How to Make the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey Better

The Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) has become a critical asset to health policymakers on both sides of the aisle. The survey, which has been conducted annually by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality since 1996, was preceded by two surveys conducted in 1977 and 1986. We served on the original project team for the 1977 effort known as the National Medical Expenditures Survey (NMCES) and have regularly followed the evolution of the survey. In view of the increased need for health expenditure data we now believe new survey enhancements are warranted.