2009 Health and Well-Being Study (HWB)

The HRS 2009 Health and Well-Being Study (HWB) is the third wave of a multi-wave mail survey designed to track changes in prescription drug utilization and enrollment in Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit administered by Medicare. The baseline wave, administered in 2005, was intended to capture prescription drug use, coverage, and satisfaction prior to the implementation of Medicare Part D, as well as awareness of the new drug benefit and available subsidies. The second wave, administered in 2007, was designed to capture similar information post-implementation. This wave continues to assess Medicare Part D utilization and satisfaction as well as prescription drug usage and expenditures. In addition, new content on experienced well-being was included as a pilot.

The sample for HWB 2009 included everyone from the PDS 2005/2007 sample plus a 22% random samples of respondents who: a) gave an interview in 2008, b) were not included in the sample for the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey or already included in the PDS sample, and c) born before 1943, and a 64% random sample of respondents who a) gave an interview in 2008, b) were not included in the sample for the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey or already included in the PDS sample, and c) born in 1943 or later. This sample was designed so that 20% of the HRS sample would not be asked to complete a mail survey in the fall of 2009. The final sample size for HWB 2009 was 7,417 respondents.

A total of 5,333 respondents returned questionnaires or completed a telephone interview, for a response rate of 75% (among eligible cases).

Version 2 contains a weight variable, P3QXWT, "COMPLETED WAVE 3 QUESTIONNAIRE WEIGHT".