Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality

STATISTICAL BRIEF #204 

May 2008 

Highlights 

 In 2005, approximately 22 

million persons or 7.3 

percent of the U.S. 

population reported 

experiencing related 

symptoms, visiting a 

physician, or obtaining a 

prescription drug to treat 

allergic rhinitis. 

 Medical spending to treat 

allergic rhinitis almost 

doubled from $6.1 billion in 

2000 (in 2005 dollars) to 

$11.2 billion in 2005. 

 Ambulatory expenditures 

for care and treatment of 

allergic rhinitis increased 

73 percent from 2000 to 

2005. 

 Mean annual expenditures 

for those with an expense 

related to allergic rhinitis

increased from $350 per 

person in 2000 (in 2005 

dollars) to $520 per person

in 2005. 

 In 2000 and 2005, more 

than half of the total 

allergic rhinitis expenses 

were spent on prescription 

medications. 

Allergic Rhinitis: Trends in Use and 

Expenditures, 2000 and 2005 

Anita Soni, PhD 

Introduction 

Allergic rhinitis is a collection of symptoms such as coughing, 

sneezing, watery eyes, itching in eyes and nose, headache, and 

wheezing in people allergic to airborne particles of dust, dander, or 

plant pollens. When these symptoms are caused by pollen, the 

allergic rhinitis is commonly called hay fever. 

This Statistical Brief presents estimates based on the Household 

Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS-HC) on 

the use of and expenditures for ambulatory care and prescribed 

medications to treat allergic rhinitis among the U.S. civilian 

noninstitutionalized population. Average annual estimates (in 2005 

dollars) for the years 2000 and 2005 are shown by type of service 

and source of payment. All differences between estimates noted in 

the text are statistically significant at the 0.05 level or better. 

Findings 

Number of reported cases for allergic rhinitis, by sex 

In 2005, 7.3 percent of the U.S. population or 22 million persons 

reported experiencing related symptoms, visiting a physician, or 

obtaining a prescription drug to treat allergic rhinitis (figure 1). In 

2000, the same was reported by 6.3 percent of the population. In 

both 2000 and 2005, more females reported experiencing allergic

rhinitis than males (7.6 percent versus 4.9 percent in 2000 and 8.2

percent versus 6.4 percent in 2005). 

 

Total and average reported mean health care expenditures on allergic rhinitis, by age 

A total of $6.1 billion (in 2005 dollars) was spent on health care and treatment of allergic rhinitis in 2000 

(excluding over-the-counter medications). By 2005, total expenditures to treat allergic rhinitis almost 

doubled to $11.2 billion (figure 2). Average expenditures per person for those with an allergic rhinitis 

related expense increased from $253 to $434 for those under age 18, from 2000 to 2005, and for those 

ages 18−64 from $381 to $566 (figure 3). 

Total and average mean health care expenditures on allergic rhinitis, by type of service 

There was a 73 percent increase in the ambulatory expenditures on allergic rhinitis from 2000 to 2005. In 

2000, a total of $2.3 billion (in 2005 dollars) was spent on ambulatory visits related to allergic rhinitis 

compared to $4.0 billion in 2005. 

Among those who received treatment for allergic rhinitis, $350 (in 2005 dollars), on average, was spent 

for treatment in 2000 (figure 4). In 2005, per person expenditures increased to $520. An average of $207 
was spent per person on prescription medicines for allergic rhinitis in 2000, as compared to an average of 

$305 in 2005. 

Distribution of average annual health care expenditures for allergic rhinitis, by type of service 

For the treatment of allergic rhinitis in both 2000 and 2005, more than half (59.1 percent and 58.7 

percent, respectively) of the total was spent on prescription medications and more than one-third was 

spent on ambulatory visits (38.1 percent and 35.9 percent, respectively) (figure 5). 

Data Source 

The estimates shown in this Statistical Brief are based on data from the MEPS 2000, and 2005 Full Year 

Consolidated Files (HC-050 and HC-097), Medical Condition Files (HC-052 and HC-096), Office-Based 

Medical Provider Visit Files (HC-051G and HC-94G), Outpatient Department Visits Files (HC-051F and 

HC-094F), Hospital In-Patient Stays Files (HC-051D and HC-094D), Home Health Files (HC-051H and 

094H), Emergency Room Visit Files (HC-051E and HC-094E), and Prescribed Medicine Files (HC-051A 

and HC-094A). 

Definitions 

Allergic rhinitis 

This brief analyzes individuals with allergic rhinitis reported as a condition bothering the person and 

allergic rhinitis reported in connection with reported health care utilization (e.g., a person who reported 

purchasing a drug was asked what condition the drug was intended to treat) or reported disability days. 

The conditions reported by the respondent were recorded by the interviewer as verbatim text, which was 

then coded by professional coders to fully specified ICD-9-CM codes. Conditions with an ICD-9 code of 

477 were classified as allergic rhinitis. 

Expenditures 

Expenditures in MEPS are defined as payments from all sources for hospital inpatient care, ambulatory 

care provided in offices and hospital outpatient departments, care provided in emergency departments, 

as well as prescribed medicine purchases reported by respondents in the MEPS-HC. Sources include 

direct payments from individuals, private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Workers’ Compensation, and 

miscellaneous other sources. Expenditure data for 2000 was adjusted to 2005 dollars using the Personal 

Health Care Expenditure Price Index (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary). 

These expenditures do not include ‘over-the-counter’ medications used for treatment of allergic rhinitis. 

(Many popular prescription medications such as Zyrtec and Claritin used for treatment of allergic rhinitis 

are currently sold as ‘over-the-counter’, were sold as prescription drugs only in years 2000 and 2005, thus 

are included in the expenditures). 

About MEPS-HC 

MEPS-HC is a nationally representative longitudinal survey that collects detailed information on health 

care utilization and expenditures, health insurance, and health status, as well as a wide variety of social, 

demographic, and economic characteristics for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is 

cosponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Center for Health 

Statistics. 

For more information about MEPS, call the MEPS information coordinator at AHRQ (301-427-1656) or 

visit the MEPS Web site at http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/. 

References 

For a detailed description of the MEPS-HC survey design, sample design and methods used to minimize 

sources of nonsampling errors, see the following publications: 

Cohen, J. Design and Methods of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 1. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0026. Rockville, MD: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/mr1/mr1.shtml 
Cohen, S. Sample Design of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. MEPS 

Methodology Report No. 2. AHCPR Pub. No. 97-0027. Rockville, MD: Agency for Health Care Policy and 

Research, 1997. http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/mr2/mr2.shtml 

Cohen, S. Design strategies and innovations in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Medical Care, 

July 2003: 41(7) Supplement: III-5–III-12. 

For more information about allergic rhinitis, see the following publications: 

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Shingles. Bethesda, MD: National Library of 

Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, 2007. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/allergy.html 

and entnet.org/HealthInformation/allergiesHayFever.cfm 

Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: Nation Health Interview survey, 2006. Available at: 

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/allergies.htm 

Allergic Rhinitis Overview. Available at: emedicine.com/MED/topic104.htm 

* * * 

AHRQ welcomes questions and comments from readers of this publication who are interested in 

obtaining more information about access, cost, use, financing, and quality of health care in the United 

States. We also invite you to tell us how you are using this Statistical Brief and other MEPS data and 

tools and to share suggestions on how MEPS products might be enhanced to further meet your needs. 

Please e-mail us at mepspd@ahrq.gov or send a letter to the address below: 

Steven B. Cohen, PhD, Director 

Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends 

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 

540 Gaither Road 

Rockville, MD 20850 
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2000 and 2005

4.9

7.6 7.3

6.4

8.2

6.3

0

5

10

Total Male Female

2000 2005

Percentage of people 

reporting allergic rhinitis

Figure 1. Percentage of people reporting 

 allergic rhinitis by sex, 2000 and 2005

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2000 and 2005

2.3

11.2

4.0

6.1

0

5

10

15

20

Total expenditures Ambulatory expenditures

2000 2005

In 2005 Dollars (billions) 

Figure 2. Total and ambulatory expenditures

on allergic rhinitis, 2000 and 2005

Statistical Brief #204: Allergic Rhinitis: Trends in Use and Expenditures, 2000 and 2005 
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2000 and 2005

253

381 378

520

434

566

470

350

100

200

300

400

500

600

Total Under age 18 18-64 65+

2000 2005

In 2005 Dollars

Figure 3. Mean expenditures on allergic rhinitis per 

person with expense, by age, 2000 and 2005

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2000 and 2005

$350

$133

$207

$520

$187

$305

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Total Ambulatory care visits Prescription medications

2000 2005

Figure 4. Mean expenditures on allergic

rhinitis per person with expense, by

type of service, 2000 and 2005 

In 2005 Dollars

Statistical Brief #204: Allergic Rhinitis: Trends in Use and Expenditures, 2000 and 2005 
Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, AHRQ, Household Component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 

2000 and 2005

Figure 5. Percentage distribution of

expenditures for allergic rhinitis, by

type of service, 2000 and 2005

59.1

0.6

38.1

1.2 1.0 1.6 0.7

58.7

3.1

35.9

2000 2005

Statistical Brief #204: Allergic Rhinitis: Trends in Use and Expenditures, 2000 and 2005