| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
June 16, 2020
- IPUMS MEPS now includes the full set of cancer diagnosis, age of diagnosis, and remission status variables. For more information, see CNBLAD. The variables AGELAST, indicating a respondent's age the last time they were eligible for MEPS, and HINOTCOV, an indicator for respondents with no health insurance, are also now available.
- CPI2009 was updated to reflect the 2017 CPI U adjustment factor for the 2017 sample. Previously, all values were zero. Additionally, we corrected an error in the codes for the variable USCPRFAC. "Person" was erroneously coded as "facility" and "facility" coded as "person." This error has been corrected.
- The coding for the 1999 sample of ACCESSELIG was updated to increase comparability across years. The cases that were previously coded to "Not in universe" are now coded to "No."
- The universe for USCPRFAC was incorrect. It previously indicated that persons without a usual source of care provider (USUALPL) were asked this question. The universe was updated to properly reflect that all persons who do have a usual source of care (USUALPL) were asked this question.
- The universe for USCPRTYP has been updated to state that persons with a usual source of care provider (USUALPL) who is either a person, a person in a facility, or was not ascertained are in universe for USCPRTYP. The universe previously did not include persons whose usual source of care provider is a person in a facility.
- Similarly, the universes for USCPRASN, USCPRBLK, USCPRHISP, USCPRNATAM, USCPROPI, USCPROTHRAC, USCPRWHT, and USCPRSEX have been updated to state that all persons with a usual source of care provider who is a person or a person in a facility are in universe. Previously, only persons with a usual source of care provider who is a person were listed as in universe.
New data.
Corrected data.
Modified data.
Corrected documentation.
February 19, 2020
- IPUMS MEPS now includes data from the Diabetes Care Survey (DCS) from 2000 to the present. For a full list of the variables included in the supplement, please see DIACONF. COVERTYPE and COVTYPEAGE, which measure health insurance coverage type and health insurance coverage type by age, respectively, have also been added to IPUMS MEPS.
- The following "master" variables previously indicated in error that their respective associated expenditure and monthly health insurance variables were available for the 2017 MEPS sample: AMPAEXSRC, AMCHIEXSRC, AMOPTEXSRC, AMNPEXSRC, AMTHEXSRC, DVGEXSRC, DVOEXSRC, OBPAEXSRC, OBCHIEXSRC, OBOPTEXSRC, OBNPEXSRC, OBNPHEXSRC, OBTHEXSRC, OBNPHEXSRC, OPNPHPREXSRC, STAMM, ZNPREXSRC, ZNFEXSRC. The associated variables were added to the data cart when users selected the master variable, but these variables would have had no data for the 2017 sample. This error has been fixed and the availability information listed in each variable's webpage is now correct.
- The codes for the variable RULETRRD in 2016 were updated. Although RULETRRD still uniquely identified a Reporting Unit within a Dwelling Unit in 2016, we updated values of "X" to "B" for greater consistency with other years of data.
New data.
Corrected data.
Modified data.
December 3, 2019
Modified data.
October 3, 2019
- We corrected an error in the values of PSUANN in 2002. Previously, PSUANN contained the values of STRATANN by mistake.
Corrected data.
September 25, 2019
- IPUMS MEPS now includes 2017 FYC data; over 900 variables (both annual person-level variables and round-level variables) are now available through the extract system.
- The codes for the variable ADPRXY were updated. The new codes accommodate the more general coding structure used by AHRQ in 2017. Please see the codes page for more information.
- The width for the variable HIEU was changed from 12 to 7 wide after the elimination of right-side Bs in 1999 and 2000 only. HIEU previously did and continues to function as a unique identifier.
- We fixed an error that incorrectly collapsed family identifiers in the 1996 and 2012 data for the variable FAMIDRD; family identifier values of "C" and "D" were combined into a single category ("C") and, in 2012 only, values of "E" in the original data were incorrectly coded as "D". This has been corrected. Additionally, in 1997, 1998, and 2016 we updated cases of FAMIDRD values of "X" to "B" for greater consistency with other years of data; the previous assignment of these years was still appropriate for unique identification, but the code has been modified.
- We fixed an error that incorrectly reported responding unit identifiers in the 2012 data for the variable RULETRRD: responding unit identifier values that were "A" in previous versions of the data are now "C"; cases that previously had values of "I" are now "A"; cases that previously had values of "C," "D," and "E" were incorrect by one letter and are now assigned values of "D," "E," and "F" respectively. No values were collapsed, so all responding units were still uniquely identifiable using these codes. Additionally, in 1997 and 1998 we updated cases of RULETRRD values of "X" to "B" for greater consistency with other years of data; the previous assignment of these years was still appropriate for unique identification, but the code has been modified.
New data.
Modified data.
Corrected data.
May 20, 2019
- The codes and value labels for a number of variables using a likert scale of "None of the time" to "Most of the time" in the self-administered questionnaire were modified for consistency throughout the entire questionnaire section. "None of the time" is consistently assigned a value of "0", while "All of the time" is now consistently assigned a value of "4". This change affets the following variables: ADDOWN, ADPALS, ADPWLM, ADMALS, ADMWLM, ADCAPE, ADNRGY, and ADSOCA. The three point likert scale for the variables ADDAYA and ADCLIM was also modified to reflect this general pattern, though their scale ranges from "Not limited" to "Limited a lot". Out of universe cases for these variables are assigned to the code of "6."
- The value labels for the variable ADPAIN were incorrect. ADPAIN reports how often pain interefered with normal work in the past 4 weeks and reports values on a likert scale of "None of the time" to "Most of the time"; the value labels of the likert scale were incorrectly inverted. The codes and labels have been updated to reflect the correct direction of the likert scale, and to be consistent with other self-administered questionnaire items using this likert scale.
Modified data.
Corrected data.
April 20, 2019
- The top-codes for WAGEHRRD and WAGENEWRD have been corrected. WAGEHRRD previously assigned all top-coded values to the 1997 top-code value of $43.75, and WAGENEWRD previously assigned all top-coded values to the 2015 top-code value of $80.00. Data now report the appropriate year-specific top code for both variables.
Corrected data.
November 27, 2018
- We have inserted a leading zero in the values of MEPSID and MEPSIDRD in the 1996-2004 samples to replace a leading blank that was preventing users from merging data using formatted data extracts to ASCII data extracts read in using a stats package syntax file. The merging issue previously observed has been resolved.
- The variable PERNUM is now included on round-level records to support hierarchical IPUMS extracts in R.
Corrected data.
New data.
October 4, 2018
- Corrected duplicate cases for 1996 sample.
Modified data.
August 31, 2018
- IPUMS MEPS now includes 2016 FYC data; over 1,300 variables (both annual person-level variables and round-level variables) are now available through the extract system.
- To account for the release of pooled variance estimation variables (STRATAPLD and PSUPLD); the variable names for STRATAP and PSUP were updated to STRATANN and PSUANN to more clearly note that they are designed to produce annual estimates.
- A missing data code for HPTOTNIGHT was updated for consistency with other IPUMS missing data codes; cases previously coded as -9 are now classified as "998: Not ascertained".
- Missing and top-code values for WAGENEWRD were updated for consistency with other IPUMS missing data codes (they previously matched AHRQ missing and top-coded values and were not labeled in data extracts). Cases previously coded as -1.00 are now classified as "0.00: Not in Universe"; cases previously coded as -10.00 are now classified as the respective top-code for each year of data; cases previously coded as -13.00 are now classified as "99.91: Initial wage imputed"; and cases previously coded as -8.00 are now classified as "99.98: Not ascertained".
- The variable WAGEHRRD was expanded by one column and its missing data and top-code values were updated for consistency with other IPUMS missing data codes (they previously matched AHRQ missing data codes and were not-labeled in extracts). Cases previously coded as -1.00 or -3.00 are now classified as "0.00: Not in Universe"; cases previously coded as -2.00 are now classified "9999.94: Determined in previous round"; cases coded as -10.00 are now classified as the respective top-code for each year; cases previously coded as -7.00 are now classified as "9999.97: Refused"; cases previously coded as -8.00 are now classified as "9999.99: Don't know"; and cases previously coded as -9.00 are now classified as "9999.98: Not ascertained".
- The missing data codes for HOURWRKRD in 2001, 2004, and 2007-2009 reflected AHRQ-assigned values, and were not consistent with other IPUMS missing data codes. Cases previously coded as -1 or -3 are now classified as "996: Not in Universe"; cases previously coded as -2 are now classified "994: Determined in previous round"; cases previously coded as -7 are now classified as "997: Refused"; cases previously coded as -8 are now classified as "999: Don't know", and cases previously coded as -8 are now classified as "998: Not ascertained".
- The code for "determined in previous round" was changed from 96 to 94 for the round-level variable WAGEHRSRCRD for greater comparability across variables. The variable is otherwise unchanged.
New data.
Modified data.
August 13, 2018
- Newly released 2015 MEPS data and 300+ additional variables, including round-level, are now integrated into the IPUMS MEPS database.
- EDUCATN has been renamed EDUCYR to match the original MEPS variable name and additional samples were added.
New data.
Modified data.
June 21, 2018
- IPUMS MEPS has updated USBORN and YRSINUS in 2013 to include both panels 17 and 18. Previously, panel 17 members had been classified as "inapplicable" because of a change in how MEPS offers these variables.
- IPUMS MEPS has corrected an error affecting CPSFAMID. In previous versions of the data, CPSFAMID used incorrect original data for 2008 and 2012, causing the data to be missing in 2012 and incorrect in 2008.
Updated data.
Corrected data.
February 5, 2018
Corrected data.
January 30, 2018
- Beta version of IPUMS MEPS released.
New data.