Update number #25: 8/7/2023

Issue: The 2019-2021 datasets populating the MEPS-IC Data Tools dashboards had some estimates that were suppressed but should not have been. In addition, MEPS-IC Data Tools dashboard labels did not align with the MEPS-IC Table PDF labels.

Some columns were misaligned in 2021 MEPS-IC state .csv files. Column headers for 2022 MEPS-IC tables I.B.2.k and II.B.2.k were incorrect.

Action taken: Revised data for the 2019-2021 MEPS-IC Consolidated Table Series I, II, III, V, VI, and VII have been posted to the MEPS-IC Data Tools dashboards. In addition, the MEPS-IC Data Tools dashboard labels were updated.

Misaligned columns in 2021 MEPS-IC state .csv files were fixed. Column headers for 2022 MEPS-IC tables I.B.2.k and II.B.2.k were corrected.

Tables affected: Please refer to update number #24 for the full list of tables affected by over-suppression. PDF files containing the same data displayed in the MEPS-IC Data Tools dashboards were revised in January 2023 to fix the incorrectly suppressed estimates.

All 2021 MEPS-IC state .csv files were affected by the dropping of the quotes around the columns that were misaligned. Also, 2022 MEPS-IC tables I.B.2.k (MEPS-IC Data Tools dashboard only) and II.B.2.k (MEPS-IC Data Tools dashboards, state .csv files, and state .xlsx files) were affected by the incorrect column headers.

Update number #24: 1/31/2023

Please note that this update includes changes listed in updates number #20 and #23.

Issue: Additional tables from several 2019 and 2020 IC Consolidated Table Series I, II, III, V, VI, and VII had estimates that were suppressed but should not have been. All tables listed below had estimates affected in both 2019 and 2020, except tables denoted with a * have changes only in 2019 and tables with a ^ have changes only in 2020.

Action taken: Revised tables for the 2019 and 2020 IC Consolidated Table Series I, II, III, V, VI, and VII have been posted. Links to each PDF can be accessed from the Data Tools page.

Tables affected: Below is the list of tables affected:

Series I: A.2.b.(1), A.2.b.(3), A.2.c, A.2.c.(1), A.2.c.(2), A.2.c.(3), B.4.b.(1).(a)^, C.1.a, C.1.b, C.1.c, C.2, C.2.a, C.2.b, C.2.c, C.3, C.3.a, C.3.b, C.3.c, C.4.a, D.1, D.1.a, D.1.b, D.1.c, D.2, D.2.a*, D.2.b, D.2.c, D.3, D.3.a, D.3.b, D.3.c, D.4.a, E.1, E.2, E.3, E.4.a

Series II: A.2.b, A.2.b.(1), A.2.b.(2), A.2.b.(3), A.2.c, A.2.c.(1), A.2.c.(2), A.2.c.(3), A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.(1).(a), B.2.b.(1).(b), B.2.c, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.1.a*, C.1.c, C.2.a, C.2.b, C.2.c, C.3.a, C.3.c, C.4.a, D.1.a*, D.1.b*, D.1.c, D.2*, D.2.a, D.2.b*, D.2.c, D.3*, D.3.a, D.3.b*, D.3.c, D.4.a, E.1*, E.2, E.3, E.4.a, F.3*, F.6*, F.11*, F.15*, F.16*, F.17*, F.20*, F.24*, F.25*

Series III: A.2.i, B.1, B.1.a, B.2, B.2.b, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.(1).(a), B.2.b.(1).(b), B.2.e^, B.2.f^, B.2.g^, B.3, B.3.a, B.3.b.(2), B.4*, B.4.a*, B.4.b.(2)*, C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4, D.1, D.2, D.3, D.4, E.4, F.1, F.2, F.3, F.4, F.5, F.7, F.8, F.9, F.10, F.11, F.12, F.12.b, F.12.c, F.12.d, F.12.e, F.13, F.14, F.15, F.15.b, F.15.c, F.15.d, F.15.e, F.16, F.17, F.18, F.19, F.21, F.22, F.23, F.25, F.27, F.28, F.29^

Series V: A.2.a, A.2.b, A.2.c, A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.(1).(a), B.2.b.(1).(b), B.2.c, B.4, B.4.a, B.4.b, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.1.c, C.2, C.2.a, C.2.b, C.3, C.3.a, C.3.b, C.4.a, D.1.c, D.2.a, D.2.b, D.3, D.3.a, D.3.b

Series VI: A.2.a, A.2.b, A.2.c, A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.(1).(a), B.2.b.(1).(b), B.4.b, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.2.a, C.3.a, C.3.b, C.4.a, D.1.a, D.1.c*, D.2.a, D.3.a

Series VII: C.4.a

Update number #23: 1/20/2023

Please note that this update includes changes listed in update number #20.

Issue: Additional tables from several 2019 and 2020 IC Consolidated Table Series I, II, III, V, VI, and VII had estimates that were suppressed but should not have been.

Action taken: Revised tables for the 2019 and 2020 IC Consolidated Table Series I, II, III, V, VI, and VII have been posted. Links to each PDF can be accessed from the Data Tools page.

Tables affected: Below is the list of tables affected:

Series I: A.2.b.(1), A.2.b.(3), A.2.c, A.2.c.(1), A.2.c.(2), A.2.c.(3), C.2.c, C.3.c, D.2.c, D.3.c

Series II: A.2.b, A.2.b.(1), A.2.b.(2) , A.2.b.(3), A.2.c, A.2.c.(1), A.2.c.(2), A.2.c.(3), A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.1.a, B.2.b.1.b, B.2.c, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.1.c, C.2.a, C.2.b, C.2.c, C.3.a, C.3.c, C.4.a, D.1.c, D.2.a, D.2.c, D.3.a, D.3.c, D.4.a, E.2, E.3, E.4.a

Series III: A.2.i, B.1, B.1.a, B.2, B.2.b, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.1.a, B.2.b.1.b, B.3, B.3.a, B.3.b.(2), B.4, B.4.a, B.4.b.(2), C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4, D.1, D.2, D.3, D.4, E.4, F.1, F.2, F.3, F.4, F.5, F.7, F.8, F.9, F.10, F.11, F.12, F.12.b, F.12.c, F.12.d, F.12.e, F.13, F.15.b, F.15.c, F.15.d, F.15.e, F.16, F.17, F.18, F.19, F.21, F.22, F.23, F.25, F.27, F.28

Series V: A.2.a, A.2.b, A.2.c, A.2.c, A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.1.a, B.2.b.1.b, B.2.c, B.4, B.4.a, B.4.b, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.1.c, C.2, C.2.a, C.2.b, C.3, C.3.a, C.3.b, C.4.a, D.1.c, D.2.a, D.2.b, D.3, D.3.a, D.3.b

Series VI: A.2.a, A.2.b, A.2.c, A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.1.a, B.2.b.1.b, B.4.b, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.2.a, C.3.a, C.3.b, C.4.a, D.1.a, D.1.c, D.2.a, D.3.a

Series VII: C.4.a

Update number #22: 8/5/22

Issue: Additional tables from several 2021 IC Consolidated Table Series I, II, V, VI, and VII had estimates that were suppressed but should not have been.

Action taken: Revised tables for the 2021 IC Table Series I, II, V, VI, and VII have been posted. Links to each PDF can be accessed from the Data Tools page.

Tables affected: Below is the list of tables affected:

Series I: A.2.b.(1), A.2.b.(3), A.2.c, A.2.c.(1), A.2.c.(2), A.2.c.(3), C.2.c, C.3.c, D.2.c, D.3.c

Series II: A.2.b, A.2.b.(1), A.2.b.(2) , A.2.b.(3), A.2.c, A.2.c.(1), A.2.c.(2), A.2.c.(3), A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.1.a, B.2.b.1.b, B.2.c, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.1.c, C.2.a, C.2.b, C.2.c, C.3.a, C.3.c, C.4.a, D.1.c, D.2.a, D.2.c, D.3.a, D.3.c, D.4.a, E.2, E.3, E.4.a

Series V: A.2.a, A.2.b, A.2.c, A.2.c, A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.1.a, B.2.b.1.b, B.2.c, B.4, B.4.a, B.4.b, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.1.c, C.2, C.2.a, C.2.b, C.3, C.3.a, C.3.b, C.4.a, D.1.c, D.2.a, D.2.b, D.3, D.3.a, D.3.b

Series VI: A.2.a, A.2.b, A.2.c, A.2.d, B.2.b.(1), B.2.b.1.a, B.2.b.1.b, B.4.b, B.4.b.(1), B.4.b.(1).(a), B.4.b.(2), C.2.a, C.3.a, C.3.b, C.4.a, D.1.a, D.1.c, D.2.a, D.3.a

Series VII: C.4.a

Update number #21: 8/5/22

Tables affected: Table IV.A.4 National totals for enrollees and cost of hospitalization and physician service health plans for the private sector by industry category and type of indemnification: United States, 2021

Issue: Correction to existing table.

Action taken: Replacement table for the 2021 IC Table Series IV has been posted.

Update number #20: 7/15/22

In 2019, new suppression rules were implemented, however several tables in survey years 2019 and 2020 have estimates that were suppressed but should not have been. We will update all tables affected by this issue later this year. Below is the list of tables affected:

• II.C.1.a
• II.D.1.a
• II.D.1.b
• II.D.1.c
• II.D.2
• II.D.2.b
• II.D.2.c
• II.D.3
• II.D.3.b
• II.D.3.c
• II.E.1
• II.F.3
• II.F.6
• II.F.11
• II.F.15
• II.F.16
• II.F.17
• II.F.20
• II.F.24
• II.F.25

Update number #19: 10/15/21

Tables affected: Table IX.A.3 Health insurance offer, eligibility and take up rates for private-sector establishments and employees for areas within States: United States, 2018-2020 and table IX.A.6 Enrollment for private-sector employees for areas within States: United States, 2018-2020

Issue: Correction to existing table.

Action taken: Replacement table for year 2020 has been posted to the MEPS Web site.

Update number #18: 08/20/21

User Note for 2020 MEPS-IC Private-Sector Tables

The unprecedented pandemic and economic disruption in 2020 have caused uncertainty in some of the private-sector employment estimates, particularly with respect to the distribution of employment across firm sizes.

The issue is a concern because offers of health insurance are strongly correlated with firm size. Consequently, changes in employment may have affected differences in the estimated percentages of employees offered, and covered by, employer-sponsored health insurance between 2019 and 2020. They also affect estimates of totals by firm size (e.g., totals of establishments and employees). However, our initial investigations suggest that the vast majority of means and proportions estimated in the MEPS-IC data are not affected by this issue.

AHRQ is currently investigating several factors that may have influenced the 2020 MEPS-IC data. These factors include: (1) when firms of different sizes respond to the survey; (2) openings and closures of establishments during the survey period; and (3) the role of openings and closures in multi-establishment firms. AHRQ will provide more information on this site when these investigations are completed.

For information on changes to data collection in 2020 due to the pandemic, see Sample Design of the 2020 MEPS-IC.

For information on 2020 private-sector response, see MEPS-IC response rates

Update number #17: 02/12/21

Tables affected: Table I.B.2.d and Table II.B.2.d Percent of private-sector employees that are enrolled in plans offered through a union (multi-employer health plan (MEHP)) or a trade or business association (AHP)) or neither by selected characteristics: United States, 2019.

Issue: Correction to column headings in existing tables.

Action taken: Replacement tables and State spreadsheets for year 2019 have been posted to the MEPS Web site.

Update number #16: 01/29/21

Tables affected: Table VI.A.1 Number of private-sector establishments by ownership type and age of firm and State: United States, 2002.

Issue: Correction to existing table.

Action taken: Replacement table for year 2002 has been posted to the MEPS Web site.

Update number #15: 12/08/20

Tables affected: The 2018 public-sector tables series IV

Issue: While trying to match to 2018 Govs Retirees, Census discovered tables IV.B1, IV.B2, IV.B5 on the web were showing an early draft sent through Kiteworks.

Action taken: The table series have been re-released with the final version.

Update number #14: 11/13/20

Tables affected: The 2016 public-sector tables series III, XI

Issue: During work on the 2016 historical imputes, Census discovered a proration file for governments that did not get checked in to production. The file contained about 450 non-certainty cases and accounted for roughly 10% drop in the response rate for that year.

Action taken: Census loaded the prorates file and provided a new set of 2016 public-sector tables. All table series have been re-released, and Census has converted this task to be a load program instead of a manual process. The response rate has been revised for 2016.

Update number #13: 07/10/20

Starting in 2019, the guidelines for publishing MEPS-IC estimates were relaxed to allow more estimates to be published. Previously, estimates based on 20 or more observations were published for both the private and the public sectors. Moreover, for the public sector, estimates based on less than 20 observations were also published if the relative standard error (RSE) is was less than 10%.

From 2019, for the private and the public sectors, in addition to publishing estimates based on 20 or more observations, estimates based on 10-19 observations are published if the RSE is less than 20% and the estimates based on 3-9 observations are published if the RSE is less than 10%. Also, a new special rule is applied for percentage estimates less than ‹5%, where the estimates based on 3 or more observations are published only if the standard error is less than 2.5 percentage points (irrespective of RSE). As before, estimates based on 20 or more observations but with an RSE of 30 percent or more are flagged with an * to indicate unreliable precision.

Update number #12: 07/12/19

Tables affected: The 2018 private-sector tables series I, II, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

Issue: A survey year 2018 Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) extract was not available to calculate FIRMAGE values for 2018.

Action taken: The LBD extract from the prior survey year (i.e., 2017) was used to calculate FIRMAGE values for 2018 for approximately 95.5 percent of the establishments in sample. Less than 5 percent of the establishments in sample had FIRMAGE assigned during MEPS Edits since these establishments did not match to the prior survey year LBD extract.

Update number #11: 04/22/16

Tables affected: The 2014 private-sector tables series I, II, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X

Issue: An editing error with the number of employees that worked less than 30 hours per week contributed to an overall increase in the 2014 part-time employment over 2013. This error did not affect the overall 2014 employment estimates, but it affected both full-time and part-time estimates in all table series.

Action taken: The revised 2014 private sector tables no longer contain this edit. All table series have been re-released, in order to maintain the historical data trend for part-time employment.

Update number #10: 07/06/15

Starting with the 2014 tables, standard errors (SEs) for the MEPS-IC estimates are calculated using the Taylor Series method described in Cochran (1977). The SEs for the MEPS-IC estimates from 1996-2013 were calculated using the Random Groups method (Wolter, 1985). The Taylor Series method could not be implemented in the early years of the MEPS-IC due to resource limitations, but recent research showed that it is the preferred method for calculating SEs for this survey. The two methods produce similar but not identical values. Because both methods produce unbiased SEs, differences in estimates between years can be tested using the SEs provided in the tables. See descriptive paper summarizing the findings from an evaluation project covering the impact of changing to the Taylor Series approach.

Update number #9:02/07/13

Tables affected: Table A.2.e in table series I, II and III -

• I & II. Percent of private-sector establishments that offer health insurance by plan options and insurance offerings to retirees for 2011
• III. Percent of State and local governments offering health insurance by plan options and insurance offerings to retirees for 2011

• REVISED Table A.2.e - Percent of private-sector establishments (State and local governments) that offer health insurance by plan provider arrangement: United States, 2011
• NEW Table A.2.h - Percent of private-sector establishments (State and local governments) that offer health insurance by health insurance offers to retirees: United States, 2011

Update number #8:10/22/12

Tables affected: Table F.7 for table series I, II and III, Percent of employees enrolled in a health insurance plan that had a coinsurance payment for an office visit to a physician, United States for years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Issue: To fill an existing information gap, this table has been added to Table Series I, II, and III, starting with year 2008. This table is similar to Table F.4 but for coinsurance payments instead of copayments.

Action taken: New tables I.F.7, II.F.7, and III.F.7 for years 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 have been posted to the MEPS site and these tables have been added to the annual table series for future years.

Update number #7:10/22/12

Tables affected: Table III.B.2 Percent of State and local government employees that work where health insurance is offered, by government type and size and census division: United States for years 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Issue: Since the beginning of the IC table series in 1996, tables with estimates of the percent of state and local government employees that work where health insurance is offered were not posted because none of the estimates in those tables were statistically different from 100 percent. (In other words, the tables would not have provided any additional information.) Beginning in 2008, a sufficient number of small local governments with less than 250 employees reported that they do not offer health insurance such that a table with this information is now warranted. Tables for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 have been added and the table will be part of the annual table release in future years.

Action taken: New tables III.B.2 for years 2008, 2009, and 2010 have been posted to the MEPS Web site and the table has been added to the annual table series for future years.

Update number #6: 07/12/10

Tables affected: Table IV.A.5 National total cost of optional coverage for the private sector by industry category: United States, 2008.

Issue: Correction to existing table.

Action taken: Replacement tables for year 2008 have been posted to the MEPS Web site.

Update number #5: 03/27/09

Tables affected: Table B.2.b.(1) Percent of private sector employees who are enrolled in self-insured plans. This table is in Table Series I, II, V, VI, and VII for the year 2006, total number of tables affected: 5. The MEPS-IC State Tables in Spreadsheet Format by State tables were also updated, total number of tables affected: 52. In addition the MEPSnet/IC data has also been updated for year 2006.

Issue: The computation error in the tables for year 2006 that was identified in May 2007 (Update #1) has been corrected.

Action taken: Replacement tables for year 2006 have been posted to the MEPS Web site. In addition, new Table Series I, II V, VI, and VII for 2006 have also been posted.

Update number #4: 12/03/08

Tables affected: The 2006 State Tables in Spreadsheet Format by State. Total number of spreadsheets affected: 52.

Issue: The data within the spreadsheets for Table II.F.1 Percent of private-sector employees enrolled in a health insurance plan that had a deductible and Table II.F.4 Average individual deductible (in dollars) per employee enrolled with single coverage in a health insurance plan that had a deductible at private-sector establishments, contained incorrectly formatted data. These two rows have been corrected. Note that the PDF and HTM formats of Table II.F.1 and Table II.F.4 were correct and did not need replacing.

Action taken: Replacement spreadsheets for 2006 State Tables in Spreadsheet Format by State have been posted to the MEPS Web site.

Update number #3: 07/30/08

Beginning with the 2008 tables, health insurance data from the MEPS Insurance Component for the private sector will be released a full year earlier due to major improvements in the data collection process.

• In July 2009, MEPS employer-based health insurance tables for private-sector establishments will be posted for the year 2008. Without the changes to data collection, these data would have not been released until July 2010.
• In November 2009, MEPS employer-based health insurance tables for State and local governments will be posted for the year 2008. This is eight months earlier than would have been possible without the data collection improvements.
   

Update number #2: 09/19/07

Tables affected: Table B.2.b.(1) Percent of private sector employees who are enrolled in self-insured plans. This table is in Table Series I, II, V, VI, and VII for the years 1999-2005. Total number of tables affected: 35.

Issue: The computation error in the tables for the years 1999-2004 that was identified in May 2007 (Update #1) has been corrected.

Action taken: Replacement tables for years 1999-2004 have been posted to the MEPS Web site. In addition, new tables for 2005 have also been posted.

Update number #1: 05/25/07

Tables affected: Table B.2.b.(1) Percent of private sector employees who are enrolled in self-insured plans. This table is in Table Series I, II, V, VI, and VII for the years 1999-2004. Total number of tables affected: 30.

Issue: A computation error has been detected. The result of this error is that many of these estimates are overstated by 5 to 10 percent.

Action taken: The tables have been removed from the MEPS Web site. The corresponding data have also been removed from MEPSnet/IC and from the state-level Excel spreadsheets. Tables B.2.b.(1) for 2005 will not be posted with the other MEPS-IC tables in July. Once the tables have been corrected, they will be posted on the Web site and another update message will be posted.