In order to collect data to support both the List Sample and the Household Sample of the MEPS-IC, the questions asked of employers from 1996 through 2006 were for the previous calendar year. This retrospective data collection, along with the time it took to process survey data of this magnitude, created a significant delay. However, beginning with the 2008 survey, we switched from collecting data retrospectively to collecting it currently, thus reducing the time lag by a full year. In July 2009, MEPS-IC data for 2008 was available instead of 2007 data. In order to make this improvement in timing, MEPS-IC data was not collected for 2007; please factor this into your plans for data usage.
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