The file HCIC96FX contains 6125 records. Each record
corresponds to a person in the 1996 MEPS-HC survey who worked for the federal
government in 1996 and a plan for which it was determined they were eligible.
Eligibility was determined by comparing the county in which the person lived
against the list of plans in the Federal Health Benefits program. Some judgment
was used in this determination. For instance, plans for national plans for
secret service employees were not considered available to employees because it
was unlikely that a federal employee would be in the Secret Service.
The file contains the encrypted person level id, the plan
id variable that indicates whether the person is the holder of employee health
insurance, whether the person is covered by employee health insurance, whether
the person is on the HC/IC linked and whether the plan on the particular record
is the plan actually chosen by the person. The file also contains plan
characteristics abstracted from federal plan booklets.
The file has 344 different person level id's. 253 of
these match to the IC/HC linked file. Using the person id and indicator that the
person has a particular plan gives a set of 253 persons with their selected
plan. Any other plan is a plan choice that was not taken by these 253 persons.
The remaining 91 persons on the file have no chosen plan.
If the variable indicates the person is enrolled in health insurance, then the
chosen plan is unknown. If a person is not enrolled in employer health
insurance, but is covered, then there should be a covered plan associated with
another member of the health insurance unit. By the records on this file would
give the federal plan choices the health insurance unit had aside from the plan
taken. If the person is not enrolled or covered by health insurance, then the
person had these federal plan choices and any through a spouse or other family
member but no plan was taken.
By proper merging of this file with the HC/IC linked
files, at least 253 more sets of known plan choices and plan taken are presented
to the researcher.
Below is a list of variables and their definitions.
Note contributions are for non postal federal employees.
Postal workers eligible for the plan pay a different contribution.
There are no imputed values on the file. Any variables
which had no meaning for federal plans were left missing.
Variable |
Size |
Definition |
DUPERSID |
8 |
PERSON ID (DUID+PID) |
FEHBP |
3 |
FEHBP code |
FLAGLINK |
3 |
1 if person on linked file |
PRIVEG1 |
8 |
1 if person has coverage from employer group plan |
HPRIVEG1 |
8 |
1 if person is holder of employer group plan |
PLANTKEN |
3 |
1 if person and plan are on linked file |
POSTAL |
|
1 if JOBS.WORKUSPS=1 |
C001 |
1 |
Does the establishment offer health insurance?
(Yes=1 for all Federal cases) |
C003 |
2 |
Number of plans offered in State (Note that some
plans are only available in certain areas of the state and some plans are
only available to a subset of federal workers. Anyone interested in plans
offered in a specific area of a State could reference the booklets to find
that information) |
C016 |
3 |
Percent of employees that are women |
C017 |
3 |
Percent of employees that are 50 years old or older |
C022 |
3 |
Percent of employees that earn $6.50/hr or less |
C023 |
3 |
Percent of employees that earn between $6.50/hr and
$15/hr |
C024 |
3 |
Percent of employees that earn $15/hr or more |
C034 |
10 |
Total number of Federal employees in ALL locations |
C041 |
2 |
Number of hours considered Full-time (40 hrs for all
Federal cases) |
C050 |
1 |
Offers paid vacation (Yes=1 for all Federal cases) |
C051 |
1 |
Offers paid sick leave (Yes=1 for all Federal cases) |
C052 |
1 |
Offers life insurance (Yes=1 for all Federal cases) |
C053 |
1 |
Offers disability insurance (Yes=1 for all Federal
cases) |
C054 |
1 |
Offers retirement/pension plan (Yes=1 for all
Federal cases) |
C055 |
1 |
Offers Medical Savings Account (No=2 for all Federal
cases) |
C056 |
1 |
Offers Flexible Spending Accounts (No=2 for all
Federal cases) |
C057 |
1 |
Offers Cafeteria-Style Benefit Plan (No-2 for all
Federal cases) |
C060 |
2 |
Principal Business Activity (Government=12 for all
Federal cases) |
C062 |
1 |
Type of Business Ownership (Government=5 for all
Federal cases) |
C063 |
1 |
Non-profit business (Yes=1 for all Federal cases) |
C064 |
3 |
Years in business (220 = for all Federal cases) |
C103 |
1 |
Provider type: 1=Exclusive, 2=Any, 3=Mixture of
preferred and any |
C104 |
1 |
Referral to see specialist? 1=yes, 2=no |
C105 |
1 |
Indemnification: 1=purchased, 2=self-insured |
C106 |
1 |
SI plan -TPA? (Blank for all federal cases) |
C107 |
1 |
SI plan - Purchase Stop-loss (Blank for all
federal cases) |
C108 |
8 |
SI plan - total cost of coverage (Blank for all
federal cases) |
C109 |
4 |
SI plan - monthly single premium equivalent (Blank
for all federal cases) |
C110 |
4 |
SI plan - monthly family premium equivalent (Blank
for all federal cases) |
C111 |
1 |
SI plan - COBRA or premium equivalent? (Blank for
all federal cases) |
C112 |
1 |
Pooling arrangement (MEWA)? (No=2 for all Federal
plans) |
C113 |
1 |
Plan operated by a Union or Trade Association? (No=3
for all Federal plans) |
C122 |
1 |
Subsidy from union or government? (No=2o for all
Federal plans) |
C123 |
2 |
Month in which the plan year begins. (January = 1
for all Federal plans) |
C124 |
12 |
Total number of enrollees |
C125 |
12 |
Total number of active employees enrollees |
C126 |
12 |
Former employees enrolled through COBRA |
C127 |
12 |
Total number of retirees enrolled |
C128 |
12 |
Total number of retirees enrolled - age 65 and
over |
C129 |
12 |
Total enrollees with single coverage |
C130 |
12 |
Total premium: single coverage |
C131 |
12 |
Employer contribution: single coverage |
C132 |
12 |
Employee contribution: single coverage |
C133 |
1 |
Premium period 1=week, 2=2 weeks, 3=month, 4=year (4
= all federal plans) |
C134 |
12 |
Total premium: family coverage |
C135 |
12 |
Employer contribution: family coverage |
C136 |
12 |
Employee contribution: family coverage |
C137 |
1 |
Family coverage NOT offered (blank for all federal
cases) |
C138 |
1 |
Premiums vary by age? (No=2 for all federal cases) |
C139 |
1 |
Premiums vary by sex? (No=2 for all federal cases) |
C140 |
1 |
Premiums vary by number of persons in family? (No=2
for all federal cases) |
C141 |
1 |
Premiums vary by wage levels? (No=2 for all federal
cases) |
C142 |
1 |
Premiums vary by other reason? (No=2 for all federal
cases) |
C143 |
1 |
Employee contribution varied by status (1=yes for
all Federal employees) |
C144 |
1 |
Premium includes life insurance? (No=2 for all
federal cases) |
C145 |
1 |
Premium includes disability insurance? (No=2 for all
federal cases) |
C146 |
12 |
Total annual deductible: individual |
C147 |
12 |
Deductible for physician care |
C148 |
12 |
Deductible for hospital care |
C149 |
12 |
Total annual deductible: Family |
C150 |
12 |
Number of persons required to meet individual
deductible to fulfill family deductible |
C151 |
1 |
Does the plan have a deductible?
For 1996 : blank =yes, 1=no
For 1997 and beyond: 1=yes, 2=no |
C152 |
12 |
Hospital stay cost after deductible (in dollars) |
C153 |
12 |
Hospital stay cost after deductible (percent) |
C154 |
1 |
Hospital stay cost per day? Or per stay? Per day =
1, per stay = 2 |
C155 |
1 |
Was hospital care covered under this plan?
For 1996: blank=yes, 1=no
For 1997 and beyond: 1=yes, 2=no |
C156 |
12 |
Physicians visit cost after deductible (in dollars) |
C157 |
12 |
Physicians visit cost after deductible (percent) |
C158 |
1 |
No maximum plan payment (No=1 no max for all federal
plans) |
C159 |
7 |
Maximum plan pays in lifetime (blank for all federal
plans) |
C160 |
8 |
Maximum plan pays annually (blank for all federal
plans) |
C161 |
12 |
Maximum annual out-of-pocket: individual |
C162 |
12 |
Maximum annual out-of-pocket: family |
C163 |
1 |
No maximum annual out-of-pocket - 1=no max |
C164 |
1 |
Routine mammograms 1=yes, included in plan |
C165 |
1 |
Adult routine physical exams 1=yes, included in plan |
C166 |
1 |
Routine pap smears 1=yes, included in plan |
C167 |
1 |
Office visit for prenatal care 1=yes, included in
plan |
C168 |
1 |
Adult immunization 1=yes, included in plan |
C169 |
1 |
Child immunization 1=yes, included in plan |
C170 |
1 |
Well-baby care - under 1 year 1=yes, included in
plan |
C171 |
1 |
Well-baby care - 1-4 years old 1=yes, included in
plan |
C172 |
1 |
100% Well-baby care 1=yes, included in plan |
C173 |
1 |
Chiropractic care 1=yes, included in plan |
C174 |
1 |
Other non-physician providers 1=yes, included in
plan |
C175 |
1 |
Outpatient prescriptions 1=yes, included in plan |
C176 |
1 |
Routine dental care 1=yes, included in plan |
C177 |
1 |
Orthodontic care 1=yes, included in plan |
C178 |
1 |
Nursing home care 1=yes, included in plan |
C179 |
1 |
Home health care 1=yes, included in plan |
C180 |
1 |
Inpatient mental illness 1=yes, included in plan |
C181 |
1 |
Outpatient mental illness 1=yes, included in plan |
C182 |
1 |
Alcohol/substance abuse treatment 1=yes, included in
plan |
C183 |
1 |
Could plan refuse to cover due to preexisting
conditions 2=no for all Federal plans) |
C184 |
1 |
Pre-existing condition refused in reference year?
(Blank for all federal plans) |
C185 |
1 |
Could plan impose a waiting period due to
preexisting conditions 2=no for all Federal plans |
C186 |
1 |
Is the plan offered next year?(1997) 1=yes, 2=no |
C187 |
1 |
If not offered, 1=replaced with similar plan,
2=replaced with different plan, 3=dropped, no replacement |
C188 |
|
Next year data (available in next year's file) |
C189 |
|
Next year data (available in next year's file) |
C190 |
12 |
Total premium: single coverage for next year |
C191 |
12 |
Total premium: family coverage for next year |
C192 |
|
Next year data (available in next year's file) |
C193 |
|
Next year data (available in next year's file) |
C194 |
|
Next year data (available in next year's file) |
C195 |
|
Next year data (available in next year's file) |
C197 |
1 |
Did you impose a waiting period? No=2 for all
Federal cases |
C200 |
12 |
Total employees in state |
C201 |
12 |
Total employees eligible for health insurance in
state |
C202 |
12 |
Total employees enrolled in health insurance in
state |
C203 |
12 |
Total part-time employees in state |
C204 |
12 |
Total part-time employees eligible for health
insurance in state |
C205 |
12 |
Total part-time employees enrolled in health
insurance in state |
C206 |
12 |
Total temporary employees in state |
C207 |
12 |
Total temporary employees eligible for health
insurance in state |
C208 |
12 |
Total temporary employees enrolled in health
insurance in state |
C209 |
1 |
Were retirees under 65 years old eligible to receive
health insurance?
Yes=1 for all Federal cases |
C210 |
1 |
Were retirees 65 years old and over eligible to
receive health insurance?
Yes=1 for all Federal cases |
C218 |
1 |
Physician care not covered? Blank for all federal
cases |
C012 |
51 |
Name of health insurance plan |