The agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is pleased to announce the recent release of the following data products and publications for April 2009:
MEPS Tabular Data:
Individual (non-group) Health Insurance Tables: 2002-2006
Release Date: February 6, 2009
The tables are available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/quick_tables_results.jsp?component=1&subcomponent=0&year=-1&tableSeries=4&searchText=6&searchMethod=1&Action=Search
MEPS Publications:
Research Findings No. 29: Family Level Expenditures on Health Care and Insurance Premiums among the Nonelderly Population, 2006
Publication Date: March 31, 2009
In 2006, there were approximately 124 million nonelderly families in the United States civilian noninstitutionalized population. Among these families, 54.3 percent had private coverage all year (67.1 million), 7.1 percent had public coverage all year (8.8 million) and 14.8 percent were uninsured all year (18.3 million). Among nonelderly families in 2006, 46.2 percent were one-person families (57.1 million), 24.2 percent were two-person families (29.9 million), and 29.6 percent were families with three or more persons (36.5 million). The full Research Findings is available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Research%20Findings&opt=2&id=900
Statistical Brief #236: The Concentration and Persistence in the Level of Health Expenditures over Time: Estimates for the U.S. Population, 2005-2006
Publication Date: February 25, 2009
In 2006, health care expenses among the U.S. community population totaled $1.034 trillion. Medical care expenses, however, are highly concentrated among a relatively small proportion of individuals in the community population. As previously reported in 1996, the top 1 percent of the U.S. population accounted for 28 percent of the total health care expenditures and the top 5 percent for more than half. The full Statistical Brief is available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Statistical%20Brief&opt=2&id=895
Statistical Brief #237: Asthma Preventive Medicine in 2006 - Who Takes Them?
Publication Date: March 3, 2009
Data from the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey show that 7.1 percent of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (21.3 million people) have current asthma. This means they have been told by a doctor or other health professional at some point in their lives that they have asthma and they reported they had an attack in the past 12 months or reported still having asthma. An estimated 31.6 percent of those with current asthma were taking asthma daily preventive medicines daily or almost every day. The full Statistical Brief is available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Statistical%20Brief&opt=2&id=896
Statistical Brief #238: The Top Five Therapeutic Classes of Outpatient Prescription Drugs Ordered by Total Expense for the Medicare Population Age 65 and Older in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2006
Publication Date: February 27, 2009
This Statistical Brief provides a summary of the top five therapeutic classes of outpatient prescription drugs when ordered by total expense for Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older. It also includes estimates for the Medicare population (age 65 and older) of the percentage of annual prescribed drug expenses for the top five therapeutic classes represented, the percentage of those with a prescribed drug expense having an expense in the top five classes of drugs, and the mean expense in these classes of drugs. The full Statistical Brief is available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Statistical%20Brief&opt=2&id=897
Statistical Brief #239: Health Insurance Coverage of Near Elderly Individuals, Ages 55-64, 2006
Publication Date: March 13, 2009
Although the vast majority of near elderly individuals are covered by private or public health insurance, those lacking coverage may be particularly vulnerable to the high health care costs associated with serious and chronic illnesses that emerge at older ages. Near elderly adults' source of employment-related coverage differed from that for younger adults. For example, retiree coverage played a larger role in providing employment-related coverage to 55-64 year olds than to 45-54 year olds (16.2 vs. 1.4 percent) and coverage from a current job played a correspondingly smaller role (50.1 percent vs. 65.6 percent). The full Statistical Brief is available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Statistical%20Brief&opt=2&id=898
Statistical Brief #240: Prescription Drug Estimates for Medicare Beneficiaries, 2005 and 2006
Publication Date: March 27, 2009
For the years 2005 and 2006, this Brief presents the number of persons who reported having Medicare as well as total outpatient prescribed drug expenditures for the total population and the Medicare population. The Brief also compares the proportion of the Medicare population that reported at least one drug purchase and the proportion that had at least one Medicare payment for a prescribed drug. Moreover, the Brief compares the proportion of 2005 and 2006 total prescribed drug expenditures by source of payment for the Medicare population, and presents the average Medicare expenditure for prescribed drugs for the Medicare population for 2005 and 2006. The full Statistical Brief is available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Statistical%20Brief&opt=2&id=899
Statistical Brief #241: Total Medical and Prescription Expenditures by Current Asthma Status and Whether Asthma Daily Preventive Medicine is Being Taken, United States, 2006
Publication Date: April 8, 2009
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease in which the airways of the lungs become inflamed and constricted. Data from the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey show that in 2006, an estimated 7.1 percent of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (approximately 21.2 million in the U.S.) had 'current' asthma. Current asthma is defined as having been told by a doctor or other health professional that you have asthma, and having had an asthma episode during the past 12 months or reporting to still have asthma. Of those with current asthma, 31.6 percent are taking asthma daily preventive medicines daily or almost every day. Average total medical expenditures and average total prescription expenditures are higher for persons with current asthma than for persons without current asthma and are higher for those with current asthma who take daily preventive medicines. The full Statistical Brief is available on the MEPS website at: http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdResults_Details.jsp?pt=Statistical%20Brief&opt=2&id=902
