The MEPS is conducted to provide nationally representative estimates of health care use, health care expenditures, sources of payment, health insurance coverage and health status for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. MEPS data can be used to estimate the impact of changes in sources of payment and insurance coverage on different economic groups or special populations of interest, such as the poor, elderly, families, veterans, the uninsured, and racial and ethnic minorities.

MEPS is comprised of three component surveys: The Household Component (HC), the Medical Provider Component (MPC), and the Insurance Component (IC). The HC is the core survey, and it forms the basis of the MPC sample. Together these surveys yield comprehensive data that provide national estimates of the level and distribution of health care use and expenditures, support health services research, and can be used to assess health care policy implications.