Description

For all event-medication-round link records, MEPSLINKIDK uniquely identifies medication-round records across MEPS panels. MEPSLINKIDK is created for 1996-2017 by combining PANELK, LINKIDK, 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 MEPSLINKIDK to provide a single, universal linking key for linking across MEPS event and medication-round records.

Beginning in 2018, AHRQ modified the identifiers DUIDK and DUPERSIDK (which combines DUIDK with PIDK) on the original MEPS data files to append information about PANELK to the first two columns. AHRQ also added a 2-digit event type number beginning in 2018. MEPSLINKIDK is the same as LINKIDK for 2018 forward.

Event-Medication-Round Record Linking
The event, medication-round, and medication-round fill records can be joined together by using the event-medication-round link records. MEPSLINKIDK is on the event-medication-round link record and is the same as MEPSLINKIDM on the medication-round record and MEPSLINKIDF on the medication-round fill 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.

NOTE: Users should note that beginning in 2021, AHRQ discontinued the public use version of the RXLK file, which contains all K rectype variables needed for linking prescribed medicines and event records. AHRQ determined that the data in the RXLK file are not useful for studies of prescriber behavior because so few drugs link to prescribers. IPUMS MEPS continues to offer the RXLK variables for the 1996-2020 samples, allowing users to link prescribed medicines and event record data in these years. Users interested in the RXLK variables for the 2021-forward samples can refer to AHRQ's webpage on procedures to access restricted variables in a data center.

MEPSLINKIDK is a 16-character string variable.

Comparability

This variable is completely comparable over time.

Universe

Availability

• 1996-2020

Weights

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

Flags