Improving response rates and representativity in the CPI medical care index

Respondents’ low response rates that affect not only sample size but also sample composition have emerged as a central challenge in measuring consumer price change for medical care. In the case of medical care, insufficient responses from respondents have made getting an accurate mix of prices by payer type (self-pay, insurance, Medicare Part B) more difficult. This article summarizes recent methodological improvements to the medical care index that address a decline in response rates over the last two decades and an overrepresentation of self-pay price quotes. Since 2002, the medical care component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has seen response rates decline from approximately 90 percent to approximately 50 percent. Then in 2021, they dropped to below 40 percent, because of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-related difficulties.