Medical Expenditure Panel Survey(MEPS)


Topic/Focus: Cost and Utilization, Healthcare Facilities and Services

Year(s): 1996 – 2014

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Study and sample characteristics: Survey data

Universe: Households, employers, and medical providers

Variables: Over 200

Access: Publicly available (restricted-use data only at AHRQ Data Center)

Cost: Free

Key weblinks: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)

Summary: The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which began in 1996, is a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers (doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc.), and employers across the United States. MEPS collects data on the specific health services that Americans use, how frequently they use them, the cost of these services, and how they are paid for, as well as data on the cost, scope, and breadth of health insurance held by and available to U.S. workers.

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