Validating household reports of health care use in the medical expenditure panel survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is a widely used nationally representative survey of health care use and expenditures. Numerous studies raise concerns that use is underreported in household surveys.

Objective

To assess the quality of household reports in the MEPS and the impact of misreporting on descriptive and behavioral analyses.

Research design

Participants in MEPS with Medicare coverage during 2001-2003 were matched to their Medicare enrollment and claims data (4,045 person-year observations). Household reports of Medicare-covered services for the matched sample were validated against Medicare claims. Standard models of the determinants of health care utilization were estimated with both MEPS and claims-based utilization measures.

Measur

SUBMITTER: Zuvekas SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2754554 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature