Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component.Methodology Report 2

摘要

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is the third in a series ofnationally representative surveys of medical care use and expenditures sponsored by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR). It is cosponsored by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). MEPS comprises four component surveys, with the Household Component being the core survey. The Household Component collects detailed data on demographic characteristics, health conditions, health status, use of medical care services, charges and payments, access to care, satisfaction with care, health insurance coverage, income, and employment. As part of the Reinventing Government activities, the Department of Health and Human Services developed a survey integration plan. This report describes enhancements and efficiencies incorporated in MEPS as a result of survey integration, such as cost savings, enhanced analytic capacity, increased opportunities for longitudinal analyses, reduction of major data gaps, and improvements in the timeliness of data release. The sample design of the Household Component, which uses NCHS' National Health Interview Survey as its frame, is described. Sampling unit definitions, eligibility criteria, sample size targets, and precision requirements are discussed. MEPS data will serve as a primary source of information on health care use and expenditures among different sectors of the population, variation in health insurance status among the population, and private health insurance costs and coverage.