MCBS Highlights: Health Expenditures for Medicare Beneficiaries

Abstract

The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) tracks health care expenditures for 12,000 beneficiaries. The survey is unique because it combines survey data with Medicare administrative data to give a detailed portrait of health care spending for Medicare beneficiaries. The MCBS provides health care expenditures for the Medicare population by service and payer, and it allows for analysis by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The MCBS collects beneficiaries' out-of-pocket expenses and insurer payments for all services, whether they are covered by Medicare or not.