The Accuracy of Reported Insurance Status in the MEPS

Abstract

Estimates of the number of insured and uninsured Americans are watched by numerous policymakers and the public, yet studies find respondents do not report their insurance status perfectly. Using four sources of validation data, including surveys of employers and providers, this paper assesses the quality of respondents' reports of private insurance and uninsurance in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC), a nationally representative household survey. Regression analysis is used to assess the extent to which factors are associated with disagreements in reported insurance status across sources.