Description

MEPSEVNTIDJ uniquely identifies events across MEPS panels. MEPSEVNTIDJ is created for 1996-2017 by combining PANELJ, EVNTIDJ, and a 2-digit event type number ("03" for prescribed medicines, "02" for other medical expenses, and "01" for all other event types). IPUMS MEPS staff create MEPSEVNTIDJ to provide a single, universal linking key for MEPS conditions.

Beginning in 2018, AHRQ modified the identifiers DUIDJ and DUPERSIDJ (which combines DUIDJ with PIDJ) on the original MEPS data files to append information about PANELJ to the first two columns. AHRQ also added a 2-digit event type number beginning in 2018. MEPSEVNTIDJ is the same as EVNTIDJ for 2018 forward.

Condition-Event Record Linking
The condition and event / prescribed medicine refill records can be joined together by using the condition-event link records. The MEPSEVNTIDJ is on the condition-event link record and is the same as MEPSEVNTID on the event record.

See our user note for more details on how to join the different record types and an overview of the event, medical conditions, and prescribed medicines variables, how those variables are offered through IPUMS MEPS, and general considerations to keep in mind when conducting analyses using these variables.

MEPSEVNTIDJ is a 16-character string variable.

Comparability

This variable is completely comparable over time.

Universe

Availability

• 1996-2021

Weights

• No weights are available for this variable. Please refer to MEPSEVNTIDJ for more information.

Flags