Description
For all persons eligible for the Access to Care section (ACCESSELIG), USUALPL indicates whether they have a particular doctor's office, clinic, health center, or other place they usually go if they are sick or need advice about their health.
USUALPL is collected as part of the Access to Care section, which gathers information on usual source of care for all family members, characteristics of usual source of care providers, and barriers family members have faced in obtaining needed health care. Please see ACCESSELIG for more information on the Access to Care section.
IPUMS MEPS reports the universe for each variable based on a thorough review of the original MEPS documentation. Investigating the data may reveal cases that do not meet the stated universe. Users are encouraged to validate universes for their analyses.
Related Variables
USUALPL begins a series of variables about why the respondent does not have a usual source of care. In addition to USUALPL, the following questions are asked:
- WHYNOUSLPL: Main reason has no particular place for sick care
- NOUSLYER: Why no usual source of care: Uses hospital/ER/clinic
- NOUSLYDIFF: Why no usual source of care: Different places for different needs
- NOUSLYDR: Why no usual source of care: Looking for new doctor
- NOUSLYEXP: Why no usual source of care: Medical care too expensive
- NOUSLYFRFAM: Why no usual source of care: Doctor is self, friend, or family member
- NOUSLYHLTH: Why no usual source of care: Reason related to health
- NOUSLYINCHG: Why no usual source of care: Insurance charge
- NOUSLYINRSN: Why no usual source of care: Reason related to insurance
- NOUSLYJOB: Why no usual source of care: Reason related to job
- NOUSLYMOVE: Why no usual source of care: Recently moved to area
- NOUSLYNOINS: Why no usual source of care: No health insurance
- NOUSLYNONE: Why no usual source of care: No other reason
- NOUSLYSELF: Why no usual source of care: Self treat
- NOUSLYTRANS: Why no usual source of care: Reasons related to time and transportation
- NOUSLYWORK: Why no usual source of care: Receive care at work
- NOUSLYREFDR: Why no usual source of care: Refuse to go to the doctor
- NOUSLYDKWHER: Why no usual source of care: Doesn't know where to go
- NOUSLYDRMOV: Why no usual source of care: Previous doctor moved or is unavailable
- NOUSLYFAR: Why no usual source of care: Care too far away or inconvenient
- NOUSLYLANG: Why no usual source of care: Speak a different language
- NOUSLYNOLIKE: Why no usual source of care: Doesn't like doctors
- NOUSLYNONEED: Why no usual source of care: Doesn't need doctor
- NOUSLYOTH: Why no usual source of care: Other reason
Codes and Frequencies
Comparability
Users should note that the Access to Care variables are not designed to yield full-year estimates in 1997, as the section is only administered in Round 2 instead of Rounds 2 and 4. The 1997 AHRQ documentation advises that "The 1997 Access to Care variables cannot be used to make full-year estimates, but can be useful in such analyses as trend analyses, or for enhancing subgroup analyses. These variables may be of particular interest because of the 1997 oversample of populations (such as poverty, children with activity limitations, adults with functional limitations, high medical expenditure cases, and the elderly) where access issues are particularly relevant" (C-16). Because USUALPL is only collected in Round 2 in 1997 instead of Rounds 2 and 4, USUALPL cannot be used to make a full-year estimate in 1997. Otherwise, this variable is comparable over time.
Universe
- 1996-2021: All persons eligible for the Access to Care section (ACCESSELIG).
Availability
- 1996-2021
Weights
- 1996-2021 : PERWEIGHT
