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The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) is committed to improving the Nation's health care system. In recent years, many important changes have taken place in:

• The ways people choose their providers of medical care.
• The ways in which health care is paid for.
• The Affordable Care Act (ACA).
• The kinds of health insurance plans available and the services covered by those plans.

These and other changes have created a critical need for continuous up-to-date information on the types of health care people obtain and how this care is paid for. MEPS is designed to provide this information to the public, the health care community, and leaders in government and the private sector.

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data are used by a wide variety of researchers and policy analysts in both the private and public sectors. After individually identifying information has been removed, MEPS data are made available to researchers through an annual series of Public Use Files. The series includes files with data on health insurance coverage at a point-in-time, the use of health care services during the calendar year, and expenditures for health care during the calendar year. Additional files provide information on health care events, health conditions, employment characteristics, and other aspects of the MEPS household samples.

Staff at the ´óÏóÊÓƵ, the agency with primary responsibility for the project, provides a wide range of services to support users of MEPS data.

Periodically, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) conducts workshops designed for health services researchers who have a background or interest in using national health surveys. Additionally webinars are offered on specific topics on a regular basis.

Information on upcoming workshops and webinars are available at .

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You also can check the for updates.

The Patient Safety Act authorizes ´óÏóÊÓƵto designate or "list" an entity as a Patient Safety Organization (PSO). With some restrictions, a PSO can be any public or private entity. To become or remain an AHRQ-listed PSO, the entity must meet certain requirements such as the utilization of qualified staff and the provision of appropriate security measures with respect to Patient Safety Work Product (PSWP). The work of a PSO is not federally funded. Rather, PSOs may serve as contractors to providers for the analysis and feedback of confidential and privileged information related to patient safety and health care quality.

For more information, go to the PSO website: .