Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component Response Rates

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MEPS-HC Response Rates by Panel

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In surveys with a panel design consisting of multiple waves or rounds of data collection, the overall response rate is a multiplicative function of the wave or round-specific response rates. The MEPS-HC overall response rates shown in Table 1 below are a combination of the response rates for the NHIS and each MEPS round that is part of the point-in-time and full-year estimates. Table 2 below shows the point-in-time response rates for each panel and the combined overall response rates for each year. Please note that production of the MEPS-HC point-in-time file was discontinued beginning in data year 2020. As a result, data point-in-time estimates are only available for 2019 and earlier. Table 3 shows the full-year response rates for each panel and the combined overall response rates for each year.

Table 1. MEPS-HC overall response rates for public use files*
Year	Point-in-time file^**	Full-year file
2020	n/a	27.6%
2019	46.0%	39.5%
2018	46.8%	42.7%
2017	48.3%	44.2%
2016	51.0%	46.0%
2015	52.2%	47.7%
2014	52.8%	48.5%
2013	58.0%	52.8%
2012	61.3%	56.3%
2011	59.4%	54.9%
2010	58.6%	53.5%
2009	62.8%	57.2%
2008	64.4%	59.3%
2007	62.5%	56.9%
2006	64.2%	58.3%
2005	66.5%	61.3%
2004	68.2%	63.1%
2003	68.9%	64.5%
2002	69.2%	64.7%
2001	71.4%	66.3%
2000	70.5%	65.8%
1999	74.0%	66.0%
1998	73.2%	67.4%
1997	74.3%	66.8%
1996	78.0%	70.7%

* In 2001, a standardized method for calculating response rates was developed and applied to all prior years. For this reason, the response rates reported in the public use file documentation for 1996 through 2000 vary slightly from those reported here.

** Please note that production of the MEPS-HC point-in-time (PIT) files was discontinued. Data are only available for 2019 and earlier.

Table 2. Individual panel and combined overall response rates for MEPS-HC point-in-time (PIT) files
Year	NHIS response rate Year 1*	PIT Year 1^**	PIT Year 2^***	PIT overall (combined)
2019	64.3%	42.9%	42.9%	46.0%
2018	67.1%	48.9%	44.5%	46.8%
2017	69.2%	50.2%	46.3%	48.3%
2016	71.2%	53.0%	49.0%	51.0%
2015	75.1%	55.1%	48.5%	52.2%
2014	76.2%	54.7%	50.8%	52.8%
2013	78.0%	57.9%	58.1%	58.0%
2012	82.9%	64.8%	57.4%	61.3%
2011	80.6%	63.0%	54.3%	59.4%
2010	84.0%	61.7%	55.5%	58.6%
2009	85.2%	63.7%	61.8%	62.8%
2008	87.4%	67.9%	58.8%	64.4%
2007	88.1%	67.4%	58.2%	62.5%
2006	87.3%	66.4%	62.3%	64.2%
2005	87.9%	69.4%	63.5%	66.5%
2004	90.3%	70.3%	65.9%	68.2%
2003	90.1%	71.9%	65.6%	68.9%
2002	89.7%	72.2%	66.8%	69.2%
2001	89.9%	73.0%	68.3%	71.4%
2000	92.2%	74.9%	66.1%	70.5%
1999	92.2%	74.0%	--	74.0%
1998	93.7%	76.9%	69.5%	73.2%
1997	93.8%	77.9%	70.7%	74.3%
1996	93.9%	78.0%	--	78.0%

^* NHIS response rate for records included in the following year's MEPS frame

^** Response rate for newly introduced panel in year 1 of data collection

^*** Response rate for panel in year 2 of data collection

^-- Panel not included in response rate

Table 3. Individual panel and combined overall response rates for MEPS-HC full-year files
Year	NHIS response rate Year 1^*	Full-year Year 1^**	Full-year Year 2^***	Full-year Year 3^****	Full-year overall (combined)
2020	65.7%	25.9%	28.8%	28.0%	27.6%
2019	64.3%	38.6%	40.4%	--	39.5%
2018	67.1%	43.0%	42.3%	--	42.7%
2017	69.2%	44.5%	43.8%	--	44.2%
2016	71.2%	46.3%	45.7%	--	46.0%
2015	75.1%	49.0%	46.1%	--	47.7%
2014	76.2%	48.5%	48.6%	--	48.5%
2013	78.0%	50.8%	54.7%	--	52.8%
2012	82.9%	58.1%	54.4%	--	56.3%
2011	80.6%	57.3%	51.6%	--	54.9%
2010	84.0%	54.3%	52.8%	--	53.5%
2009	85.2%	55.5%	58.7%	--	57.2%
2008	87.4%	61.8%	55.4%	--	59.3%
2007	88.1%	58.8%	55.4%	--	56.9%
2006	87.3%	58.2%	58.5%	--	58.3%
2005	87.9%	60.3%	62.3%	--	61.3%
2004	90.3%	63.5%	62.7%	--	63.1%
2003	90.1%	65.9%	62.9%	--	64.5%
2002	89.7%	65.6%	64.0%	--	64.7%
2001	89.9%	66.8%	65.4%	--	66.3%
2000	92.2%	68.3%	63.7%	--	65.8%
1999	92.3%	66.1%	65.9%	--	66.0%
1998	93.7%	69.0%	65.7%	--	67.4%
1997	93.8%	69.5%	64.1%	--	66.8%
1996	93.9%	70.7%	--	--	70.7%

^* NHIS response rate for records included in the following year's MEPS frame

^** Response rate for newly introduced panel in year 1 of data collection

^*** Response rate for panel in year 2 of data collection

^**** In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges to in-person data collection. To offset the decrease in the number of cases for 2020 data, Panels 23 and 24 were extended to nine rounds (four years) of data collection. For 2020, this column shows the response rate for Panel 23, Rounds 6-7.

^-- Panel not included in response rate

Page last revised: Sep 15, 2022

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