Strengthening National Data to Better Measure What We are Buying in Health Care: Reconciling National Health Expenditures with Detailed Survey Data

33 Pages Posted: 5 Apr 2017 Last revised: 20 Feb 2022

See all articles by Allison Rosen

Allison Rosen

University of Massachusetts Worcester - Medical School

Kaushik Ghosh

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Emily Shelton Pape

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Marcelo Coca Perraillon

University of Colorado at Denver

Kassandra Messer

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Trivellore Raghunathan

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Survey Research Center, Survey Methodology Program; University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics

Susan T. Stewart

Harvard University

David M. Cutler

Harvard University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

David M. Cutler

Harvard University

Date Written: March 2017

Abstract

As health care financing, organization, and delivery innovations proliferate, the need for comprehensive, detailed data on medical spending has never been more apparent. This study builds on previous work to provide a more comprehensive accounting of medical spending at the individual level than has been done in the past. We account for spending by the entire population: the civilian, non-institutionalized population that is the subject of past studies, as well as high medical spenders, the institutionalized, the incarcerated, and active-duty military personnel. We use within-imputation and other adjustments to build a micro dataset and reconcile survey data based on our estimate of medical spending to the National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA). The micro dataset we build can be used for more detailed policy evaluations that more closely reflect true national personal health expenditure at the individual level.

Suggested Citation

Rosen, Allison and Ghosh, Kaushik and Shelton Pape, Emily and Coca Perraillon, Marcelo and Messer, Kassandra and Raghunathan, Trivellore and Stewart, Susan T. and Cutler, David M. and Cutler, David M., Strengthening National Data to Better Measure What We are Buying in Health Care: Reconciling National Health Expenditures with Detailed Survey Data (March 2017). NBER Working Paper No. w23290, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2946696

Allison Rosen (Contact Author)

University of Massachusetts Worcester - Medical School ( email )

55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester, MA 01655
United States

Kaushik Ghosh

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Emily Shelton Pape

affiliation not provided to SSRN

No Address Available

Marcelo Coca Perraillon

University of Colorado at Denver ( email )

Box 173364
1250 14th Street
Denver, CO 80217
United States

Kassandra Messer

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor ( email )

500 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
United States

Trivellore Raghunathan

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Survey Research Center, Survey Methodology Program ( email )

426 Thompson Street
Institute for Social Research
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248
United States
(734) 647-4619 (Phone)

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics ( email )

1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029
United States

Susan T. Stewart

Harvard University ( email )

Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

David M. Cutler

Harvard University - Department of Economics ( email )

Littauer Center, Room 315A
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-496-5216 (Phone)
617-495-8570 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-868-3900 (Phone)
617-868-2742 (Fax)

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

David M. Cutler

Harvard University

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