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Health Data Store

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Health Data Store Specialist

Standard Analytical Files

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) collects data from all hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes, and hospices that provide services to Medicare beneficiaries on an ongoing basis through its fiscal intermediaries, and compiles the data for each calendar year. One of the resulting datasets, the Standard Analytical File, has data organized at the claim level and includes basic information about the beneficiary and services performed for the beneficiary’s claim. CMS updates this file annually, and the Health Data Store has the most recent update and historical data.

Some useful data elements include:

  • Beneficiary state of residence

  • Hospital where service was provided

  • Beneficiary race

  • Beneficiary sex

  • Principle diagnosis codes

  • Claim diagnosis by DRG code

  • Claim payment amount

  • Charge amounts by component

  • Patient discharge status

  • Admission date

  • Disproportionate share payment amounts

Reporting Providers

All hospitals seeking Medicare reimbursement for inpatient claims must submit SAF data to CMS. In 2013, there were over 6,000 reporting hospitals, 16,000 nursing homes, and 4,000 hospices.

Data Applications

The tabulations and analysis RPC offers based on CMS SAF data has many potential uses for healthcare planners, financial analysts, and hospital executives. RPC offers custom reports using the CMS SAF data, and our consultants are happy to talk to you about how we can use the file to best meet your needs.

Data Use Restrictions

CMS does not allow any data to be distributed that may make it possible for an individual beneficiary to be identified.