
Constructed |
FCSZ1231 |
Family Size Responding
12/31 CPS Family |
Constructed |
FCRP1231 |
Ref Person of 12/31
CPS Family |
Constructed |
RULETR31 |
RU Letter - R3/1 |
CAPI Derived |
RULETR42 |
RU Letter - R4/2 |
CAPI Derived |
RULETR53 |
RU Letter - R5/3 |
CAPI Derived |
RULETR21 |
RU Letter as of
12/31/21 |
CAPI Derived |
RUSIZE31 |
RU Size - R3/1 |
CAPI Derived |
RUSIZE42 |
RU Size - R4/2 |
CAPI Derived |
RUSIZE53 |
RU Size - R5/3 |
CAPI Derived |
RUSIZE21 |
RU Size as of 12/31/21 |
CAPI Derived |
RUCLAS31 |
RU fielded as:
Standard/New/Student - R3/1 |
CAPI Derived |
RUCLAS42 |
RU fielded as:
Standard/New/Student - R4/2 |
CAPI Derived |
RUCLAS53 |
RU fielded as:
Standard/New/Student - R5/3 |
CAPI Derived |
RUCLAS21 |
RU fielded as:
Standard/New/Stud-12/31/21 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMSZE31 |
RU Size Including
Students - R3/1 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMSZE42 |
RU Size Including
Students - R4/2 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMSZE53 |
RU Size Including
Students - R5/3 |
CAPI Derived |
FAMSZE21 |
RU Size Including
Students as of 12/31/21 |
CAPI Derived |
FMRS1231 |
Member of Responding
12/31 Family |
Constructed |
FAMS1231 |
Family Size of
Responding 12/31 Family |
Constructed |
FAMSZEYR |
Size of Responding
Annualized Family |
Constructed |
FAMRFPYR |
Reference Person of
Annualized Family |
Constructed |
REGION31 |
Census Region - R3/1 |
Assigned in Sampling |
REGION42 |
Census Region - R4/2 |
Assigned in Sampling |
REGION53 |
Census Region - R5/3 |
Assigned in Sampling |
REGION21 |
Census Region as of
12/31/21 |
Assigned in Sampling |
REFPRS31 |
Reference Person at -
R3/1 |
RE480-RE500 |
REFPRS42 |
Reference Person at -
R4/2 |
RE480-RE500 |
REFPRS53 |
Reference Person at -
R5/3 |
RE480-RE500 |
REFPRS21 |
Reference Person as of
12/31/21 |
RE480-RE500 |
RESP31 |
1st Respondent
Indicator for R3/1 |
ST30 |
RESP42 |
1st Respondent
Indicator for R4/2 |
ST30 |
RESP53 |
1st Respondent
Indicator for R5/3 |
ST30 |
RESP21 |
1st Respondent
Indicator as of 12/31/21 |
ST30 |
PROXY31 |
Was Respondent a Proxy
in R3/1 |
ST30 |
PROXY42 |
Was Respondent a Proxy
in R4/2 |
ST30 |
PROXY53 |
Was Respondent a Proxy
in R5/3 |
ST30 |
PROXY21 |
Was Respondent a Proxy
as of 12/31/21 |
ST30 |
INTVLANG |
Language Interview Was
Completed |
RU30 |
BEGRFM31 |
R3/1 Reference Period
Begin Date: Month |
CAPI Derived |
BEGRFY31 |
R3/1 Reference Period
Begin Date: Year |
CAPI Derived |
ENDRFM31 |
R3/1 Reference Period
End Date: Month |
CAPI Derived |
ENDRFY31 |
R3/1 Reference Period
End Date: Year |
CAPI Derived |
BEGRFM42 |
R4/2 Reference Period
Begin Date: Month |
CAPI Derived |
BEGRFY42 |
R4/2 Reference Period
Begin Date: Year |
CAPI Derived |
ENDRFM42 |
R4/2 Reference Period
End Date: Month |
CAPI Derived |
ENDRFY42 |
R4/2 Reference Period
End Date: Year |
CAPI Derived |
BEGRFM53 |
R5/3 Reference Period
Begin Date: Month |
CAPI Derived |
BEGRFY53 |
R5/3 Reference Period
Begin Date: Year |
CAPI Derived |
ENDRFM53 |
R5/3 Reference Period
End Date: Month |
CAPI Derived |
ENDRFY53 |
R5/3 Reference Period
End Date: Year |
CAPI Derived |
ENDRFM21 |
2021 Reference Period
End Date: Month |
RE Section |
ENDRFY21 |
2021 Reference Period
End Date: Year |
RE Section |
KEYNESS |
Person Key Status |
RE Section |
INSCOP31 |
Inscope - R3/1 |
RE Section |
INSCOP42 |
Inscope - R4/2 |
RE Section |
INSCOP53 |
Inscope - R5/3 |
RE Section |
INSCOP21 |
Inscope - R5/3 Start
through 12/31/21 |
RE Section |
INSC1231 |
Inscope Status on
12/31/21 |
Constructed |
INSCOPE |
Was Person Ever
Inscope in 2021 |
RE Section |
ELGRND31 |
Eligibility - R3/1 |
RE Section |
ELGRND42 |
Eligibility - R4/2 |
RE Section |
ELGRND53 |
Eligibility - R5/3 |
RE Section |
ELGRND21 |
Eligibility Status as
of 12/31/21 |
RE Section |
PSTATS31 |
Person Disposition
Status - R3/1 |
RE Section |
PSTATS42 |
Person Disposition
Status - R4/2 |
RE Section |
PSTATS53 |
Person Disposition
Status - R5/3 |
RE Section |
RURSLT31 |
RU Result - R3/1 |
Assigned by CAPI |
RURSLT42 |
RU Result - R4/2 |
Assigned by CAPI |
RURSLT53 |
RU Result - R5/3 |
Assigned by CAPI |
Return To Table Of Contents
DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
AGE31X |
Age - R3/1 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE80, 650, 680, 750 |
AGE42X |
Age - R4/2 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE80, 650, 680, 750 |
AGE53X |
Age - R5/3 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE80, 650, 680, 750 |
AGE21X |
Age as of 12/31/21 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE80, 650, 680, 750 |
AGELAST |
Person’s Age Last Time Eligible |
AGE21X, AGE42X, AGE31X |
DOBMM |
Date of Birth: Month |
RE70, 650, 680, 730 |
DOBYY |
Date of Birth: Year |
RE70, 650, 680, 730 |
SEX |
Sex |
RE60, 650, 680, RE 720 |
RACEV1X |
Race (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
RACEV2X |
Race (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
RACEAX |
Asian Among Races Rptd (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
RACEBX |
Black Among Races Rptd (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
RACEWX |
White Among Races Rptd (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
RACETHX |
Race/Ethnicity (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
HISPANX |
Hispanic Ethnicity (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
HISPNCAT |
Hispanic Ethnicity (Edited/Imputed) |
RE1170 |
MARRY31X |
Marital Status - R3/1 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE100, 1170 |
MARRY42X |
Marital Status - R4/2 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE100, 1170 |
MARRY53X |
Marital Status - R5/3 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE100, 1170 |
MARRY21X |
Marital Status-12/31/21 (Edited/Imputed) |
RE100, 1170 |
SPOUID31 |
Spouse ID - R3/1 |
RE900 |
SPOUID42 |
Spouse ID - R4/2 |
RE900 |
SPOUID53 |
Spouse ID - R5/3 |
RE900 |
SPOUID21 |
Spouse ID - 12/31/21 |
RE900 |
SPOUIN31 |
Marital Status w/Spouse Present - R3/1 |
RE900 |
SPOUIN42 |
Marital Status w/Spouse Present - R4/2 |
RE900 |
SPOUIN53 |
Marital Status w/Spouse Present - R5/3 |
RE900 |
SPOUIN21 |
Marital Status w/Spouse Present-12/31/21 |
RE900 |
EDUCYR |
Years of Educ When First Entered MEPS |
RE1180-1200 |
HIDEG |
Highest Degree When First Entered MEPS |
RE1180-1200 |
FTSTU31X |
Student Status if Ages 17-23 - R3/1 |
RE50, 1210 |
FTSTU42X |
Student Status if Ages 17-23 - R4/2 |
RE50, 1210 |
FTSTU53X |
Student Status if Ages 17-23 - R5/3 |
RE50, 1210 |
FTSTU21X |
Student Status if Ages 17-23 - 12/31/21 |
RE50, 1210 |
ACTDTY31 |
Military Full-Time Active Duty - R3/1 |
RE110, 1050, 1080, 1100 |
ACTDTY42 |
Military Full-Time Active Duty - R4/2 |
RE110, 1050, 1080, 1100 |
ACTDTY53 |
Military Full-Time Active Duty - R5/3 |
RE110, 1050, 1080, 1100 |
REFRL31X |
Relation to Ref Pers - R3/1 (Edit/Imp) |
RE 900 |
REFRL42X |
Relation to Ref Pers - R4/2 (Edit/Imp) |
RE 900 |
REFRL53X |
Relation to Ref Pers - R5/3 (Edit/Imp) |
RE 900 |
REFRL21X |
Relation to Ref Pers - 12/31/21 (Edit/Imp) |
RE 900 |
OTHLGSPK |
Speak Other Language at Home |
RE 1170 |
WHTLGSPK |
What Language Spoken Other Than English |
RE 1170 |
HWELLSPK |
How Well Person Speaks English |
RE 1170 |
BORNUSA |
Person Born in the US |
RE1170 |
YRSINUS |
Years Person Lived in the US |
RE1170 |
MOPID31X |
PID of Person’s Mom - RD 3/1 |
RE 900 |
MOPID42X |
PID of Person’s Mom - RD 4/2 |
RE 900 |
MOPID53X |
PID of Person’s Mom - RD 5/3 |
RE 900 |
DAPID31X |
PID of Person’s Dad - RD 3/1 |
RE 900 |
DAPID42X |
PID of Person’s Dad - RD 4/2 |
RE 900 |
DAPID53X |
PID of Person’s Dad - RD 5/3 |
RE 900 |
Return To Table Of Contents
INCOME VARIABLES
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
FILEDR21 |
Has Person Filed A Fed Income Tax Return |
IN 20 |
WILFIL21 |
Will Person File Fed Income Tax Return |
IN 30 |
FLSTAT21 |
Person’s Filing Status |
IN 40 |
FILER21 |
Primary Or Secondary Filer |
IN 40 |
JTINRU21 |
Joint Filer’s Membership In RU |
IN 50 |
JNTPID21 |
PID of Joint Filer |
IN 50 |
TAXFRM21 |
Tax Form Person Will File |
IN 60 |
FOODST21 |
Did Anyone Receive Food Stamps |
IN 700 |
FOODMN21 |
Number Of Months Food Stamps Received |
IN 710 |
FOODVL21 |
Monthly Value Of Food Stamps |
IN 720 |
TTLP21X |
Person’s Total Income |
Constructed |
FAMINC21 |
Family’s Total Income |
Constructed |
POVCAT21 |
Family Income As Percent Of Poverty Line - Categorical |
Constructed |
POVLEV21 |
Family Income As Percent Of Poverty Line - Continuous |
Constructed |
WAGEP21X |
Person’s Wage Income |
Constructed |
WAGIMP21 |
Wage Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
BUSNP21X |
Person’s Business Income |
Constructed |
BUSIMP21 |
Business Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
UNEMP21X |
Person’s Unemployment Comp Income |
Constructed |
UNEIMP21 |
Unemployment Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
WCMPP21X |
Person’s Workers’ Compensation |
Constructed |
WCPIMP21 |
Workers' Comp Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
INTRP21X |
Person’s Interest Income |
Constructed |
INTIMP21 |
Interest Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
DIVDP21X |
Person’s Dividend Income |
Constructed |
DIVIMP21 |
Dividend Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
SALEP21X |
Person’s Sales Income |
Constructed |
SALIMP21 |
Sales Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
PENSP21X |
Person’s Pension Income |
Constructed |
PENIMP21 |
Pension Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
SSECP21X |
Person’s Social Security Income |
Constructed |
SSCIMP21 |
Social Security Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
TRSTP21X |
Person’s Trust/Rent Income |
Constructed |
TRTIMP21 |
Trust Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
VETSP21X |
Person’s Veteran’s Income |
Constructed |
VETIMP21 |
Veteran's Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
IRASP21X |
Person’s Ira Income |
Constructed |
IRAIMP21 |
Ira Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
ALIMP21X |
Person’s Alimony Income |
Constructed |
ALIIMP21 |
Alimony Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
CHLDP21X |
Person’s Child Support |
Constructed |
CHLIMP21 |
Child Support Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
CASHP21X |
Person’s Other Regular Cash Contrib |
Constructed |
CSHIMP21 |
Cash Contribution Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
SSIP21X |
Person’s SSI |
Constructed |
SSIIMP21 |
SSI Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
PUBP21X |
Person’s Public Assistance |
Constructed |
PUBIMP21 |
Public Assistance Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
OTHRP21X |
Person’s Other Income |
Constructed |
OTHIMP21 |
Other Income Imputation Flag |
Constructed |
HIEUIDX |
Health Insurance Eligibility Unit Identifier |
Constructed |
Return To Table Of Contents
PERSON-LEVEL CONDITION VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
RTHLTH31 |
Perceived Health Status - RD 3/1 |
PE10 |
RTHLTH42 |
Perceived Health Status - RD 4/2 |
PE10 |
RTHLTH53 |
Perceived Health Status - RD 5/3 |
PE10 |
MNHLTH31 |
Perceived Mental Health Status - RD 3/1 |
PE20 |
MNHLTH42 |
Perceived Mental Health Status - RD 4/2 |
PE20 |
MNHLTH53 |
Perceived Mental Health Status - RD 5/3 |
PE20 |
HIBPDX |
High Blood Pressure Diag (>17) |
PE30A |
HIBPAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-High Blood Pressure |
PE40 |
BPMLDX |
Mult Diag High Blood Press (>17) |
PE50 |
CHDDX |
Coronary Hrt Disease Diag (>17) |
PE30B |
CHDAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Coronary Heart Disease |
PE60 |
ANGIDX |
Angina Diagnosis (>17) |
PE30C |
ANGIAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Angina |
PE70 |
MIDX |
Heart Attack (MI) Diag (>17) |
PE30D |
MIAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Heart Attack (MI) |
PE80 |
OHRTDX |
Other Heart Disease Diag (>17) |
PE30E |
OHRTAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Other Heart Disease |
PE100 |
OHRTTYPE |
Type of Other Heart Disease (>17) |
PE90 |
STRKDX |
Stroke Diagnosis (>17) |
PE30F |
STRKAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Stroke |
PE110 |
EMPHDX |
Emphysema Diagnosis (>17) |
PE30G |
EMPHAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Emphysema |
PE120 |
CHBRON31 |
Chronc Bronchits Last 12 Mths (>17)-R3/1 |
PE330 |
CHBRON53 |
Chronc Bronchits Last 12 Mths (>17)-R5/3 |
PE330 |
CHOLDX |
High Cholesterol Diagnosis (>17) |
PE30H |
CHOLAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-High Cholesterol |
PE130 |
CANCERDX |
Cancer Diagnosis (>17) |
PE30I |
CABLADDR |
Cancer Diagnosed - Bladder (>17) |
PE140 |
CABREAST |
Cancer Diagnosed - Breast (>17) |
PE140 |
CACERVIX |
Cancer Diagnosed - Cervical (>17) |
PE140 |
CACOLON |
Cancer Diagnosed - Colon (>17) |
PE140 |
CALUNG |
Cancer Diagnosed - Lung (>17) |
PE140 |
CALYMPH |
Cancer Diagnosed - Lymphoma (Non-Hodgkin’s) (>17) |
PE140 |
CAMELANO |
Cancer Diagnosed - Skin Melanoma (>17) |
PE140 |
CAOTHER |
Cancer Diagnosed - Other (>17) |
PE140 |
CAPROSTA |
Cancer Diagnosed - Prostate (>17) |
PE140 |
CASKINNM |
Cancer Diagnosed - Skin-Nonmelano (>17) |
PE140 |
CASKINDK |
Cancer Diagnosed - Skin-Unknown Type (>17) |
PE140 |
CAUTERUS |
Cancer Diagnosed - Uterine (>17) |
PE140 |
DIABDX_M18 |
Diabetes Diagnosis |
PE30K |
DIABAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Diabetes |
PE190 |
JTPAIN31_M18 |
Joint Pain Last 12 Months (>17) - RD 3/1 |
PE320 |
JTPAIN53_M18 |
Joint Pain Last 12 Months (>17) - RD 5/3 |
PE320 |
ARTHDX |
Arthritis Diagnosis (>17) |
PE30J |
ARTHTYPE |
Type Of Arthritis Diagnosed (>17) |
PE170 |
ARTHAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Arthritis |
PE180 |
ASTHDX |
Asthma Diagnosis |
PE30L |
ASTHAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-Asthma |
PE200 |
ASSTIL31 |
Does Person Still Have Asthma - RD 3/1 |
PE210 |
ASSTIL53 |
Does Person Still Have Asthma - RD 5/3 |
PE210 |
ASATAK31 |
Asthma Attack Last 12 Mos- RD 3/1 |
PE220 |
ASATAK53 |
Asthma Attack Last 12 Mos- RD 5/3 |
PE220 |
ASTHEP31 |
When Was Last Episode Of Asthma - RD 3/1 |
PE230 |
ASTHEP53 |
When Was Last Episode Of Asthma - RD 5/3 |
PE230 |
ASACUT31 |
Used Acute Pres Inhaler Last 3 Mos - RD 3/1 |
PE260 |
ASACUT53 |
Used Acute Pres Inhaler Last 3 Mos - RD 5/3 |
PE260 |
ASMRCN31 |
Used >3 Acute Cn Pres Inh Last 3 Mos - RD 3/1 |
PE270 |
ASMRCN53 |
Used >3 Acute Cn Pres Inh Last 3 Mos - RD 5/3 |
PE270 |
ASPREV31 |
Ever Used Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 3/1 |
PE240 |
ASPREV53 |
Ever Used Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 5/3 |
PE240 |
ASDALY31 |
Now Take Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 3/1 |
PE250 |
ASDALY53 |
Now Take Prev Daily Asthma Meds - RD 5/3 |
PE250 |
ASPKFL31 |
Have Peak Flow Meter At Home - RD 3/1 |
PE280 |
ASPKFL53 |
Have Peak Flow Meter At Home - RD 5/3 |
PE280 |
ASEVFL31 |
Ever Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 3/1 |
PE290 |
ASEVFL53 |
Ever Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 5/3 |
PE290 |
ASWNFL31 |
When Last Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 3/1 |
PE300 |
ASWNFL53 |
When Last Used Peak Flow Meter - RD 5/3 |
PE300 |
ADHDADDX |
ADHD/ADD Diagnosis (5-17) |
PE30M |
ADHDAGED |
Age of Diagnosis-ADHD/ADD |
PE310 |
Return To Table Of Contents
HEALTH STATUS VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
IADLHP31 |
IADL Screener - RD 3/1 |
HE10-30 |
IADLHP53 |
IADL Screener - RD 5/3 |
HE10-30 |
ADLHLP31 |
ADL Screener - RD 3/1 |
HE40-60 |
ADLHLP53 |
ADL Screener - RD 5/3 |
HE40-60 |
AIDHLP31 |
Used Assistive Devices
- RD 3/1 |
HE70-80 |
AIDHLP53 |
Used Assistive Devices
- RD 5/3 |
HE70-80 |
WLKLIM31 |
Limitation in Physical
Functioning - RD 3/1 |
HE90-100 |
WLKLIM53 |
Limitation in Physical
Functioning - RD 5/3 |
HE90-100 |
LFTDIF31 |
Difficulty Lifting 10
Pounds - RD 3/1
|
HE110
|
LFTDIF53 |
Difficulty Lifting 10
Pounds - RD 5/3
|
HE110
|
STPDIF31 |
Difficulty Walking up
10 Steps - RD 3/1
|
HE120
|
STPDIF53 |
Difficulty Walking up
10 Steps - RD 5/3
|
HE120
|
WLKDIF31 |
Difficulty Walking 3
Blocks - RD 3/1
|
HE130
|
WLKDIF53 |
Difficulty Walking 3
Blocks - RD 5/3
|
HE130
|
MILDIF31 |
Difficulty Walking a
Mile - RD 3/1
|
HE140
|
MILDIF53 |
Difficulty Walking a
Mile - RD 5/3
|
HE140
|
STNDIF31 |
Difficulty Standing 20
Minutes - RD 3/1
|
HE150
|
STNDIF53 |
Difficulty Standing 20
Minutes - RD 5/3
|
HE150
|
BENDIF31 |
Difficulty
Bending/Stooping - RD 3/1
|
HE160
|
BENDIF53 |
Difficulty
Bending/Stooping - RD 5/3
|
HE160
|
RCHDIF31 |
Difficulty Reaching
Overhead - RD 3/1
|
HE170
|
RCHDIF53 |
Difficulty Reaching
Overhead - RD 5/3
|
HE170
|
FNGRDF31 |
Difficulty Using
Fingers to Grasp - RD 3/1
|
HE180
|
FNGRDF53 |
Difficulty Using
Fingers to Grasp - RD 5/3
|
HE180
|
ACTLIM31 |
Any Limitation Work/Housewrk/Schl
- RD 3/1
|
HE190-200
|
ACTLIM53 |
Any Limitation Work/Housewrk/Schl
- RD 5/3
|
HE190-200
|
WRKLIM31 |
Work Limitation - RD
3/1
|
HE210
|
WRKLIM53 |
Work Limitation - RD
5/3
|
HE210
|
HSELIM31 |
Housework Limitation -
RD 3/1
|
HE210
|
HSELIM53 |
Housework Limitation -
RD 5/3
|
HE210
|
SCHLIM31 |
School Limitation - RD
3/1
|
HE210
|
SCHLIM53 |
School Limitation - RD
5/3
|
HE210
|
UNABLE31 |
Completely Unable to
Do Activity - RD 3/1
|
HE220
|
UNABLE53 |
Completely Unable to
Do Activity - RD 5/3
|
HE220
|
SOCLIM31 |
Social Limitations -
RD 3/1
|
HE230-240
|
SOCLIM53 |
Social Limitations -
RD 5/3
|
HE230-240
|
COGLIM31 |
Cognitive Limitations
- RD 3/1
|
HE250A, 250B, 250C,
260
|
COGLIM53 |
Cognitive Limitations
- RD 5/3
|
HE250A, 250B, 250C,
260
|
DFHEAR42 |
Serious Difficulty
Hearing-RD4/2
|
HE270-280
|
DFSEE42 |
Serious Difficulty See
w/Glasses-RD4/2
|
HE290C-300
|
DFCOG42 |
Serious Cognitive
Difficulties-RD4/2
|
HE310-320
|
DFWLKC42 |
Serious Difculty Wlk/Climb
Stairs-RD4/2
|
HE330-340
|
DFDRSB42 |
Difficulty
Dressing/Bathing-RD4/2
|
HE350-360
|
DFERND42 |
Difficulty Doing
Errands Alone-RD4/2
|
HE370-380
|
ANYLMI21 |
Any Limitation in
P23R7,8/P24R5,6,7/P25R3,4/P26R1,2,3
|
Constructed
|
CHPMED42 |
CSHCN: Child Needs
Prescrb Med(0-17)-R4/2
|
CS10
|
CHPMHB42 |
CSHCN: Pmed for Hlth/Behv
Cond (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS20
|
CHPMCN42 |
CSHCN: Pmed Cond Last
12+ Mos (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS30
|
CHSERV42 |
CSHCN: Chld Needs
Med&Oth Serv (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS40
|
CHSRHB42 |
CSHCN: Serv for Hlth/Behv
Cond(0-17)-R4/2
|
CS50
|
CHSRCN42 |
CSHCN: Serv Cond Last
12+ Mos (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS60
|
CHLIMI42 |
CSHCN: Limited in Any
Way (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS70
|
CHLIHB42 |
CSHCN: Limt for
Hlth/Behv Cond(0-17)-R4/2
|
CS80
|
CHLICO42 |
CSHCN: Limit Cond Last
12+ Mos (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS90
|
CHTHER42
|
CSHCN: Chld Needs Spec
Therapy (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS100
|
CHTHHB42
|
CSHCN: Spec Ther for
Hlth+Cond(0-17)-R4/2
|
CS110
|
CHTHCO42
|
CSHCN: Ther Cond Last
12+ Mos (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS120
|
CHCOUN42
|
CSHCN: Child Needs
Counseling (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS130
|
CHEMPB42
|
CSHCN: Couns Prob Last
12+ Mos (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS140
|
CSHCN42
|
CSHCN:Child w/Spec HC
Needs (0-17)-R4/2
|
CS10-140
|
GETTRB42
|
Prblm Getting in
Trouble (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS150A
|
MOMPRO42
|
Problem Getting Along
w/Mom (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS150B
|
DADPRO42
|
Problem Getting Along
w/Dad (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS150C
|
UNHAP42
|
Problem Feeling
Unhappy/Sad (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS150D
|
SCHLBH42
|
Problem Behavior at
School (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS160A
|
HAVFUN42
|
Problem Having Fun
(5-17) - R4/2
|
CS160B
|
ADUPRO42
|
Prblm Getting Along
w/Adults (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS160C
|
NERVAF42
|
Prblm Feeling
Nervous/Afraid (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS170A
|
SIBPRO42
|
Prblm Getting Along
w/Sibs (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS170B
|
KIDPRO42
|
Prblm Getting Along
w/Kids (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS170C
|
SPRPRO42
|
Problem
w/Sports/Hobbies (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS180A
|
SCHPRO42
|
Problem With
Schoolwork (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS180B
|
HOMEBH42
|
Problem w/Behavior at
Home (5-17)-R4/2
|
CS180C
|
CHILCR42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Ill/Inj
Need Care (0-17)R4/2
|
CS190
|
CHILWW42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Ill Care
Whn Wntd (0-17)R4/2
|
CS200
|
CHRTCR42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Make Rout
Apt (0-17)R4/2
|
CS210
|
CHRTWW42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Rout Apt
Whn Wntd (0-17)R4/2
|
CS220
|
CHAPPT42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: # of Off/Clin
Apts (0-17)R4/2
|
CS230
|
CHLIST42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Chld Dr
Lsn to You (0-17)R4/2
|
CS250
|
CHEXPL42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Chld Dr
Expl Thng (0-17)R4/2
|
CS240
|
CHRESP42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Chld’s Dr
Shw Resp(0-17)R4/2
|
CS260
|
CHPRTM42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Child Dr
Engh Time(0-17)R4/2
|
CS270
|
CHHECR42
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Rate Chld
Hlt Care (0-17)R4/2
|
CS280
|
CHSPEC42_M18
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Make Appt
for Spec (0-17)R4/2
|
CS290
|
CHEYRE42_M18
|
CAHPS:12Mos: Get Appt
for Spec (0-17)R4/2
|
CS300
|
LSTETH53
|
Lost All Uppr And Lowr
Teeth (>17) - RD 5/3
|
AH100
|
PHYEXE53
|
Mod/Vig Phys Exec 5X
Wk (>17) - RD 5/3
|
AH110
|
OFTSMK53
|
How Oftn Smoke
Cigarettes (>17) - RD 5/3
|
AH120
|
SAQELIG
|
Eligibility Status for
SAQ
|
Constructed
|
ADPROX42
|
SAQ: Relationship of
Proxy to Adult
|
Constructed
|
ADGENH42
|
SAQ: Health in General
VR-12
|
SAQ Q1
|
ADDAYA42
|
SAQ: Hlth Limits Mod
Activities VR-12
|
SAQ Q2a
|
ADCLIM42
|
SAQ: Hlth Limits
Climbing Stairs VR-12
|
SAQ Q2b
|
ADACLS42
|
SAQ 4Wks:Accmp Less
B/C Phy Prbs VR-12
|
SAQ Q3a
|
ADWKLM42
|
SAQ 4Wks:Work Limt B/C
Phy Probs VR-12
|
SAQ Q3b
|
ADEMLS42
|
SAQ 4Wks:Accmp Less
B/C Mnt Prbs VR-12
|
SAQ Q4a
|
ADMWCF42
|
SAQ 4Wks:Work Limt B/C
Mnt Probs VR-12
|
SAQ Q4b
|
ADPAIN42
|
SAQ 4Wks:Pain Limits
Normal Work VR-12
|
SAQ Q5
|
ADPCFL42
|
SAQ 4Wks: Felt
Calm/Peaceful VR-12
|
SAQ Q6a
|
ADENGY42
|
SAQ 4Wks: Had a Lot of
Energy VR-12
|
SAQ Q6b
|
ADPRST42
|
SAQ 4Wks: Felt
Downhearted/Depr VR-12
|
SAQ Q6c
|
ADSOCA42
|
SAQ 4Wks: Hlth Stopped
Soc Activ VR-12
|
SAQ Q7
|
ADNERV42
|
SAQ 30 Days: How Often
Felt Nervous
|
SAQ Q8a
|
ADHOPE42
|
SAQ 30 Days: How Often
Felt Hopeless
|
SAQ Q8b
|
ADREST42
|
SAQ 30 Days: How Often
Felt Restless
|
SAQ Q8c
|
ADSAD42
|
SAQ 30 Days: How Often
Felt Sad
|
SAQ Q8d
|
ADEFRT42
|
SAQ 30 Days: How Oftn
Everythng an Effort
|
SAQ Q8e
|
ADWRTH42
|
SAQ 30 Days: How Often
Felt Worthless
|
SAQ Q8f
|
K6SUM42
|
SAQ 30 Days: Overall
Rating of Feelings
|
Constructed
|
ADINTR42
|
SAQ 2 Wks: Little
Interest in Things
|
SAQ Q9a
|
ADDPRS42
|
SAQ 2 Wks: Felt
Down/Depressed/Hopeless
|
SAQ Q9b
|
PHQ242
|
SAQ 2 Wks: Overall
Rating of Feelings
|
Constructed
|
ADINSA42
|
SAQ: Do Not Need
Health Insurance
|
SAQ Q10a
|
ADINSB42
|
SAQ: Health Insurance
Not Worth Cost
|
SAQ Q10b
|
ADRISK42
|
SAQ: More Likely to
Take Risks
|
SAQ Q10c
|
ADOVER42
|
SAQ: Can Overcome Ills
Without Med Help
|
SAQ Q10d
|
ADILCR42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Ill/Injury
Needing Immed Care
|
SAQ Q11
|
ADILWW42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Got Care
When Needed Ill/Inj
|
SAQ Q12
|
ADRTCR42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Made Appt
Routine Med Care
|
SAQ Q13
|
ADRTWW42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Got Med
Appt When Needed
|
SAQ Q14
|
ADAPPT42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: # Visits
to Med Off for Care
|
SAQ Q15
|
ADHECR42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Rating of
Health Care
|
SAQ Q16
|
ADINST42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Dr Gave
Spcfic Instrctns
|
SAQ Q17
|
ADEZUN42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Dr Given
Instr. EZ Understd
|
SAQ Q18
|
ADTLHW42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Dr Asked R
Desc How Follow
|
SAQ Q19
|
ADFFRM42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Had to
Fill Out/Sign Forms
|
SAQ Q20
|
ADFHLP42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Offrd Help
Filling Out Forms
|
SAQ Q21
|
ADEXPL42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Doc
Explained So Understood
|
SAQ Q22
|
ADLIST42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Doctor
Listened to You
|
SAQ Q23
|
ADRESP42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Doctor
Showed Respect
|
SAQ Q24
|
ADPRTM42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Dr Spent
Enuf Time With You
|
SAQ Q25
|
ADSMOK42
|
SAQ: Currently Smoking
|
SAQ Q26
|
ADNSMK42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Dr Advised
to Quit Smoking
|
SAQ Q27
|
ADSPCL42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: Needed to
See Specialist
|
SAQ Q28
|
ADSNSP42
|
SAQ 12 Mos: How Esy to
See Specialist
|
SAQ Q29
|
VPCS42
|
SAQ: Phy Component
Summry VR-12 Imputed
|
Constructed
|
VMCS42
|
SAQ: Mnt Component
Summry VR-12 Imputed
|
Constructed
|
VRFLAG42
|
SAQ: VPCS42/VMCS42
Imputation Flag VR-12
|
Constructed
|
ADCMPM42
|
SAQ: Date Completed -
Month
|
SAQ Completed Month
field
|
ADCMPY42
|
SAQ: Date Completed -
Year
|
SAQ Completed Year
field
|
ADLANG42
|
SAQ: Language of SAQ
Interview
|
Constructed
|
DCSELIG
|
DCS: Eligibility
Status for DCS
|
Constructed
|
DSDIA53
|
DCS: Diabetes
Diagnosis By Health Prof
|
DCS Q1
|
DSA1C53
|
DCS: Times Tested for
A-One-C in 2021
|
DCS Q2
|
DSFT2253
|
DCS: Had Feet Checked
During 2022
|
DCS Q3
|
DSFT2153
|
DCS: Had Feet Checked
During 2021
|
DCS Q3
|
DSFT2053
|
DCS: Had Feet Checked
During 2020
|
DCS Q3
|
DSFB2053
|
DCS: Had Feet Checked
Before 2020
|
DCS Q3
|
DSFTNV53
|
DCS: Never Had Feet
Checked
|
DCS Q3
|
DSEY2253
|
DCS: Dilated Eye Exam
in 2022
|
DCS Q4
|
DSEY2153
|
DCS: Dilated Eye Exam
in 2021
|
DCS Q4
|
DSEY2053
|
DCS: Dilated Eye Exam
in 2020
|
DCS Q4
|
DSEB2053
|
DCS: Dilated Eye Exam
Before 2020
|
DCS Q4
|
DSEYNV53
|
DCS: Never Had Dilated
Eye Exam
|
DCS Q4
|
DSCH2253
|
DCS: Blood Cholesterol
Checked in 2022
|
DCS Q5
|
DSCH2153
|
DCS: Blood Cholesterol
Checked in 2021
|
DCS Q5
|
DSCH2053
|
DCS: Blood Cholesterol
Checked in 2020
|
DCS Q5
|
DSCB2053
|
DCS: Blood Cholesterol
Checked Before 2020
|
DCS Q5
|
DSCHNV53
|
DCS: Never Had Blood
Cholesterol Checked
|
DCS Q5
|
DSFL2253
|
DCS: Got Flu
Vaccination in 2022
|
DCS Q6
|
DSFL2153
|
DCS: Got Flu
Vaccination in 2021
|
DCS Q6
|
DSFL2053
|
DCS: Got Flu
Vaccination in 2020
|
DCS Q6
|
DSVB2053
|
DCS: Got Flu
Vaccination Before 2020
|
DCS Q6
|
DSFLNV53
|
DCS: Never Got Flu
Vaccination
|
DCS Q6
|
DSKIDN53
|
DCS: Has Diabetes
Caused Kidney Problems
|
DCS Q7
|
DSEYPR53
|
DCS: Has Diabetes
Caused Eye Probs
|
DCS Q6
|
DSDIET53
|
DCS: Treat Diabetes
w/Diet Modification
|
DCS Q9
|
DSMED53
|
DCS: Treat Diabetes
w/Meds by Mouth
|
DCS Q10
|
DSINSU53
|
DCS: Treat Diabetes
w/Insulin Injections
|
DCS Q11
|
DSCPCP53
|
DCS: Learned Diab Care
from Prim Care Prov
|
DCS Q13
|
DSCNPC53
|
DCS: Learned Diab Care
from Other Prov
|
DCS Q13
|
DSCPHN53
|
DCS: Learned Diab Care
from Phn Call w/Prov
|
DCS Q13
|
DSCINT53
|
DCS: Learned Diab Care
from Reading Internet
|
DCS Q13
|
DSCGRP53
|
DCS: Learned Diab Care
by Taking Grp Class
|
DCS Q13
|
DSCONF53
|
DSC: Confident Taking
Care of Diabetes
|
DCS Q14
|
DSPRX53
|
DCS: Was Respondent a
Proxy
|
Constructed
|
SDOHELIG
|
Eligibility Status for
SDOH
|
Constructed
|
SDLIFE
|
SDOH: Satisfied with
Life
|
SDOH Q1
|
SDHOME
|
SDOH: Satisfied with
Home
|
SDOH Q2
|
SDMEDCARE
|
SDOH: Places for
Medical Care
|
SDOH Q3a
|
SDPARKS
|
SDOH: Places for
Parks/Play
|
SDOH Q3b
|
SDHLTHFOOD
|
SDOH: Places for
Healthy Food
|
SDOH Q3c
|
SDSFCRIME
|
SDOH: Safe From
Crime/Violence
|
SDOH Q3d
|
SDPUBTRANS
|
SDOH: Access Public
Transportation
|
SDOH Q3e
|
SDAFRDHOME
|
SDOH: Affordable
Housing
|
SDOH Q3f
|
SDNOTRANS
|
SDOH: 12 Mos No Trans
Daily
|
SDOH Q4
|
SDLATERENT
|
SDOH: 12 Mos Pay Rent/Mortg
Late
|
SDOH Q5
|
SDLATEUTIL
|
SDOH: 12 Mos Pay
Utility Late
|
SDOH Q6
|
SDSHUTUTIL
|
SDOH: 12 Mos Threat
Utility Off
|
SDOH Q7
|
SDPROBPEST
|
SDOH: Home Problem
Pests
|
SDOH Q8a
|
SDPROBMOLD
|
SDOH: Home Problem
Mold
|
SDOH Q8b
|
SDPROBLEAD
|
SDOH: Home Problem
Lead
|
SDOH Q8c
|
SDPROBHEAT
|
SDOH: Home Problem
Heat
|
SDOH Q8d
|
SDPROBCOOK
|
SDOH: Home Problem
Cook
|
SDOH Q8e
|
SDPROBSMKDET
|
SDOH: Home Problem
Smoke Detector
|
SDOH Q8f
|
SDPROBLEAKS
|
SDOH: Home Problem
Water Leaks
|
SDOH Q8g
|
SDPROBNONE
|
SDOH: No Home Problems
|
SDOH Q8h
|
SDWRRYFD
|
SDOH: 12 Mos Worried
About Food
|
SDOH Q9a
|
SDNOFOOD
|
SDOH: 12 Mos Food Ran
Out
|
SDOH Q9b
|
SDPAYBASICS
|
SDOH: How Hard Pay
Basics
|
SDOH Q10
|
SDUNEXPEXP
|
SDOH: Cover Unexpected
Expense
|
SDOH Q11
|
SDMISSCCLN
|
SDOH: 12 Mos Miss Card
or Loan Pymt
|
SDOH Q12
|
SDDEBT
|
SDOH: 12 Mos Contact
Collection
|
SDOH Q13
|
SDDAYEXER
|
SDOH: 30 Days Avg Days
Per Wk Mod Exrcs
|
SDOH Q14
|
SDMINSEXER
|
SDOH: 30 Days Min Per
Day Mod Exrcs
|
SDOH Q15
|
SDSTRESS
|
SDOH: How Often Stress
|
SDOH Q16
|
SDFAMILY
|
SDOH: Help From Family
|
SDOH Q17a
|
SDFRIENDS
|
SDOH: Help From
Friends
|
SDOH Q17b
|
SDCOMM
|
SDOH: Help From
Community
|
SDOH Q17c
|
SDTLKPHN
|
SDOH: Telephone Others
Per Week
|
SDOH Q18
|
SDGETTGT
|
SDOH: See Others Per
Week
|
SDOH Q19
|
SDCHURCH
|
SDOH: Attend Church or
Services
|
SDOH Q20
|
SDCLUBORG
|
SDOH: Meetings Per
Year
|
SDOH Q21
|
SDCOMPAN
|
SDOH: Feel Lack
Companionship
|
SDOH Q22a
|
SDLEFTOUT
|
SDOH: Feel Left Out
|
SDOH Q22b
|
SDISOL
|
SDOH: Feel Isolated
|
SDOH Q22c
|
SDENICPROD
|
SDOH: Used Electronic
Nicotine Prod
|
SDOH Q23
|
SDDSCRMDR
|
SDOH: Discrimination
in Healthcare
|
SDOH Q24a
|
SDDSCRMWRK
|
SDOH: Discrimination
at Work
|
SDOH Q24b
|
SDDSCRMJOB
|
SDOH: Discrimination
Applying Jobs
|
SDOH Q24c
|
SDDSCRMHS
|
SDOH: Discrimination
in Housing
|
SDOH Q24d
|
SDDSCRMPOL
|
SDOH: Discrimination
by Police
|
SDOH Q24e
|
SDDSCRMPUB
|
SDOH: Discrimination
Applying Services
|
SDOH Q24f
|
SDDSCRMSTR
|
SDOH: Discrimination
Stores
|
SDOH Q24g
|
SDPHYSHURT
|
SDOH: How Often Hurt
by Others
|
SDOH Q25a
|
SDINSULT
|
SDOH: How Often
Insulted
|
SDOH Q25b
|
SDTHRHARM
|
SDOH: How Often
Threatened Harm
|
SDOH Q25c
|
SDSCREAM
|
SDOH: How Often Scream
Curse
|
SDOH Q25d
|
SDHMDEPR
|
SDOH: Lived with
Mental Illness <18
|
SDOH Q26
|
SDHMALC
|
SDOH: Lived with
Alcoholic <18
|
SDOH Q27
|
SDHMDRG
|
SDOH: Lived with Drugs
<18
|
SDOH Q28
|
SDHMJAIL
|
SDOH: Lived with
Sentenced <18
|
SDOH Q29
|
SDHMDIV
|
SDOH: Lived with Split
Home <18
|
SDOH Q30
|
SDHMBEAT
|
SDOH: How Often Abused
<18
|
SDOH Q31
|
SDHURTCHLD
|
SDOH: How Often Child
Hurt
|
SDOH Q32
|
SDINSCHLD
|
SDOH: How Often Child
Insult
|
SDOH Q33
|
SDTCHCHLD
|
SDOH: How Often Child
Touched
|
SDOH Q34
|
SDTCHADLT
|
SDOH: How Often Asked
to Touch
|
SDOH Q35
|
SDFRCSXCH
|
SDOH: How Often Forced
|
SDOH Q36
|
SDCMPM
|
SDOH: Date Completed -
Month
|
SDOH Completed Month
field
|
SDCMPY
|
SDOH: Date Completed -
Year
|
SDOH Completed Year
field
|
SDPROX
|
SDOH: Relationship
Respondent to Adult
|
SDOH Q37
|
SDOHELIG
|
Eligibility Status for
SDOH
|
Constructed
|
Return To Table Of Contents
DISABILITY DAYS VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
DDNWRK21 |
# Days Missed Work Due to Ill/Inj 2021 |
AH10, 20, 30 |
OTHDYS21 |
Miss Any Work Day to Care for Oth 2021 |
AH40 |
OTHNDD21 |
# Day Missed Work to Care for Oth 2021 |
AH50, 60 |
Return To Table Of Contents
ACCESS TO CARE VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
ACCELI42
|
Pers Eligible for
Access Supplement-R4/2
|
Constructed
|
HAVEUS42
|
Does Person Have USC
Provider-R4/2
|
AC10, 20
|
PRACTP42
|
Provider Own/Group
Practice-R4/2
|
AC20, 30
|
YNOUSC42_M18
|
Main Reas Pers Doesnt
Have USC-R4/2
|
AC40
|
PROVTY42_M18
|
Provider Type - R4/2
|
PV30LU, 70
|
PLCTYP42
|
USC Type of Place -
R4/2
|
AC50
|
TMTKUS42
|
How Long It Takes Get
to USC-R4/2
|
AC60
|
TYPEPE42
|
USC Type of Provider -
R4/2
|
AC70, 80, 90
|
LOCATN42
|
USC Location - R4/2
|
Constructed
|
HSPLAP42
|
Is Provider Hispanic
or Latino-R4/2
|
AC100
|
WHITPR42
|
Is Provider White -
R4/2
|
AC110
|
BLCKPR42
|
Is Provider
Black/African Amer-R4/2
|
AC110
|
ASIANP42
|
Is Provider Asian -
R4/2
|
AC110
|
NATAMP42
|
Is Provider Native
American - R4/2
|
AC110
|
PACISP42
|
Is Provider Oth
Pacific Islndr-R4/2
|
AC110
|
OTHRCP42
|
Is Provider Some Other
Race - R4/2
|
AC110
|
GENDRP42
|
Is Provider Male or
Female - R4/2
|
AC120
|
PHNREG42
|
How Diff Contact USC
By Phone-R4/2
|
AC140
|
OFFHOU42
|
USC Has Offce Hrs
Nghts/Wkends-R4/2
|
AC150
|
AFTHOU42
|
How Diff Contact USC
Aft Hours-R4/2
|
AC160
|
TREATM42
|
Prov Ask About Oth
Treatments-R4/2
|
AC170
|
DECIDE42
|
Prov Asks Pers to Help
Decide-R4/2
|
AC180
|
EXPLOP42
|
Prov Explns Options to
Pers - R4/2
|
AC190
|
PRVSPK42
|
Prov Speaks Person’s
Language-R4/2
|
AC200
|
DLAYCA42
|
Delay Med Care For
Cost-R4/2
|
AC210, 220
|
AFRDCA42
|
Could Not Afford Med
Care-R4/2
|
AC230, 240
|
DLAYDN42
|
Delay Getting Dental
for Cost-R4/2
|
AC250, 260
|
AFRDDN42
|
Could Not Afford
Dental Care-R4/2
|
AC270, 280
|
DLAYPM42
|
Delay Getting Pmed For
Cost-R4/2
|
AC290, 300
|
AFRDPM42
|
Could Not Afford Pmed
Care-R4/2
|
AC310, 320
|
CVDLAYCA31
|
Delay Med Care For
COVID R3/1
|
CV10, 20
|
CVDLAYCA42
|
Delay Med Care For
COVID R4/2
|
CV10, 20
|
CVDLAYCA53
|
Delay Med Care For
COVID R5/3
|
CV10, 20
|
CVDLAYDN31
|
Delay Med Care For
COVID R3/1
|
CV30, 40
|
CVDLAYDN42
|
Delay Med Care For
COVID R4/2
|
CV30, 40
|
CVDLAYDN53
|
Delay Getting Dental
For COVID R5/3
|
CV30, 40
|
CVDLAYPM31
|
Delay Getting PMED For
COVID R3/1
|
CV50, 60
|
CVDLAYPM42
|
Delay Getting PMED For
COVID R4/2
|
CV50, 60
|
CVDLAYPM53
|
Delay Getting Pmed For
COVID R5/3
|
CV50, 60
|
CVVACCINE42
|
Ever Had COVID-19
Vaccine R4/2
|
CV70, CV80
|
CVVACCINE53
|
Ever Had COVID-19
Vaccine R5/3
|
CV70, CV80
|
BOOSTERSHOT53
|
Ever Had COVID-19
Booster Shot R5/3
|
CV90
|
Return To Table Of Contents
EMPLOYMENT VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
EMPST31 |
Employment Status RD
3/1 |
EM10-30; RJ10, 60 |
EMPST42 |
Employment Status RD
4/2 |
EM10-30; RJ10, 60 |
EMPST53 |
Employment Status RD
5/3 |
EM10-30; RJ10, 60 |
RNDFLG31 |
Data Collection Round
for RD 3/1 CMJ |
RJ10; Constructed |
MORJOB31 |
Has More than One Job
RD 3/1 Int Date |
EM40, 230; RJ10, 60;
Constructed |
MORJOB42 |
Has More than One Job
RD 4/2 Int Date |
EM40, 230; RJ10, 60;
Constructed |
MORJOB53 |
Has More than One Job
RD 5/3 Int Date |
EM40, 230; RJ10, 60;
Constructed |
EVRWRK |
Ever Wrkd for Pay in
Life as of 12/31/21 |
EM300; Constructed |
HRWG31X |
Hourly Wage RD 3/1 CMJ
(Imp) |
EW10, 20, 30, 40, 50,
60, 70, 110, 120, 130, 140, 180, 190, 260, 270,
280, 290, EM420, 540, 550 |
HRWG42X |
Hourly Wage RD 4/2 CMJ
(Imp) |
EW10, 20, 30, 40, 50,
60, 70, 110, 120, 130, 140, 180, 190, 260, 270,
280, 290, EM420, 540, 550 |
HRWG53X |
Hourly Wage RD 5/3 CMJ
(Imp) |
EW10, 20, 30, 40, 50,
60, 70, 110, 120, 130, 140, 180, 190, 260, 270,
280, 290, EM420, 540, 550 |
HRWGIM31 |
HRWG31X Imputation
Flag |
Constructed |
HRWGIM42 |
HRWG42X Imputation
Flag |
Constructed |
HRWGIM53 |
HRWG53X Imputation
Flag |
Constructed |
HRHOW31 |
How Hourly Wage Was
Calculated RD 3/1 |
EM420, 540, EW20-220,
260, 270, 280, 290 |
HRHOW42 |
How Hourly Wage Was
Calculated RD 4/2 |
EM420, 540, EW20-220,
260, 270, 280, 290 |
HRHOW53 |
How Hourly Wage Was
Calculated RD 5/3 |
EM420, 540, EW20-220,
260, 270, 280, 290 |
DIFFWG31 |
Persons Wages
Different this RD 3/1 at CMJ |
EM420, RJ10, 30 |
DIFFWG42 |
Persons Wages
Different this RD 4/2 at CMJ |
EM420, RJ10, 30 |
DIFFWG53 |
Persons Wages
Different this RD 5/3 at CMJ |
EM420, RJ10, 30 |
NHRWG31 |
Updated Hrly Wage RD
3/1 CMJ (Edited) |
EW10, 20, 30, 40, 50
60, 70, 110, 120, 130, 140, 180, 190, 260, 270,
280, 290; RJ10, 30, 60, EM420, 540, 550 |
NHRWG42 |
Updated Hrly Wage RD
4/2 CMJ (Edited) |
EW10, 20, 30, 40, 50
60, 70, 110, 120, 130, 140, 180, 190, 260, 270,
280, 290; RJ10, 30, 60, EM420, 540, 550 |
NHRWG53 |
Updated Hrly Wage RD
5/3 CMJ (Edited) |
EW10, 20, 30, 40, 50
60, 70, 110, 120, 130, 140, 180, 190, 260, 270,
280, 290; RJ10, 30, 60, EM420, 540, 550 |
HOUR31 |
Hours Per Week at RD
3/1 CMJ |
EM540-550 |
HOUR42 |
Hours Per Week at RD
4/2 CMJ |
EM540-550, RJ10 |
HOUR53 |
Hours Per Week at RD
5/3 CMJ |
EM540-550, RJ10 |
TEMPJB31 |
Is CMJ a Temporary Job
RD 3/1 |
EM560 |
TEMPJB42 |
Is CMJ a Temporary Job
RD 4/2 |
EM560 |
TEMPJB53 |
Is CMJ a Temporary Job
RD 5/3 |
EM560 |
SSNLJB31 |
Is CMJ a Seasonal Job
RD 3/1 |
EM570 |
SSNLJB42 |
Is CMJ a Seasonal Job
RD 4/2 |
EM570 |
SSNLJB53 |
Is CMJ a Seasonal Job
RD 5/3 |
EM570 |
SELFCM31 |
Self-Employed at RD
3/1 CMJ |
EM420 |
SELFCM42 |
Self-Employed at RD
4/2 CMJ |
EM420, RJ10 |
SELFCM53 |
Self-Employed at RD
5/3 CMJ |
EM420, RJ10 |
DISVW31X |
Disavowed Health Ins
at RD 3/1 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660-670,
710-720, 740; RJ70, 80; HX and OE Sections |
DISVW42X |
Disavowed Health Ins
at RD 4/2 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660-670,
710-720, 740; RJ70, 80; HX and OE Sections |
DISVW53X |
Disavowed Health Ins
at RD 5/3 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660-670,
710-720, 740; RJ70, 80; HX and OE Sections |
CHOIC31 |
Choice of Health Plans
at RD 3/1 CMJ |
EM480, 660 - 680, 740 |
CHOIC42 |
Choice of Health Plans
at RD 4/2 CMJ |
EM480, 660 - 680, 740,
RJ10 |
CHOIC53 |
Choice of Health Plans
at RD 5/3 CMJ |
EM480, 660 - 680, 740,
RJ10 |
INDCAT31 |
Industry Group RD 3/1
CMJ |
EM50, 80, 110, 240,
480, 490, 500, 510; RJ10; Constructed |
INDCAT42 |
Industry Group RD 4/2
CMJ |
EM50, 80, 110, 240,
480, 490, 500, 510; RJ10; Constructed |
INDCAT53 |
Industry Group RD 5/3
CMJ |
EM50, 80, 110, 240,
480, 490, 500, 510; RJ10; Constructed |
NUMEMP31 |
Number of Employees at
RD 3/1 CMJ |
EM420, 430-440, 740;
Imputed |
NUMEMP42 |
Number of Employees at
RD 4/2 CMJ |
EM420, 430-440, 740;
Imputed |
NUMEMP53 |
Number of Employees at
RD 5/3 CMJ |
EM420, 430-440, 740;
Imputed |
MORE31 |
RD 3/1 CMJ Firm Has
More than 1 Location |
EM420, 450 |
MORE42 |
RD 4/2 CMJ Firm Has
More than 1 Location |
EM10-30, 230, 420,
450; RJ10 |
MORE53 |
RD 5/3 CMJ Firm Has
More than 1 Location |
EM10-30, 230, 420,
450; RJ10 |
UNION31 |
Union Status at RD 3/1
CMJ |
EM10-30, 230, 480,
700; RJ10 |
UNION42 |
Union Status at RD 4/2
CMJ |
EM10-30, 230, 480,
700; RJ10 |
UNION53 |
Union Status at RD 5/3
CMJ |
EM10-30, 230, 480,
700; RJ10 |
NWK31 |
Reason Not Working
During RD 3/1 |
EM300, 750 |
NWK42 |
Reason Not Working
During RD 4/2 |
EM300, 750 |
NWK53 |
Reason Not Working
During RD 5/3 |
EM300, 750 |
CHGJ3142 |
Changed Job between RD
3/1 and RD 4/2 |
RJ10 |
CHGJ4253 |
Changed Job between RD
4/2 and RD 5/3 |
RJ10 |
YCHJ3142 |
Why Chngd Job between
RD 3/1 and RD 4/2 |
RJ10, 130 |
YCHJ4253 |
Why Chngd Job between
RD 4/2 and RD 5/3 |
RJ10, 130 |
STJBMM31 |
Month Started RD 3/1
CMJ |
EM60_01-02, 90_01-02,
110_01-02, 250_01-02; RJ10 |
STJBYY31 |
Year Started RD 3/1
CMJ |
EM60_01, 90_01,
110_01, 250_01; RJ10 |
STJBMM42 |
Month Started RD 4/2
CMJ |
EM60_01-02, 90_01-02,
110_01-02, 250_01-02; RJ10 |
STJBYY42 |
Year Started RD 4/2
CMJ |
EM60_01, 90_01,
110_01, 250_01; RJ10 |
STJBMM53 |
Month Started RD 5/3
CMJ |
EM60_01-02, 90_01-02,
110_01-02, 250_01-02; RJ10 |
STJBYY53 |
Year Started RD 5/3
CMJ |
EM60_01, 90_01,
110_01, 250_01; RJ10 |
EVRETIRE |
Person Has Ever
Retired |
EM350, Constructed |
OCCCAT31 |
Occupation Group RD
3/1 CMJ |
EM480, 490, 500, 510;
Constructed |
OCCCAT42 |
Occupation Group RD
4/2 CMJ |
EM480, 490, 500, 510;
RJ10; Constructed |
OCCCAT53 |
Occupation Group RD
5/3 CMJ |
EM480, 490, 500, 510;
RJ10; Constructed |
PAYVAC31 |
Paid Vacation at RD
3/1 CMJ |
EM420, 600 |
PAYVAC42 |
Paid Vacation at RD
4/2 CMJ |
EM420, 600; RJ10 |
PAYVAC53 |
Paid Vacation at RD
5/3 CMJ |
EM420, 600; RJ10 |
SICPAY31 |
Paid Sick Leave at RD
3/1 CMJ |
EM420, 580 |
SICPAY42 |
Paid Sick Leave at RD
4/2 CMJ |
EM420, 580; RJ10 |
SICPAY53 |
Paid Sick Leave at RD
5/3 CMJ |
EM420, 580; RJ10 |
PAYDR31 |
Paid Leave to Visit Dr
RD 3/1 CMJ |
EM420, 580-590 |
PAYDR42 |
Paid Leave to Visit Dr
RD 4/2 CMJ |
EM420, 580-590; RJ10 |
PAYDR53 |
Paid Leave to Visit Dr
RD 5/3 CMJ |
EM420, 580-590; RJ10 |
RETPLN31 |
Pension Plan at RD 3/1
CMJ |
EM420, 610 |
RETPLN42 |
Pension Plan at RD 4/2
CMJ |
EM420, 610; RJ10 |
RETPLN53 |
Pension Plan at RD 5/3
CMJ |
EM420, 610; RJ10 |
BSNTY31 |
Sole Prop, Partner,
Corp, RD 3/1 CMJ |
EM420 ,460-470 |
BSNTY42 |
Sole Prop, Partner,
Corp, RD 4/2 CMJ |
EM420, 460-470; RJ10 |
BSNTY53 |
Sole Prop, Partner,
Corp, RD 5/3 CMJ |
EM420, 460-470; RJ10 |
JOBORG31 |
Priv (Profit,Nonprofit)
Gov RD 3/1 CMJ |
EM420, 480 |
JOBORG42 |
Priv (Profit,Nonprofit)
Gov RD 4/2 CMJ |
EM420, 480; RJ10 |
JOBORG53 |
Priv (Profit,Nonprofit)
Gov RD 5/3 CMJ |
EM420, 480; RJ10 |
HELD31X |
Health Insur Held from
RD 3/1 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660, 670, 710,
740; RJ70, 80, 110; HX, HP, and OE Sections |
HELD42X |
Health Insur Held from
RD 4/2 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660, 670, 710,
740; RJ70, 80, 110; HX, HP, and OE Sections |
HELD53X |
Health Insur Held from
RD 5/3 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660, 670, 710,
740; RJ70, 80, 110; HX, HP, and OE Sections |
OFFER31X |
Health Insur Offered
by RD 3/1 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660, 670, 710,
740; RJ70-90, 110, HX Sections |
OFFER42X |
Health Insur Offered
by RD 4/2 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660, 670, 710,
740; RJ70-90, 110, HX Sections |
OFFER53X |
Health Insur Offered
by RD 5/3 CMJ (Ed) |
EM480, 660, 670, 710,
740; RJ70-90, 110, HX Sections |
OFREMP31 |
Employer Offers Health
Ins RD 3/1 CMJ |
EM690, 740; RJ100 |
OFREMP42 |
Employer Offers Health
Ins RD 4/2 CMJ |
EM690, 740; RJ100 |
OFREMP53 |
Employer Offers Health
Ins RD 5/3 CMJ |
EM690, 740; RJ100 |
EMPST31H |
Employment Status RD
3/1 (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
EMPST42H |
Employment Status RD
4/2 (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
EMPST53H |
Employment Status RD
5/3 (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
SLFCM31H |
Self-employed at RD
3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
SLFCM42H |
Self-employed at RD
4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
SLFCM53H |
Self-employed at RD
5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
NMEMP31H |
Number of Employees at
RD 3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
NMEMP42H |
Number of Employees at
RD 4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
NMEMP53H |
Number of Employees at
RD 5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
MORE31H |
RD 3/1 CMJ Firm More
Than 1 Locat (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
MORE42H |
RD 4/2 CMJ Firm More
Than 1 Locat (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
MORE53H |
RD 5/3 CMJ Firm More
Than 1 Locat (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
INDCT31H |
Industry Group RD 3/1
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
INDCT42H |
Industry Group RD 4/2
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
INDCT53H |
Industry Group RD 5/3
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OCCCT31H |
Occupation Group RD
3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OCCCT42H |
Occupation Group RD
4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OCCCT53H |
Occupation Group RD
5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
HOUR31H |
Hours Per Week at RD
3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
HOUR42H |
Hours Per Week at RD
4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
HOUR53H |
Hours Per Week at RD
5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
JBORG31H |
Prv, St-Lc Gov, Fed
Gov RD 3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
JBORG42H |
Prv, St-Lc Gov, Fed
Gov RD 4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
JBORG53H |
Prv, St-Lc Gov, Fed
Gov RD 5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
UNION31H |
Union Status at RD 3/1
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
UNION42H |
Union Status at RD 4/2
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
UNION53H |
Union Status at RD 5/3
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
BSNTY31H |
Sol Prop, Prtnr, Corp,
RD 3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
BSNTY42H |
Sol Prop, Prtnr, Corp,
RD 4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
BSNTY53H |
Sol Prop, Prtnr, Corp,
RD 5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
HRWG31H |
Hourly Wage RD 3/1 CMJ
(Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
HRWG42H |
Hourly Wage RD 4/2 CMJ
(Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
HRWG53H |
Hourly Wage RD 5/3 CMJ
(Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
CMJHLD31 |
Hlth Insur Held from
RD 3/1 CMJ (PRPL) |
PRPL PUF |
CMJHLD42 |
Hlth Insur Held from
RD 4/2 CMJ (PRPL) |
PRPL PUF |
CMJHLD53 |
Hlth Insur Held from
RD 5/3 CMJ (PRPL) |
PRPL PUF |
OFFER31H |
Health Insur Offered
by RD 3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OFFER42H |
Health Insur Offered
by RD 4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OFFER53H |
Health Insur Offered
by RD 5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OFEMP31H |
Emp Offers Health Ins
RD 3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OFEMP42H |
Emp Offers Health Ins
RD 4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
OFEMP53H |
Emp Offers Health Ins
RD 5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
PYVAC31H |
Paid Vacation at RD
3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
PYVAC42H |
Paid Vacation at RD
4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed
|
PYVAC53H |
Paid Vacation at RD
5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
SCPAY31H |
Paid Sick Leave at RD
3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
SCPAY42H |
Paid Sick Leave at RD
4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
SCPAY53H |
Paid Sick Leave at RD
5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
PAYDR31H |
Paid Leave to Visit Dr
RD 3/1 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
PAYDR42H |
Paid Leave to Visit Dr
RD 4/2 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
PAYDR53H |
Paid Leave to Visit Dr
RD 5/3 CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
RTPLN31H |
Pension Plan at RD 3/1
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
RTPLN42H |
Pension Plan at RD 4/2
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
RTPLN53H |
Pension Plan at RD 5/3
CMJ (Imp) |
Full-Year Consolidated
File: Missing Values Imputed |
Return To Table Of Contents
HEALTH INSURANCE VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
MONTHLY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE INDICATORS
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
TRImm21X |
Covered by
TRICARE/CHAMPVA in mm 21 (Ed), where mm = JA-DE |
HX120_01, 125_01,
230,PR260_01-280_01, HQ Section |
MCRmm21 |
Covered by Medicare in
mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,230 |
MCRmm21X |
Covered by Medicare in
mm 21 (Ed),
where mm = JA-DE |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, see Section 2.5.11 for additional edit
specifications |
MCDmm21 |
Cov by Medicaid or
SCHIP in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX100, 230,
PR150_01-160_01 and HQ Section |
MCDmm21X |
Cov by Medicaid or
SCHIP in mm 21 (Ed),
where mm = JA-DE |
HX100_01, 230,
PR150_01-160_01 and MCDmm20, Section 2.5.11 for
additional edit specifications |
GVAmm21 |
Cov by Other Public
Coverage in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HQ Section, HX170_01,
230, PR310_01-320_01 and HQ Section |
GVBmm21 |
Cov by Other Public
HMO in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX170_01, 230,
530-540, PR310_01-320_01, 340-350 and HQ Section |
GVCmm21 |
Cov by Other Public
Pays Prem in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX170_01, 230,
560-570, PR310_01-320_01, 370-380 and HQ Section |
VAPmm21 |
Covered by VA in mm
21,
where mm=JA-DE |
HX120_01-125_01, 230,
PR260_01 - 280_01 |
IHSmm21 |
Cov by Indian Health
Service in mm 21,
Where mm=JA-DE |
HX140, PR290_01,
300_01 |
PUBmm21X |
Covr by Any Public Ins
in mm 21 (Ed),
where mm = JA-DE |
TRImm21X, MCRmm21X,
MCDmm21X, GVAmm21, VAPmm21 |
PEGmm21 |
Covered by Empl Union
Ins in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX20,HX200, 300, 620; HP,
OE, HQ, EM, RJ Sections |
PDKmm21 |
Covr by Priv Ins
(Source Unknwn) mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX200, 300, 620, HP,
OE, and HQ Sections |
PNGmm21 |
Covered by Nongroup
Ins in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX200, 300, 620, HP,
OE, and HQ Sections |
POGmm21 |
Covered by Other Group
Ins in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX200, 300, 620, HP,
OE, and HQ Sections |
POEmm21 |
Cov by ESI, Pholder
Outside RU in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX200, 300, 620,
HP130, HQ, OE, RJ and EM sections |
PNEmm21 |
Cov by Non-ESI, Phldr
Outside RU in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HX200, 300, 620,
HP130, OE, and HQ Sections |
PRXmm21 |
Cov by Priv Ins
through Exchng in mm 21, where mm = JA-DE |
HX200, 300, 620,HP,
OE, and HQ Sections |
PRImm21 |
Covered by Private Ins
in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
POGmm21, PDKmm21,
PEGmm21, PNEmm21,
POEmm21,
PNGmm21, PRXmm21 |
HPEmm21 |
Pholder of Empl Union
Ins in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
PEGmm21, HP70 |
HPDmm21 |
Pholder of Priv Ins
(Source Unknwn) mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
PDKmm21; HP90 |
HPNmm21 |
Pholder of Nongroup
Ins in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
PNGmm21; HP90 |
HPOmm21 |
Pholder of Other Group
Ins in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
POGmm21; HP90 |
HPXmm21 |
Pholder of Priv Ins
through Exch in mm 21, where mm = JA-DE |
PRXmm21; HP90 |
HPRmm21 |
Pholder of Private
Insurance in mm 21,
where mm = JA-DE |
HPEmm21, HPNmm21,
HPDmm21, HPXmm21 |
INSmm21X |
Covr by Hosp/Med Ins
in mm 21 (Ed),
where mm = JA-DE |
PUBmm21X, PRImm21 |
Return To Table Of Contents
SUMMARY HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE INDICATORS
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
PRVEV21 |
Ever Have Private
Insurance during 2021 |
Constructed |
TRIEV21 |
Ever Have
TRICARE/CHAMPVA during 2021 |
Constructed |
MCREV21 |
Ever Have Medicare
during 2021 (ED) |
Constructed |
MCDEV21 |
Ever Have MCAID/SCHIP
during 2021 (ED) |
Constructed |
VAEV21 |
Ever Have VA during
2021 |
Constructed |
GVAEV21 |
Ever Have Other Public
during 2021 |
Constructed |
GVBEV21 |
Ever Have Other Public
HMO during 2021 |
Constructed |
GVCEV21 |
Ever Have Oth Pub Pays
Prem during 2021 |
Constructed |
UNINS21 |
Uninsured All of 2021 |
Constructed |
INSCOV21 |
Health Insurance
Coverage Indicator 2021 |
Constructed |
INSURC21 |
Full Year Insurance
Coverage Status 2021 |
Constructed |
Return To Table Of Contents
MANAGED CARE VARIABLES
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
TRI31X |
Cov By TRICARE - Any
Time in R3/1 |
HX125_01, 260,
PR280_01 |
TRI42X |
Cov By TRICARE - Any
Time in R4/2 |
HX125_01, 260,
PR280_01 |
TRI21X |
Cov By TRICARE - R5/3
Til 12/31/21 |
HX125_01, 260,
PR280_01 |
TRICH31X |
Covered By CHAMPVA -
Any Time in R3/1 |
HX230, 260, PR260_01,
270_01, 280_01, HQ Section |
TRICH42X |
Covered By CHAMPVA -
Any Time in R4/2 |
HX230, 260, PR260_01,
270_01, 280_01, HQ Section |
TRICH21X |
Covered By CHAMPVA -
R5/3 Until 12/31/21 |
HX230, 260, PR260_01,
270_01, 280_01, HQ Section |
MCRPD31 |
Cov By Medicare Pmed
Benefit - R3/1 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 410, 470, PR30, 90, HQ Section |
MCRPD42 |
Cov By Medicare Pmed
Benefit - R4/2 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 410, 470, PR30, 90, HQ Section |
MCRPD21 |
Cov By Medicare Pmed
Benefit - 12/31/21 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 410, 470, PR30, 90, HQ Section |
MCRPD31X |
Cov By Medicare Pmed
Benefit - R3/1 (ED) |
MCARE31X, MCAID31X,
MCRPD31 |
MCRPD42X |
Cov By Medicare Pmed
Benefit - R4/2 (ED) |
MCARE42X, MCAID42X,
MCRPD42 |
MCRPD21X |
Cov By Mcare Pmed
Benefit-12/31/21 (ED) |
MCARE21X, MCAID21X,
MCRPD21 |
MCRPB31 |
Cov By Medicare Part B
- R3/1 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 340, 350, and HQ section |
MCRPB42 |
Cov By Medicare Part B
- R4/2 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 340, 350, and HQ section |
MCRPB21 |
Cov By Medicare Part B
- 12/31/21 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 340, 350, and HQ section |
MCRPHO31 |
Cov By Medicare
Managed Care/Medicare Advantage - R3/1 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 390, PR10, HQ Section |
MCRPHO42 |
Cov By Medicare
Managed Care/Medicare Advantage - R4/2 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 390, PR10, HQ Section |
MCRPHO21 |
Cov By Medicare
Managed Care/Medicare Advantage - 12/31/21 |
HX40_01, 50_01, 60,
230, 390, PR10, HQ Section |
MCDHMO31 |
Cov By Mcaid/SCHIP HMO
-Any Time in R3/1 |
MCDAT31X, HX100, 230,
530
PR150_01-160_01, 180, 340, and HQ Section |
MCDHMO42 |
Cov By Mcaid/SCHIP HMO
-Any Time in R4/2 |
MCDAT42X, HX100, 230,
530
PR150_01-160_01, 180, 340, and HQ Section |
MCDHMO21 |
Cov By Mcaid/SCHIP
HMO-R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
MCDAT21X, HX100, 230,
530
PR150_01-160_01, 180, 340, and HQ Section |
MCDMC31 |
Cv Mcaid/CHIP Gtkpr
Pln-Any Time in R3/1 |
MCDHMO31, MCDAT31X,
HX100, 230, 540
PR150_01-160_01, 190, 350, and HQ Section |
MCDMC42 |
Cv Mcaid/CHIP Gtkpr
Pln-Any Time in R4/2 |
MCDHMO42, MCDAT42X,
HX100, 230, 540,
PR150_01-160_01, 190, 350 and HQ Section |
MCDMC21 |
Cv Mcd/CHIP Gtkpr
Pln-R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
MCDHMO21, MCDAT21X,
HX100, 230, 540,
PR150_01-160_01, 190, 350 and HQ Section |
PRVHMO31 |
Covered By Private
HMO-Any Time in R3/1 |
MC10, HX200, 300, 620;
HP, OE, HQ, EM, and RJ Sections |
PRVHMO42 |
Covered By Private
HMO-Any Time in R4/2 |
MC10, HX200, 300, 620;
HP, OE, HQ, EM, and RJ Sections |
PRVHMO21 |
Covered By Private
HMO-R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
MC10, HX200, 300, 620;
HP, OE, HQ, EM, and RJ Sections |
Return To Table Of Contents
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT VARIABLES
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
FSAGT31 |
Anyone in RU Have FSA - R3/1 |
HX720 |
HASFSA31 |
Person is FSA Holder - R3/1 |
HX730 |
PFSAMT31 |
Person-level FSA Total Amount - R3/1 |
HX740_01 |
Return To Table Of Contents
DURATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE VARIABLES
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
PREVCOVR |
Per Cov by Ins in Prev 2 Yrs-Pnl 25 Only |
HX750 |
MORECOVR |
Cov by Mor Compr Pl Prev 2 Yr-Pn 25 Only |
HX760 |
Return To Table Of Contents
OTHER HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE VARIABLES
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
TRICR31X |
Cov by TRICR/CHAMV -
R3/1 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
TRICR42X |
Cov by TRICR/CHAMV -
R4/2 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
TRICR53X |
Cov by TRICR/CHAMV
12-31/R3 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
TRICR21X |
Cov by TRICR/CHAMV -
12/31/21 (Ed) |
Constructed |
TRIAT31X |
Cov TRICARE/CHAMPVA -
Any Time in R3/1 |
Constructed |
TRIAT42X |
Cov TRICARE/CHAMPVA -
Any Time in R4/2 |
Constructed |
TRIAT53X |
Cov TRICARE/CHAMPVA -
Any Time in R5/3 |
Constructed |
TRIAT21X |
Cov
TRICARE/CHAMPVA-R5/3 Until 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
MCAID31 |
Cov by Medicaid or
SCHIP - R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
MCAID42 |
Cov by Medicaid or
SCHIP - R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
MCAID53 |
Cov by Medicaid or
SCHIP 12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
MCAID21 |
Cov by Medicaid or
SCHIP - 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
MCAID31X |
Cov by Medicaid/SCHIP
- R3/1 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCAID42X |
Cov by Medicaid/SCHIP
- R4/2 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCAID53X |
Cov Medicaid/SCHIP
12-31/R3 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCAID21X |
Cov by Medicaid or
SCHIP - 12/31/21 (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCARE31 |
Cov by Medicare - R3/1
Int Dt |
Constructed |
MCARE42 |
Cov by Medicare - R4/2
Int Dt |
Constructed |
MCARE53 |
Cov by Medicare
12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
MCARE21 |
Cov by Medicare -
12/31/21 |
Constructed |
MCARE31X |
Cov by Medicare - R3/1
Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCARE42X |
Cov by Medicare - R4/2
Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCARE53X |
Cov by Medicare
12-31/R3 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCARE21X |
Cov by Medicare -
12/31/21 (Ed) |
Constructed |
MCDAT31X |
Cov Medicaid Or SCHIP
- Any Time in R3/1 |
Constructed |
MCDAT42X |
Cov Medicaid Or SCHIP
- Any Time in R4/2 |
Constructed |
MCDAT53X |
Cov Medicaid Or SCHIP
- Any Time in R5/3 |
Constructed |
MCDAT21X |
Cv Mcd/CHIP-Any Tme In
R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
GOVTA31 |
Cov by Other Public
Cov - R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTA42 |
Cov by Other Public
Cov - R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTA53 |
Cov by Other Public
Cov 12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTA21 |
Cov by Other Public
Cov - 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
GOVAAT31 |
Cov by Other Public
-Any Time in R3/1 |
Constructed |
GOVAAT42 |
Cov by Other Public
-Any Time in R4/2 |
Constructed |
GOVAAT53 |
Cov by Other Public
-Any Time in R5/3 |
Constructed |
GOVAAT21 |
Cv Oth Pub- Any Time
in R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
GOVTB31 |
Cov By Oth Pub HMO -
R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTB42 |
Cov By Oth Pub HMO -
R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTB53 |
Cov By Oth Pub HMO
12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTB21 |
Cov By Oth Pub HMO -
12/31/21 |
Constructed |
GOVBAT31 |
Cov By Oth Pub HMO-Any
Time in R3/1 |
Constructed |
GOVBAT42 |
Cov By Oth Pub HMO-Any
Time in R4/2 |
Constructed |
GOVBAT53 |
Cov By Oth Pub HMO-Any
Time in R5/3 |
Constructed |
GOVBAT21 |
Cov Oth Pb HMO-Any Tm
R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
GOVTC31 |
Cov By Oth Pub Pays
Prem - R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTC42 |
Cov By Oth Pub Pays
Prem - R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTC53 |
Cov By Oth Pub Pays
Prem 12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
GOVTC21 |
Cov By Oth Pub Pays
Prem - 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
GOVCAT31 |
Cv By Oth Pub Pays
Prem-Any Time in R3/1 |
Constructed |
GOVCAT42 |
Cv By Oth Pub Pays
Prem-Any Time in R4/2 |
Constructed |
GOVCAT53 |
Cv By Oth Pub Pays
Prem-Any Time in R5/3 |
Constructed |
GOVCAT21 |
Cv Oth Pub Pays Prem-
R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
VAPROG31 |
Cov By VA - R3/1 Int
Dt |
Constructed |
VAPROG42 |
Cov By VA - R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
VAPROG53 |
Cov By VA 12-31/R3 Int
Dt |
Constructed |
VAPROG21 |
Cov By VA- 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
VAPRAT31 |
Cov By VA - Any Time
in R3/1 |
Constructed |
VAPRAT42 |
Cov By VA - Any Time
in R4/2 |
Constructed |
VAPRAT53 |
Cov By VA - Any Time
in R5/3 |
Constructed |
VAPRAT21 |
Cov By VA-Any Tme In
R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
IHS31 |
Cv By Indian Health
Service- R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
IHS42 |
Cv By Indian Health
Service- R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
IHS53 |
Cv By IHS 12-31/R3 Int
Dt |
Constructed |
IHS21 |
Cov By IHS - 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
IHSAT31 |
Cov By IHS - Any Time
in R3/1 |
Constructed |
IHSAT42 |
Cov By IHS - Any Time
in R4/2 |
Constructed |
IHSAT53 |
Cov By IHS - Any Time
in R5/3 |
Constructed |
IHSAT21 |
Cov By IHS-Any Tme In
R5/3 Til 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRIDK31 |
Cov by Priv Ins (Dk
Plan) - R3/1 Int |
Constructed |
PRIDK42 |
Cov by Priv Ins (Dk
Plan) - R4/2 Int |
Constructed |
PRIDK53 |
Cov by Priv Ins (Dk
Plan) 12-31/R3 Int |
Constructed |
PRIDK21 |
Cov by Priv Ins (Dk
Plan) - 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRIEU31 |
Cov by Empl/Union Grp
Ins - R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRIEU42 |
Cov by Empl/Union Grp
Ins - R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRIEU53 |
Cov by Empl/Union Grp
Ins 12-31/R3 Int |
Constructed |
PRIEU21 |
Cov by Empl/Union Grp
Ins - 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRING31 |
Cov by Non-Group Ins -
R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRING42 |
Cov by Non-Group Ins -
R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRING53 |
Cov by Non-Group Ins
12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRING21 |
Cov by Non-Group Ins -
12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRIOG31 |
Cov by Other Group Ins
- R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRIOG42 |
Cov by Other Group Ins
- R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRIOG53 |
Cov by Other Group Ins
12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRIOG21 |
Cov by Other Group Ins
- 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRINEO31 |
Cov By Non-ESI, PHoldr
Out RU - R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRINEO42 |
Cov By Non-ESI, PHoldr
Out RU - R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRINEO53 |
Cov By Non-ESI, PHoldr
Out RU 12-31/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRINEO21 |
Cov By Non-ESI, PHoldr
Out RU- 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRIEUO31 |
Cov By ESI, Pholdr
Outside RU - R3/1 Int |
Constructed |
PRIEUO42 |
Cov By ESI, Pholdr
Outside RU - R4/2 Int |
Constructed |
PRIEUO53 |
Cv By ESI, Phldr
Outside RU 12-31/R3 Int |
Constructed |
PRIEUO21 |
Cov By ESI, PHoldr
Outside RU - 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRSTX31 |
Cov by Priv Exchange
Ins - R3/1 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRSTX42 |
Cov by Priv Exchange
Ins - R4/2 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRSTX53 |
Priv Exchange Ins on
12-31 R5/R3 Int Dt |
Constructed |
PRSTX21 |
Priv Exchange
Insurance on 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRIV31 |
Cov by Priv Hlth Ins -
R3/1 Int Date |
Constructed |
PRIV42 |
Cov by Priv Hlth Ins -
R4/2 Int Date |
Constructed |
PRIV53 |
Cov by Priv Hlth Ins
12-31/R3 Int Date |
Constructed |
PRIV21 |
Cov by Priv Hlth Ins -
12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PRIVAT31 |
Cov by Private Ins -
Any Time in R3/1 |
Constructed |
PRIVAT42 |
Cov by Private Ins -
Any Time in R4/2 |
Constructed |
PRIVAT53 |
Cov by Private Ins -
Any Time in R5/3 |
Constructed |
PRIVAT21 |
Cov by Private Ins -
R5/3 Until 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PUB31X |
Cov by Public Ins -
R3/1 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
PUB42X |
Cov by Public Ins -
R4/2 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
PUB53X |
Cov by Public Ins
12-31/R3 Int Dt (Ed) |
Constructed |
PUB21X |
Cov by Public Ins -
12/31/21 (Ed) |
Constructed |
PUBAT31X |
Cov by Public - Any
Time in R3/1 |
Constructed |
PUBAT42X |
Cov by Public - Any
Time in R4/2 |
Constructed |
PUBAT53X |
Cov by Public - Any
Time in R5/3 |
Constructed |
PUBAT21X |
Cov by Public - R5/3
Until 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
VERFLG31 |
PID Gained Covg Thru
Verification R3/1 |
Constructed |
VERFLG42 |
PID Gained Covg Thru
Verification R4/2 |
Constructed |
VERFLG21 |
PID Gained Covg Thru
Verification in R5/R3 Until 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
INS31X |
Insured - R3/1 Int
Date (Ed) |
Constructed |
INS42X |
Insured - R4/2 Int
Date (Ed) |
Constructed |
INS53X |
Insured 12-31/R3 Int
Date (Ed) |
Constructed |
INS21X |
Insured - 12/31/21
(Ed) |
Constructed |
INSAT31X |
Insured Any Time in
R3/1 |
Constructed |
INSAT42X |
Insured Any Time in
R4/2 |
Constructed |
INSAT53X |
Insured Any Time in
R5/3 |
Constructed |
INSAT21X |
Insured Any Time in
R5/R3 until 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
Return To Table Of Contents
DENTAL AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRIVATE INSURANCE VARIABLES
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
DENTIN31 |
Dental Insurance- Any Time in RD 3/1 |
Constructed |
DENTIN42 |
Dental Insurance- Any Time in RD 4/2 |
Constructed |
DENTIN53 |
Dental Insurance- Any Time in RD 5/3 |
Constructed |
DNTINS31 |
Dental Ins - Any Time
In Rd 3/1 in 2021 |
Constructed |
DNTINS21 |
Dentl Ins-Any Time in
R5/R3 Til 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
PMEDIN31 |
PMED Ins - Any Time in
Rd 3/1 |
Constructed |
PMEDIN42 |
PMEDINS - Any Time in
Rd 4/2 |
Constructed |
PMEDIN53 |
PMEDINS - Any Time in
Rd 5/3 |
Constructed |
PMDINS31 |
Pmed Ins - RD 3/1 in
2021 |
Constructed |
PMDINS21 |
Pmed Ins - R5/R3 until
12/31/21 |
Constructed |
Return To Table Of Contents
MEDICAL DEBT VARIABLES
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
PROBPY42 |
Family Having Prob
Paying Medical Bills |
HX770 |
CRFMPY42 |
Family Med Bills Being
Paid Over Time |
HX780 |
PYUNBL42 |
Unable to Pay Family
Medical Bills |
HX790 |
Return To Table Of Contents
THIRD PARTY PAYER VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
PMEDUP31 |
Has Usual 3rd Party Payer for Pmeds - R3/1 |
Constructed |
PMEDUP42 |
Has Usual 3rd Party Payer for Pmeds - R4/2 |
Constructed |
PMEDUP53 |
Has Usual 3rd Party Payer for Pmeds - R5/3 |
Constructed |
PMEDPY31 |
Usual 3rd Party Payer for Pmeds - R3/1 |
Constructed |
PMEDPY42 |
Usual 3rd Party Payer for Pmeds - R4/2 |
Constructed |
PMEDPY53 |
Usual 3rd Party Payer for Pmeds - R5/3 |
Constructed |
Return To Table Of Contents
PERSON-LEVEL UTILIZATION VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
OBTOTV21 |
# Office-Based
Provider Visits 2021 |
Constructed |
OBDRV21 |
# Office-Based
Physician Visits 2021 |
Constructed |
OPTOTV21 |
# Outpatient Dept
Provider Visits 2021 |
Constructed |
OPDRV21 |
# Outpatient Dept
Physician Visits 2021 |
Constructed |
ERTOT21 |
# Emergency Room
Visits 2021 |
Constructed |
IPDIS21 |
# Hospital Discharges
2021 |
Constructed |
IPNGTD21 |
# Nights in Hosp for
Discharges 2021 |
Constructed |
DVTOT21 |
# Dental Care Visits
2021 |
Constructed |
HHTOTD21 |
# Home Health Provider
Days 2021 |
Constructed |
HHAGD21 |
# Agency Home Health
Provider Days 2021 |
Constructed |
HHINDD21 |
# Non-Agency Home Hlth
Providr Days 2021 |
Constructed |
HHINFD21 |
# Informal Home Hlth
Provider Days 2021 |
Constructed |
RXTOT21 |
# Prescribed Medicines
including Refills 2021 |
Constructed |
Return To Table Of Contents
WEIGHTS VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
PERWT21F |
Final Person Weight,
2021 |
Constructed |
FAMWT21F |
Final Family Weight,
2021 |
Constructed |
FAMWT21C |
Pov Adj Family
Weight-CPS Fam on 12/31/21 |
Constructed |
SAQWT21F |
Final SAQ Person
Weight, 2021 |
Constructed |
DIABW21F |
Final Diabetes Care
Supplement Weight |
Constructed |
SDOHWT21F |
Final SDOH Weight,
2021 |
Constructed |
VARSTR |
Variance Estimation
Stratum - 2021 |
Constructed |
VARPSU |
Variance Estimation
PSU - 2021 |
Constructed |
Return To Table Of Contents
MEPS Industry Codes Condensing Rules FY2010 and Subsequent Files
Condensed Industry Code |
Census Industry Code Range |
Description |
1 |
0170 - 0290 |
Natural Resources |
2 |
0370 - 0490 |
Mining |
3 |
0770 |
Construction |
4 |
1070 - 3990 |
Manufacturing |
5 |
4070 - 5790 |
Wholesale and Retail Trade |
6 |
0570 - 0690, 6070 - 6390 |
Transportation and Utilities |
7 |
6470 - 6780 |
Information |
8 |
6870 - 7190 |
Financial Activities |
9 |
7270 - 7790 |
Professional and Business Services |
10 |
7860 - 8470 |
Education, Health, and Social Services |
11 |
8560 - 8690 |
Leisure and Hospitality |
12 |
8770 - 9290 |
Other Services |
13 |
9370 - 9590 |
Public Administration |
14 |
9890 |
Military |
15 |
9990 |
Unclassifiable Industry |
Return To Table Of Contents
MEPS uses the 4-digit Census occupation and industry
coding systems developed for the Current Population Survey and the American
Community Survey.
For industry coding, MEPS uses the 2007 4-digit Census
industry codes. Descriptions of the 4-digit Census industry codes can be found
at the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
See
Census IO Index for more information
on the Census coding systems used by MEPS.
Return To Table Of Contents
MEPS Occupation Codes Condensing Rules FY2010 and Subsequent Files
Condensed Occupation Code |
Census Occupation Code Range |
Description |
1 |
0010 - 0950 |
Management, Business, and Financial Operations Occupations |
2 |
1005 - 3540 |
Professional and
Related Occupations |
3 |
3600 - 4650 |
Service Occupations |
4 |
4700 - 4965 |
Sales and Related
Occupations |
5 |
5000 - 5940 |
Office and
Administrative Support Occupations |
6 |
6005 - 6130 |
Farming, Fishing, and
Forestry Occupations |
7 |
6200 - 7630 |
Construction,
Extraction, and Maintenance Occupations |
8 |
7700 - 9750 |
Production,
Transportation, and Material Moving Occupations |
9 |
9840 |
Military Specific
Occupations |
10 |
9920 |
Not in Labor Force |
11 |
9990 |
Unclassifiable
Occupation |
Return To Table Of Contents
MEPS uses the 4-digit Census occupation and industry
coding systems developed for the Current Population Survey and the American
Community Survey.
For occupation coding, MEPS uses the 2010 4-digit
Census occupation codes. Descriptions of the 4-digit Census occupation codes can
be found at the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
See the
Census IO Index for more information
on the Census coding systems used by MEPS.
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Summary of Utilization and Expenditure Variables by Health Service Category
HEALTH SERVICE CATEGORY |
UTILIZATION VARIABLE(S) |
EXPENDITURE VARIABLE(S) [1] |
All Health Services |
-- |
TOT***21 |
Total Office Based Visits (Physician + Non-physician + Unknown) |
OBTOTV21 |
OBV***21 |
Office Based Visits to Physicians |
OBDRV21 |
OBD***21 |
Total Outpatient Visits (Physician + Non-physician + Unknown) |
OPTOTV21 |
-- |
Sum of Facility and SBD Expenses |
-- |
OPT***21 |
Facility Expense |
-- |
OPF***21 |
SBD Expense |
-- |
OPD***21 |
Outpatient Visits to Physicians |
OPDRV21 |
-- |
Facility Expense |
-- |
OPV***21 |
SBD Expense |
-- |
OPS***21 |
Total Emergency Room Visits |
ERTOT21 |
-- |
Sum of Facility and SBD Expenses |
-- |
ERT***21 |
Facility Expense |
-- |
ERF***21 |
SBD Expense |
-- |
ERD***21 |
Total Inpatient Stays |
IPDIS21, IPNGTD21 |
-- |
Sum of Facility and SBD Expenses |
-- |
IPT***21 |
Facility Expense |
-- |
IPF***21 |
SBD Expense |
-- |
IPD***21 |
Total Prescription Medicines |
RXTOT21 |
RX***21 |
Total Dental Visits |
DVTOT21 |
DVT***21 |
Total Home Health Care |
HHTOTD21 |
-- |
Agency Sponsored |
HHAGD21 |
HHA***21 |
Paid Independent Providers |
HHINDD21 |
HHN***21 |
Informal |
HHINFD21 |
-- |
Vision Aids |
-- |
VIS***21 |
Other Medical Supplies and Equipment |
-- |
OTH***21 |
[1] See key at end of table for specific categories for ***.
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KEY: To complete variable name, replace *** with a
particular source of payment category as identified in the following tables:
Source of Payment Category |
*** |
Total payments (sum of all sources) |
EXP |
Out of Pocket |
SLF |
Medicare |
MCR |
Medicaid |
MCD |
Private Insurance |
PRV |
Veteran’s
Administration/CHAMPVA |
VA |
TRICARE |
TRI |
Other Federal Sources |
OFD |
Other State and Local
Sources |
STL |
Workers’ Compensation |
WCP |
Other Unclassified Sources |
OSR |
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Collapsed Source of Payment Category |
*** |
Private and TRICARE |
PTR |
Other Federal, Other
State and Local, and Other Unclassified Sources |
OTH |
Total charges[2] |
TCH |
[2] No charge variables on file for prescription medicines.
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