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The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which began in 1996, is a set of large-scale surveys of households, their medical providers and employers across the United States. The MEPS Insurance Component (MEPS-IC) is the business establishment survey component of the MEPS, and collects data on health insurance plans offered by employers. Data collected include the number and type of private insurance plans offered, benefits associated with these plans, premiums, contributions by employers and employees, eligibility requirements, and employer characteristics. Use of this data requires approval from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Census Bureau will coordinate all necessary reviews.

The project review timeframes above do not apply to applications that request access to confidential data assets commingled with data that are either not owned, or are only co-owned, by the statistical agency(s) or unit(s) and require approval from third parties not subject to this policy (e.g., state and local government agencies).

Detailed Methodology

Sample

The annual MEPS-IC survey is based upon a nationally representative sample of private-sector establishments and governments. The private sample is comprised of about 42,000 establishments (individual locations) that are selected from the Census Bureau’s Business Register. About 3,300 government units are selected from the Governments Integrated Directory (GID), a list of state and local government units maintained by the Census Bureau Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division. The samples support estimates at the national, state and large MSA levels.

Method of data collection

Survey (self- or interviewer-administered)

Frequency of data collection

Annually

Reference date

Last year/last 12 months

Data collection notes

The MEPS-IC uses multiple data collection methods. Establishments and governmental units are initially screened using a web-based precanvass tool to determine if the sample unit offers health insurance to their employees. If a sample unit does not offer health insurance, questions are asked to gain characteristics of the unit and the survey is complete.

Sample units that offer health insurance and those that did not respond to the precanvass tool receive the full survey and are encouraged to respond by web. Paper survey questionnaires will be mailed to the sample unit as part of the follow-up operation if response has not been received. Subsequent follow-up operations include a computer-assisted telephone interview and, in the case of units with very large employment, some will be interviewed in-person.

Number of cases

Private sector survey: about 42,000 establishments (unique locations)|Public sector survey: about 3,300 State and local governments

Linkage capabilities

City . ALPHA . NAICS; City; ALPHA; NAICS

Medical Expenditures Panel Survey - Insurance Component (MEPS-IC)

Description

Detailed Methodology