MEPS
HC-108: MEPS 2007 Jobs File
May 2009
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, MD 20850
(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 Source and Naming Conventions
3.0 Pooling Annual Files
3.1 Longitudinal Analysis
3.2 Using MEPS Data for Trend Analysis
D. Variable-Source Crosswalk
Appendix 1. Sample SAS Program
A. Data Use Agreement
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.
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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B. Background
1.0 Household Component
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
non-institutionalized 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, which includes 5 Rounds of interviews
covering 2 full calendar years, provides 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 non-institutionalized population and reflects an oversample
of blacks and Hispanics. 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. MEPS further oversamples
additional policy relevant sub-groups such as low income households. The linkage
of the MEPS to the previous year’s NHIS provides additional data for
longitudinal analytic purposes.
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2.0 Medical Provider Component
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 visit,
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 date filled and sources and
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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3.0 Survey Management and Data
Collection
MEPS HC and MPC data are collected under the authority of
the Public Health Service Act. Data are collected under contract with Westat,
Inc. 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 summary
reports, micro data files, and tables via the MEPS Web site:
www.meps.ahrq.gov.
Selected data can be analyzed through MEPSnet, an on-line interactive tool
designed to give data users the capability to statistically analyze MEPS data in
a menu-driven environment.
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, 540 Gaither
Road, Rockville, MD 20850 (301-427-1406).
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C. Technical and Programming Information
Section C of this document offers a brief overview of the
data provided in MEPS public use release HC-108, as well as the content and
structure of the codebook, reserved code values and variable naming conventions.
It is followed by Section D containing the Variable-Source Crosswalk, and
Appendix 1 containing sample SAS program code. A copy of the survey instrument
used to collect the information on this file is available on the MEPS web site:
www.meps.ahrq.gov.
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1.0 General Information
In the Employment section, MEPS collects complete
job-related information in the round in which a job is first reported. While
they vary by job type (see Section 3.0), the data reported for a job in its
first survey round may include earnings by type (gross salary, tips, etc.),
start and stop dates, hours and weeks worked, establishment size and industry,
occupation, presence of retirement and other benefits, self-employment versus
other status, temporary or seasonal situations, and health insurance
availability. Minimal data updates are available for later rounds in which the
job continues.
Each Full Year Jobs File contains job records from two
MEPS panels. The 2007 Jobs File provided in this release, MEPS HC-108, contains
job-level information collected in Rounds 3 through 5 for the eleventh panel and
Rounds 1 through 3 for the twelfth panel of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
(i.e., the rounds for the MEPS panels covering calendar year 2007), as
illustrated below.
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Calendar
2006 through 2008
In order to obtain complete information for a job, users
must note the round in which the job is first reported. This is because MEPS
collects complete Jobs information in that round only, as noted above.
For the first year panel, in this case Panel 12, data from
Rounds 1, 2, and 3 are included in the 2007 Jobs File. Complete information for
any Panel 12 job is available, whether that job was first reported in Round 1,
2, or 3. This is the case for any first year panel (the panel that began its
first year of interviewing in the given year) in a Full-Year Jobs file.
For the second year panel (the panel that continued with
its second year of interviewing in the given year), in this case Panel 11, data
from Rounds 3, 4, and 5 are included in this file. If the Round 3, 4, or 5 job
continued from Round 1 or 2, users must look back to the Jobs File from the
previous year (2006) to obtain complete information for the job. Appendix 1
includes sample SAS code to assist users in obtaining this information. Users
should note that, because of differences in sample composition between
the current year and the previous year files (i.e. a person was included in the
previous year’s delivery but not the current year or vice versa), or because
more accurate information was received in Round 4 or 5 comments following the
delivery of the Rounds 1 – 3 Jobs records in the previous year, there
occasionally may not be a corresponding Round 1 or Round 2 job in the previous
year file.
This file is being released as a research file and has not
undergone the standard quality control procedures usually performed on MEPS data
files. The file includes a total of 52,306 records, with each record
representing a unique job for a person by round. This file presents information
about jobs starting on or before 12/31/2007 only. The 2008 Jobs File release
will present information on Panel 12 jobs starting in 2008.
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2.0 Data File Information
Jobs Records
Each record in the 2007 Jobs File represents one job
reported by a person in a round. The unique record identifier is the variable
JOBSIDX, which is comprised of a person identifier (DUID + PID), a round
identifier (RN), and a job number (JOBSN). A panel indicator (PANEL) is included
on the file to distinguish Round 3 jobs held by Panel 11 persons from Round 3
jobs held by those in Panel 12.
All persons age 16 and older in the MEPS are asked to
report on jobs held. Depending on an individual’s job history, these reported
jobs may be held:
- at the interview date,
- in the round but prior to the interview date, or
- prior to the round.
Only those persons reporting a job in a round will have a
record on the 2007 Jobs File for that round.
Initial Reporting Round
Most persons held only one job at the first interview date
– their "Current Main Job." Persons who held more than one job at the round’s
interview date (a current job) were asked to identify the main job. This job was
classified as the "Current Main Job" and any other simultaneously held job was
classified as a "Current Miscellaneous Job." The MEPS also obtained some
information on any former job (Former Main Job or Former Miscellaneous Job) held
in the reference period but not at the interview date. For those persons neither
working at the interview date nor earlier in the reference period, limited
information on the last job the person held was collected. Additionally, for
those persons age 55 or older who indicated that they retired from a job, the
MEPS obtained some job-level information (Retirement Job).
The variable SUBTYPE indicates the type of job record -
current main (1), current miscellaneous (2), former main (3), former
miscellaneous (4), last job outside reference period (5), or retirement job (6).
When a job is initially reported, MEPS asks for detailed information about any
"Current Main Job" and "Current Miscellaneous Job" and basic information about
other job types. Refer to the questionnaire to see which information was asked
for each job type. It is important to note that the retirement job
classification in the variable SUBTYPE is independent of any retirement response
in the following variables:
- YLEFT, which relates to the question why a person left a previous job;
- YNOBUSN, which relates to the question why a person no longer has a self-employed
business;
- WHY_LEFT, which relates to the question why a person left a job in the
current round.
Job Updates and Inapplicable (-1) Values
The MEPS used dependent interviewing in Rounds 3, 4, and 5
for Panel 11 and in Rounds 2 and 3 for Panel 12 (see section RJ in the
employment section of the questionnaire). In these rounds, the MEPS asked
persons who held current main and current miscellaneous jobs at the previous
round interview date whether they were still working at these jobs. For other
job types (former, last, or retirement) reported in the previous round, MEPS
does not ask any follow-up questions. These jobs, by definition, are no longer
held by the person and therefore are not included on the file except in the
round they are first reported.
With dependent interviewing, if a person still held a
Current Main Job from the previous round, the MEPS asked whether the job was
still the main job. Most persons reported that they still worked at the same job
and it was still their main job. If, in a subsequent interview, a job was no
longer held, it was designated as a former job for that follow-up round. It is
also possible, although unusual, for a job to change from main or miscellaneous
(or vice versa) in a round subsequent to the initial report.
If job status remained the same for a continuing job
(either main or miscellaneous), the MEPS asked only a subset of the employment
questions as a review. Because the MEPS asked only this subset of questions if
job status for a person did not change in later rounds, many job-level variables
on the subsequent round’s job records are coded as inapplicable (-1); the
complete information is on the record for the job in the first round in which it
was reported. Thus, it is important to determine whether a job in a
subsequent round continues from the previous round when working with the job
records. In rounds where this applies, the variables STILLAT (for jobs that were
current main in the previous round) and STILLWRK (for jobs that were current
miscellaneous in the previous round) indicate whether a person still holds the
job at the subsequent round interview date. The variable SUBTYPE on the
subsequent round record indicates whether the job is main or miscellaneous in
that subsequent round. Note that if a Panel 11 job included in this 2007 file is
continued from a Round 1 or 2 job, much of the information will be contained in
the 2006 Jobs File (HC-100). Use that file to obtain the desired job
characteristics. Appendix 1 provides a sample SAS program showing how to do
this.
Any new job reported in a round following the initial
interview is collected the same way as in the first interview round.
Variables that relate only to the review of a job reported
in a previous round (Y_CHANGE, MAIN_JOB, OFFTAKEI, NOWTAKEI, WHY_LEFT, STILLAT,
STILLWRK, DIFFWAGE, WHY_DIFF, WORKSTAT, ESTBTHRU, INSESTB, NELIGINS) were not
asked in Round 1, and these variables are coded as inapplicable (-1) on a Jobs
record for the round in which the job is initially reported.
Exceptions to the Inapplicable (-1) Rule
Unlike the situation explained above for most variables on
the file, for certain variables a value other than inapplicable (-1) does not
necessarily mean that a job is newly reported. There are two distinct situations
in which this special treatment is used, due to internal processing needs.
In the first situation, questions related to the affected
variables are skipped over as inapplicable (-1) during the interview in rounds
subsequent to the one in which the job was initially reported, but have their
originally reported response carried forward from round to round. This group
includes the following 15 variables: EMPLINS, HRSPRWK, HRS35WK,
JOBTYPE, JSTRTY, JSTRTM, JSTRTD, MORELOC, NUMEMPS, OFFRDINS, PROVDINS,
TYPEEMPL, JOBHASHI, HRSALBAS, and RETIRJOB.
In the other situation, there are certain questions that
are asked during the review of a job in rounds following the round in which the
job was initially reported. If there is no change based on the review, the value
for the affected variable is copied forward from the previous round. If there is
a change, the variable is updated to reflect the new information. These five
variables are: JSTOPY, NOWTAKEI, OFFTAKEI, SUBTYPE, and TOTLEMP.
Variables related to earnings (such as HRLYWAGE, GROSSPAY,
SALARIED) are treated similarly to the five variables just discussed. In the
review section, the MEPS attempted to obtain information regarding changes in
wages for the same job from round to round. If there were no wage changes
(indicated by the DIFFWAGE variable), then the most recent round’s information
was carried forward. If changes were recorded, then the relevant variables were
updated. For every new job reported for a person, the MEPS attempted to obtain
current wage information.
Top-Coding
For reasons of confidentiality, earnings variables on the
file were top-coded. The earnings variables include HRLYWAGE, BONSAMT, COMMAMT,
TIPSAMT, DAYWAGE, WKLYAMT, GROSSPAY, MAKEAMT, and OTHRWAGE. A value of ‘-10’ for
one of these variables on a record indicates that the variable had a positive
value and that the hourly rate for that earnings variable for the record was
greater than or equal to $70.91. As of the 2005 Jobs File, the process by which
this value is derived was modified to incorporate the wage top-code process for
the Full-Year 2005 Use File. The purpose of this change in top-coding procedures
is to ensure confidentiality for each person across files. The 2007 Jobs File
continues to reflect this revised process.
Beginning with the 2004 Use File process, top coding was
changed to consider updated wages in any round – that is, in addition to using
wages from the first report of a Current Main Job, updated wages from that job
reported in any subsequent round are also included in deriving the top-code
value. On the Use File, any person who has a wage in any round that is greater
than or equal to the top-code value will have all wages top-coded, regardless of
round. And any person whose wages are top-coded on the Full-Year 2007 Use File
has all wages on all jobs top-coded in the 2007 Jobs File.
Moreover, because other jobs where wages are reported are
included in the 2007 Jobs File but not summarized in the Full-Year 2007 Use file
(i.e. newly reported former main jobs and current/former miscellaneous jobs),
and these wages may exceed the current year top-code value, wages for these jobs
and all jobs belonging to the same jobholder are top-coded on the 2007 Jobs
File. In turn, the wages of these persons are top-coded in the Full-Year 2007
Use File as well.
Note too that there are some jobs where respondents
indicate that a supplemental wage, such as a commission, tip, or bonus, is
greater than or equal to the wage top code value, but, at that same job, base
wage such as the annual salary is not. For these cases, only the tips,
commissions, or bonus amounts were top coded on the job where they are greater
than or equal to the wage top code value. All other wage amounts on all jobs for
these persons were left as reported.
For some persons in Panel 11, whose wages were imputed in
Round 1 or Round 2 and copied forward into the Full-Year 2007 Use PUF wage
variable HRWG31X, the updated Round 3 wage as reported in the 2007 Jobs File may
meet or exceed the wage top code value. For these cases, the main wage at the
job is set to ‘-9’ and all other wage responses remain as reported.
Some wage information was logically edited for
consistency. Edits were performed under three circumstances:
- in cases where a respondent updated a wage,
indicating as the reason for the change that the amount reported in a
previous round was in error, and then provided the corrected amount for
the previous round
- in some cases where wages reported as less than
$1.00 per hour are updated in a subsequent round to greater than $1.00,
and the wage increased by a factor of 10 or 100 (for example, if a Round 4
wage is updated to $20.00, the Round 3 wage of $0.20 could logically be
updated to $20.00); in some of these cases, additional comments may have
also indicated an error
- in some cases where wages changed substantially from
round to round and a keying error was evident (for example, ‘the number of
hours on which the salary is based’ is updated from ‘40’ to ‘4’; the ‘4’
could logically be updated to ‘40’)
In all cases that result in an edit, a complete review of
wage and employment history is performed; in some cases, comparisons are made to
employment at similar establishments within the MEPS as well as to data reported
and summarized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To calculate the hourly rate for earnings types not
reported on an hourly basis, the number of hours per week worked and in some
cases the number of weeks worked were used in conjunction with the various
amounts. These hours and weeks are included on the file along with the reported
earnings amounts, but not the calculated hourly rates. (Earnings variables were
not reconciled with income data collected elsewhere in the MEPS.)
Also for confidentiality reasons, the establishment size
variables NUMEMPS (establishment size for jobs held by wage earners) and TOTLEMP
(establishment size for self-employed jobs) were top-coded as ‘-10’ for
establishment sizes greater than or equal to 11,000 employees.
It is important to note that the establishment size
variable for the self-employed is TOTLEMP, while the establishment size for wage
earners can be found in NUMEMPS and ESTMATE1. The variable ESTMATE1 is derived
from a question that allowed wage earners who did not know the actual
establishment size (NUMEMPS) to choose from a number of size ranges.
Temporary and Seasonal Jobs
Two variables on the file pertain to the temporary and
seasonal nature of a person’s main or miscellaneous job. The variable
TEMPJOB indicates whether a main or miscellaneous job is temporary (e.g., is a
current main job for a limited amount of time or until the completion of a
project). The variable SESNLJOB indicates either that a main or miscellaneous
job is available only during certain times of the year or that the individual is
working throughout the entire year at that job. Teachers and other school
personnel who work only during the school year are considered to work year
round. In the collection instrument, the questions related to temporary and
seasonal job characteristics are asked both when a current job is initially
reported as well as during a review of that job. If a respondent reports during
a review of a job that the job has ended, the questions are still asked. These
questions are not asked of newly reported former miscellaneous jobs, last
job outside of reference period, and retirement jobs.
Health Insurance Data
Questions about employment-related health insurance are
asked both when any type of job is newly reported and when any continuing job is
reviewed. For main jobs, either newly reported or changing from miscellaneous,
the variable that indicates whether insurance is held through that establishment
is EMPLINS. For all non-main jobs, the variable JOBHASHI indicates whether
insurance is held through that establishment.
For a newly reported job, depending on whether
employment-related insurance is held or not, there may be follow-up information
gathered which is contained in the following variables:
- OFFRDINS which notes if insurance was not
held whether it was offered;
- DIFFPLNS which notes if a choice of plans is
available where insurance is either offered or held;
- ANYINS which notes if insurance coverage is
available to any other employees at the establishment in cases
where the jobholder does not hold and is not offered coverage; and
- ELIGINSR which notes why the jobholder is not
eligible for coverage in cases where other employees at the establishment
are offered coverage.
For a continuing job, when no insurance was held in the
round in which the job was first reported but insurance was offered, OFFTAKEI is
asked to determine if it is now held in this round. If not, there is no
follow-up regarding insurance coverage through that job. When insurance was not
previously held nor offered, the follow-up questions in the RJ section relate to
the following variables:
- NOWTAKEI indicates if insurance is now held through
the establishment. If not, the jobholder is asked if health insurance was
offered (ESTBTHRU).
- If insurance was not offered, follow-up questions
are asked regarding insurance availability to any employees and why the
jobholder is not eligible for that coverage as noted in the variables
INSESTB and NELIGINS.
- If insurance was held for a portion of the previous
round or the respondent disavows coverage in the Health Insurance section
that was previously indicated in the Employment section of the interview,
only NOWTAKEI is asked in subsequent rounds.
Skip Patterns
Due to many skip patterns, it is recommended that users of
the 2007 Jobs File become familiar with the Employment section in the MEPS
questionnaire. To aid users, a crosswalk between variables and MEPS
questionnaire numbers is provided in this release. The following examples of
variables involved in skip patterns are presented to be illustrative; these
examples do not represent the full range of variables affected by questionnaire
skip patterns.
In one example of a skip pattern, the MEPS did not obtain
job-related benefits such as vacation, sick leave and pension information for
self-employed jobs, so those variables are coded as inapplicable (-1) for those
types of jobs. Nor did the MEPS attempt to obtain wage, salary, and information
regarding whether the job was in the private sector, federal or local government
(TYPEEMPL) for the self-employed. So again, due to the skip pattern, TYPEEMPL is
coded as inapplicable (-1) for self-employed jobs.
Conversely, the questions relating to business
organization type (BUSINC, PROPRIET) were asked only of the self-employed, so
the skip pattern results in those variables being coded inapplicable (-1) for
jobs performed by wage earners.
Industry and Occupation Coding
Industry and occupation codes were assigned by
professional coders at the Census Bureau based on verbatim descriptions provided
by respondents during the survey interview. The codes are determined at a
detailed 4-digit level and then collapsed into broader groups on the file to
ensure the confidentiality of the records. INDCODEX contains industry
information and OCCCODEX contains occupation information.
As of the Full Year 2002 MEPS deliveries, the Census
Bureau began using an updated coding scheme for both industry and occupation.
Therefore, the industry and occupation variables for pre-2002 files are not
comparable to those for 2002 and later files. See the 2002 Jobs File (HC-063)
for crosswalks of the 2002 (new) and 1990 (old) detailed-to-condensed Census
industry and occupation codes.
This 2007 Jobs File does not include any weights necessary
to extrapolate this data to the U.S. population. To make person-level estimates,
link to any of the 2007 MEPS files and use the person-level weight for the
appropriate panel. The link should be made through the variable DUPERSID. Note
that not all persons in the MEPS have positive weights and job records; only
those persons who have either a positive person-level or family-level weight in
the 2007 Full-Year Person-Level file are included in the 2007 Jobs File.
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2.1 Codebook Structure
For each variable on the 2007 Jobs File, an unweighted
frequency is provided in the accompanying codebook file.
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2.2 Reserved Codes
The following reserved code values are used:
| Value |
Definition |
| -1 INAPPLICABLE |
Question was not asked due to skip pattern |
| -7 REFUSED |
Question was asked and respondent refused to answer question |
| -8 DK |
Question was asked and respondent did not know answer |
| -9 NOT ASCERTAINED |
Interviewer did not record the data |
| -10 TOP-CODED VALUE |
Variable was top-coded for confidentiality, as described above |
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2.3 Codebook Format
This codebook describes an ASCII dataset (with related SAS
and SPSS programming statements and data user information), although the data
are also provided in a SAS transport file. The file contains 87 variables and
has a logical record length of 255 with an additional 2-byte carriage
return/line feed at the end of each record. The following codebook items are
provided for each variable:
| Identifier |
Description |
| Name |
Variable name (maximum of 8 characters) |
| Description |
Variable descriptor (maximum of 40 characters) |
| 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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2.4 Variable Source and Naming Conventions
In general, variable names reflect the content of the
variable, with an 8-character limitation. Variables contained on this file were
derived from the questionnaire itself or from the CAPI. The source of each
variable is identified in Section D. Variable-Source Crosswalk. Sources for each
variable are indicated in one of two ways:
- Variables derived from CAPI or assigned in sampling
are so indicated as "CAPI Derived" or "Assigned in Sampling,"
respectively;
- Variables that come from one or more specific
questions have those questionnaire sections and/or question numbers listed
in the "Source" column.
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3.0 Pooling Annual Files
To facilitate analysis of subpopulations and/or low
prevalence events, it may be desirable to pool together more than one year of
data to yield sample sizes large enough to generate reliable estimates. For more
details on pooling MEPS data files see
www.meps.ahrq.gov/data_stats/download_data_files_detail.jsp?cboPufNumber=HC-036.
Starting in Panel 9, values for DUPERSID from previous
panels will occasionally be re-used. Therefore, it is necessary to use the panel
variable (PANEL) in combination with DUPERSID to ensure unique person-level
identifiers across panels. Creating unique records in this manner is advised
when pooling MEPS data across multiple annual files that have one or more
identical values for DUPERSID.
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3.1 Longitudinal Analysis
Panel-specific files containing estimation variables to
facilitate longitudinal analysis are available for downloading in the data
section of the MEPS Web site.
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3.2 Using MEPS Data for Trend Analysis
MEPS began in 1996 and the utility of the survey for
analyzing health care trends expands with each additional year of data. However,
it is important to consider a variety of factors when examining trends over time
using MEPS. Statistical significance tests should be conducted to assess the
likelihood that observed trends are not attributable to sampling variation. The
length of time being analyzed should also 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. Looking at changes over longer
periods of time can provide a more complete picture of underlying trends.
Analysts of MEPS data may wish to consider using techniques to evaluate, smooth,
or stabilize estimates of trends.
Such techniques include comparing pooled time periods (e.g.
1996-97 versus 2005-06), 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, researchers should be aware of the impact
of multiple comparisons on Type I error (i.e., the chance of declaring an
observed difference to be statistically significant when there is no difference
in the population parameters). Performing numerous statistical significance
tests increases the likelihood of a Type I error.
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D. Variable-Source Crosswalk
FOR MEPS PUBLIC USE RELEASE HC-108
SURVEY ADMINISTRATION VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
JOBSIDX |
JOBS ID Number |
CAPI Derived |
DUPERSID |
Sample Person ID (DUID + PID) |
Assigned in Sampling |
DUID |
Dwelling Unit ID |
Assigned in Sampling |
PID |
Person Number |
Assigned in Sampling |
RN |
Round |
CAPI Derived |
JOBSN |
JOBS Number |
CAPI Derived |
PANEL |
Panel to which Jobholder Belongs |
Assigned in Sampling |
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EMPLOYMENT VARIABLES - PUBLIC USE
VARIABLE |
DESCRIPTION |
SOURCE |
JOBTYPE |
Self-Employed or Work for Someone Else |
EM05, EM11, EM18, EM27, EM40, EM53, EM70, EM82 |
JSTRTM |
Job Start Date – Month |
EM10OV1-2, EM16OV1-2, EM25OV1-2, EM34OV1-2, EM47OV1-2, EM60OV1-2 |
JSTRTD |
Job Start Date – Day |
EM10OV1, EM16OV1, EM25OV1, EM34OV1, EM47OV1, EM60OV1 |
JSTRTY |
Job Start Date – Year |
EM10, EM16, EM25, EM34, EM47, EM60 |
JSTOPM |
Job Stop Date – Month |
EM35OV1-2, EM48OV1-2, EM61OV1-2, EM66OV1-2, EM89OV1-2, RJ09 |
JSTOPD |
Job Stop Date – Day |
EMJ35OV1, EM48OV1, EM61OV1, EM66OV1, EM89OV1, RJ09 |
JSTOPY |
Job Stop Date – Year |
EM35, EM48, EM61, EM66, EM89, RJ09 |
RETIRJOB |
Person Retired from This Job |
EM80 |
SUBTYPE |
Job Sub Type |
EM and RJ Sections |
MAIN_JOB |
Still Main Job or Business |
RJ01A |
DIFFWAGE |
Any Change in Wage Amount |
RJ02 |
WHY_DIFF |
Why Wages Changed |
RJ03 |
WORKSTAT |
Full or Part Time |
RJ04 |
Y_CHANGE |
Why Change in Full/Part Time Status |
RJ05 |
STILLWRK |
Still Work at Establishment/Miscellaneous Job |
RJ06 |
OFFTAKEI |
Offered Insurance and Now Take |
RJ07 |
NOWTAKEI |
Now Offered and Take Insurance |
RJ08, RJ08A |
ELIGINSR |
Reason Not Eligible For Insurance |
EM115B |
ANYINS |
Is Insurance Offered To Any Employees? |
EM115A |
WHY_LEFT |
Reason Why Not at Job Now |
RJ10 |
NUMEMPS |
Establishment Size-Non-Self-Employed Job |
EM91 |
ESTMATE1 |
Categorical Approximate Establishment Size |
EM92 |
MORELOC |
More Than One Location |
EM93 |
BUSINC |
Business Incorporated |
EM94 |
PROPRIET |
Proprietorship or Partnership |
EM95 |
TYPEEMPL |
Employee Type |
EM96 |
YLEFT |
No Job Reason |
EM101 |
YNOBUSN |
Why No Business |
EM102 |
RECALL |
Recall Within 30 Days |
EM103 |
HRSPRWK |
Number of Hours Worked Per Week |
EM104, EM111 |
HRS35WK |
Work at least 35 Hours Per Week |
EM105 |
APXHRDAY |
Approximate # of Hours Worked Per Day |
EM106 |
SICKPAY |
Does Person Have Paid Sick Leave |
EM107 |
PAYDRVST |
Is There Paid Sick Leave for Dr’s Visits |
EM108 |
PAYVACTN |
Does Person Get Paid Vacation |
EM109 |
RETIRPLN |
Does Person Have Pension/Retirement Plan |
EM110 |
WKLYAMT |
Usual Weekly Gross Income |
EM112 |
EMPLINS |
Have Health Insurance through This Job |
EM113 |
OFFRDINS |
Offered Insurance But Chose Not to Take |
EM114 |
DIFFPLNS |
Choice of Different Health Insurance Plans |
EM115 |
INUNION |
Belong to Labor Union at Job |
EM116 |
PROVDINS |
Who Provides Health Insurance |
EM117 |
HHMEMBER |
Any Other HH Member Work at This Business |
EM122 |
NUMFMEMB |
How Many HH Members Work There |
EM123 |
TOTLEMP |
Establishment Size-Self-Employed Job |
EM124, RJ08B |
SALARIED |
Is Person Salaried, Paid by the Hour, etc. |
EW01 |
HOWPAID |
How Is Person Paid |
EW02 |
DAYWAGE |
Person’s Daily Wage Rate |
EW03 |
HRSPRDY |
Number of Hours Person Worked in One Day |
EW04 |
MAKEAMT |
How Much Money Does Person Make |
EW05 |
PERUNIT |
Period for which Person Is Paid |
EW05OV1 |
MORE10 |
Person Makes More or Less than $10/Hour |
EW08, EW14, EW20 |
MORE15 |
Person Makes More or Less than $15/Hour |
EW09, EW15, EW21 |
MOREMINM |
Person Makes More or Less than Minimum Wage |
EW10, EW16, EW22 |
OVRTIMHR |
Overtime Pay Rate Per Hour |
EW06 |
GROSSPAY |
Person’s Salary Before Taxes (Gross) |
EW11 |
GROSSPER |
Period in which Gross Salary Was Earned |
EW11OV1 |
SALRYWKS |
Number of Weeks Per Year on which Salary is Based |
EW12 |
OTHRTYPE |
Type of Overtime Pay |
EW19 |
EARNTIPS |
Does Person Earn Tips |
EW23_01 |
EARNBONS |
Does Person Earn Bonuses |
EW23_02 |
EARNCOMM |
Does Person Earn Commission |
EW23_03 |
OTHRWAGE |
Overtime Pay Rate Per Hour |
EW19OV1 |
TIPSUNIT |
Period on which Tip Earnings are Based |
EW24AOV1 |
TIPSAMT |
How Much Are Person’s Tips |
EW24A |
BONSUNIT |
Period on which Bonuses are Based |
EW24BOV1 |
BONSAMT |
How Much Are Person’s Bonuses |
EW24B |
COMMUNIT |
Period on which Commissions Are Based |
EW24COV1 |
COMMAMT |
How Much Are Person’s Commissions |
EW24C |
HRLYWAGE |
How Much Person Makes Per Hour |
EW07, EW13, EW18 |
JOBHASHI |
Does Person Have Health Insurance at This Job |
EM17, EM26, EM39, EM52, EM69, EM81 |
STILLAT |
Still Work at Establishment/Main Job |
RJ01 |
ESTBTHRU |
Offered Insurance, Did Not Take (Review) |
RJ08AA |
SESNLJOB |
Is Job Seasonal? |
EM105D, EM111D; RJ01AAA, RJ06AA |
TEMPJOB |
Is Job Temporary? |
EM105C, EM111C; RJ01AA, RJ06A |
INSESTB |
Insur Offered Any Employees (Review)? |
RJ08AAA |
NELIGINS |
Reason Not Eligible For Insur (Review) |
RJ08AAAA |
HRSALBAS |
Hours on which Salary Is Based |
EW17 |
INDCODEX |
Condensed Industry Code |
EM98 |
OCCCODEX |
Condensed Occupation Code |
EM99, EM100 |
Appendix 1: Sample SAS Program (open in a separate file)
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