NCHS Data Linked to Medicare Enrollment and Claims Files

NCHS has developed a record linkage program designed to maximize the scientific value of the Center's population-based surveys. NCHS is currently linking various NCHS surveys with Medicare enrollment and claims records collected from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Linkage of the NCHS survey participants with the CMS Medicare data provides the opportunity to study changes in health status, health care utilization and expenditures in the elderly and disabled U.S. population.

 

Overview of NCHS-CMS Linkage

Medicare enrollment and claims data are available for those NCHS respondents who agreed to provide personal identification data to NCHS and for whom NCHS was able to match with Medicare administrative records. CMS provided NCHS with Medicare benefit claims data for 1991 through 2000 for all successfully matched NCHS survey participants. For certain NCHS surveys, the Medicare administrative files include data from before and after the survey year of interview.

• Description of the Linkage [PDF - 57 KB]
• NCHS Surveys linked to CMS data
  • 1994-1998 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
  • NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (NHEFS, 1971-1992)
  • Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II, 1976-1980)
  • Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994)
  • The Second Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA II, 1994-2000)

 

Accessing the NCHS-CMS Data

• Overview of request process [PDF - 17 KB]
• Checklist for RDC application [PDF - 24 KB]
• Helpful tips for RDC proposal writing [PDF - 16 KB]
• NCHS Research Data Center (RDC)
• Feasibility Study Data

 

Analytic/Programming Support

• NCHS-CMS Data File Documentation
• Medicare Enrollment and Claims Data Analytic Issues [PDF - 56 KB]
• CMS Linkage Methodology Report [PDF - 55 KB]
• Match Rate Table for NCHS-CMS Linked Data [PDF - 44 KB]
• Sample Counts for NCHS-CMS Linked Data [PDF - 96 KB]
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) regarding the Medicare data (Links to RESDAC)

 

Contact Information

After carefully reviewing web documentation, any remaining questions can be directed to:

• Questions Pertaining to CMS Data file content:

  Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC)
  Email: resdac@umn.edu
  Phone: 1-888-9-ResDAC or (1-888-973-7322)
  Fax: 612-378-4866
  URL: www.resdac.umn.edu

• Questions regarding access to the NCHS-CMS data files:

  Email: NCHS Research Data Center Data Query

• Questions involving NCHS survey linkage methodology issues:

  Email: NCHS Data Linkage Team