MEPS expenditure estimates are based on person-level survey data from a nationally representative sample of households in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population and are directly linked to patient care events. In contrast, the National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA) estimates are constructed primarily from aggregate provider revenue data and cover a broader population and wider range of services. The NHEA measure total health spending in the U.S. The NHEA cover the entire U.S. population, including the institutionalized population, and a full range of health care expenditures, such as public health services and research.
The National Health Expenditure Accounts are sometimes referred to as the National Health Accounts (NHA).
For more information, refer to the following:
Sing, M., Banthin, J.S., Selden, T.M., Cowan, C.A., and Keehan, S.P. (2006). Reconciling Medical Expenditure Estimates from the MEPS and NHEA, 2002.
Health Care Financing Review, 28(1), 25-40.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4194973/Selden, T.M., and Sing, M. (2008).
Aligning the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to Aggregate U.S. Benchmarks (Working Paper 8006). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
https://meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publications/workingpapers/wp_08006.pdfBernard, D.M
1, Cowan, C.A.
2,Selden, T.M.
1, Cai, L.
2, Catlin, A.
2, and Heffler, S.
2. (2012). Reconciling Medical Expenditure Estimates from the MEPS and NHEA, 2007.
Medicare & Medicaid Research Review, 2(4), E1-E20.
1Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
2Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
https://www.cms.gov/mmrr/Downloads/MMRR2012_002_04_a09.pdfBernard, D.M.
1, Cowan, C.A.
2, Selden, T.M.
1, Lassman, D.
2, and Catlin, A.
2 (2018).
Reconciling Medical Expenditure Estimates from the MEPS and NHEA, 2012 (Working Paper 17003). September 2018.
1Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
2Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
https://meps.ahrq.gov/data_files/publications/workingpapers/wp_17003.pdf