Using Propensity Scores to Adjust Weights to Compensate for Dwelling Unit Level Nonresponse in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). MEPS, a complex national probability sample survey, is conducted to provide nationally representative estimates of health care use, expenditures, sources of payment, and insurance coverage for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. It comprises three component surveys with the Household Component (HC) as the core survey. The MEPS-HC, like most sample surveys, experiences unit nonresponse despite efforts to maximize response rates. Survey nonresponse is usually compensated for by some form of weighting adjustment to reduce the bias in survey estimates. Currently, a weighting class nonresponse adjustment using socio-economic and demographic variables to create the weighting classes is used in the MEPS to adjust for potential nonresponse bias at the dwelling unit level. An alternative method for forming nonresponse adjustment cells is to use response propensities. This paper summarizes research undertaken to investigate various potential use of response propensities to adjust weights to compensate for nonresponse in the MEPS. Survey estimates for selected survey components, CVs, distribution of weights, and nonresponse adjustment methods at the dwelling unit level are compared and methodological issues discussed. Lap-Ming Wun Statistician, Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 E-mail: [email protected] Trena M. Ezzati-Rice, Robert Baskin, Janet Greenblatt, Marc Zodet Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 Frank Potter, Nuria Diaz-Tena, and Mourad Touzani Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.