Attachment 3 - Economic Burden Questions added to the 2024 Core MEPS-HC

Attachment 1 - Economic Burden Questions to be added to the Core MEPS-HC Interview

Additional Medical Debt Questions

The MEPS already asks about problems paying medical bills, paying off medical bills over time, and medical bills that the household is unable to pay. For households paying off medical bills and/or unable to pay medical bills, starting in the Fall of 2024 the MEPS will ask:

Item #:__HX795_

Question Text:	Please think about the total amount of medical bills {you/all members of your household/all members of this household} currently owe and are either paying off over time or unable to pay at all. What is this amount? Exclude bills that will likely be paid by the insurance company. IF NECESSARY: Include medical bills being paid off with a credit card, through personal loans, or bill paying arrangements with hospitals or other providers. The bills can be from earlier years as well as this year. IF RESPONDENT IS NOT SURE, DO NOT PROBE. SELECT ‘DON’T KNOW’. ENTER 0 IF THE MEDICAL BILLS HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL. ENTER AMOUNT
Responses:	.............................................................. BOX_575 REFUSED............................................RF BOX_575 DON'T KNOW....................................DK HX796
Programmer Instructions:	Allow whole dollars only, no cents. Display ‘$’ and ‘.00’ mask.
Display Instructions:	Display ‘you’ if single person RU and respondent is RU member. Display ‘all members of your household’ if multi-person RU and respondent is RU member. Otherwise (proxy respondent), display ‘all members of this household’.

Item #:__HX796_

Question Text:	Which category on card HX-8 best indicates the total amount of medical bills currently owed {by all household members}? Exclude bills that will likely be paid by the insurance company.
Responses:	$0 - $500................................................1 BOX_575 $501 - $1,000.........................................2 BOX_575 $1,001 – $2,000.....................................3 BOX_575 $2,001 – $5,000.....................................4 BOX_575 $5,001 – $10,000...................................5 BOX_575 $10,001 – $20,000.................................6 BOX_575 $20,001 OR MORE...............................7 BOX_575 REFUSED.............................................RF BOX_575 DON'T KNOW......................................DK BOX_575
Display Instructions:	Display ‘by all household members’ if multi-person RU. Otherwise, use null display.

Financial Well-Being (FW) Section

Item #: __FW10_

Question Text:	These next questions are about some of {your/your household’s/the household’s} finances. Was there any time in the past 12 months when {you/your household/the household} did not pay the full amount of the rent or mortgage, or was late with a payment because {you/your household/the household} could not afford to pay?
Responses:	YES.............................................................1 NO...............................................................2 RF..............................................................RF DK.............................................................DK
Programmer Instructions:	Go to FW20.
Display Instructions:	Display ‘your’ and ‘you’ if single person RU. If multi-person RU and respondent is a member of the household, display ‘your household’s’ and ‘your household’. Otherwise (proxy respondent), display ‘the household’s’ and ‘the household’.

Item #: __FW20_

Question Text:	Was there any time in the past 12 months when {you/your household/the household} was not able to pay the full amount of electric, gas, oil, or water bills on time?
Responses:	YES.............................................................1 NO...............................................................2 RF..............................................................RF DK.............................................................DK
Programmer Instructions:	Go to FW30.
Display Instructions:	Display ‘you’ if single person RU. If multi-person RU and respondent is a member of the household, display ‘your household’. Otherwise (proxy respondent), display ‘the household’.

Item #: __FW30_

Question Text:	In the past 12 months, {have/has anyone in} {you/your household/the household} missed a payment on a credit card or a loan (do not include missed payments on a mortgage)?
Responses:	YES.............................................................1 NO...............................................................2 RF..............................................................RF DK.............................................................DK
Programmer Instructions:	Go to FW40.
Display Instructions:	Display ‘have’ and ‘you’ if single person RU and not a proxy respondent. Display ‘has anyone in’ and ‘your household’ if multi-person RU and the respondent is a member of the household. Otherwise (if respondent is a proxy), display ‘has anyone in’ and ‘the household’.

Item #: __FW40_

Question Text:	In the past 12 months, {have/has anyone in} {you/your household/the household} been contacted by a debt collection agency?
Responses:	YES.............................................................1 NO...............................................................2 RF..............................................................RF DK.............................................................DK
Programmer Instructions:	Go to FW50.
Display Instructions:	Display ‘have’ and ‘you’ if single person RU and not a proxy respondent. Display ‘has anyone in’ and ‘your household’ if multi-person RU and the respondent is a member of the household. Otherwise (if respondent is a proxy), display ‘has anyone in’ and ‘the household’.

Item #: __FW50_

Question Text:	How confident are you that {you/your household/the household} could come up with $400 if an unexpected expense arose within the next month? Would you say not at all confident, not too confident, somewhat confident, or very confident?
Responses:	Not at all confident................................1 Not too confident ..................................2 Somewhat confident .............................3 Very confident ......................................4 RF.........................................................RF DK........................................................DK
Programmer Instructions:	Go to BOX_10.
Display Instructions:	Display ‘you’ if single person RU. If multi-person RU and respondent is a member of the household, display ‘your household’. Otherwise (proxy respondent), display ‘the household’.