Comparing Federal Government Surveys that Count Uninsured People in America (PDF), a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, compares data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), and Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Despite their differences, all of these surveys show large and increasing numbers of uninsured Americans.

MEPS has released (select 2005 from the pull down menu) 2005 Population Characteristics and Projected Data.

The newly acquired MEPS 2004 Full Year Population Characteristics data and documentation are now available in the PRI MEPS SodaPop Collection.

The codebook for the MEPS 2002 Full Year Consolidated Data File has been updated in the PRI MEPS SodaPop Collection. All files were actually re-released, but as no data values changed (only variable positioning), just the codebook file was replaced.

The MEPS 2004 Full Year Population Characteristics Data (ASCII and SAS Transport) and Documentation (General and Codebook, both PDF format) are now available for PRI Users in the PopNet UNIX Archive. The data and documentation will be made available via SodaPop in the near future.

The MEPS HC-070: 2002 Full Year Consolidated data files and documentation have been updated on PopNet UNIX (PRI access only via /nfs/data/public/meps/hc-070). The order of SAQ variables ADILCR42, ADILWW42, ADRTCR42, and ADRTWW42 has been corrected. No data values have changed. The updated files will be added to SodaPop in the near future.

A study published in Health Services Research (article available online ahead of print) found that children in large families—those in households with more siblings or living with adults besides the parents—make fewer doctor visits and take fewer prescriptions than children in smaller families. The effects, attributed by the authors to limited parental resources, were similar to those of being uninsured and worse than those of poverty. (Health Behavior News Service, June 16, 2006)

• Changes in Co-pays for Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Plans, 1999–2003 (#127)
• Changes in Out-of-Pocket Maximum Limits for Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Plans, 1999–2003 (#128)
• The Uninsured in America, First Half of 2005: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 65 (#129)
• The Uninsured in America, 1996–2005: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 65 (#130)
• Health Insurance Status of Children in America, First Half 1996–2005: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 18 (#131)

New chartbook from MEPS: Outpatient Prescription Drug Expenses in the U.S. Community Population, 2003

• Out-of-Pocket Expenditures on Health Care and Insurance Premiums among the Elderly Population, 2003 (#122)
• The Long-Term Uninsured in America, 2000–2003: Estimates for the U.S. Population under Age 65 (#123)
• The Persistence in the Level of Health Expenditures over Time: Estimates for the U.S. Population, 2002–2003 (#124)
• Outpatient Prescribed Medicine Expenses by Source of Payment and Insurance Status for the Medicare and Non-Medicare Populations, 2003 (#125)
• Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenses by Age and Insurance Coverage, 2003 (#126)