Restricted-Use Linked NHCS – VA Administrative Data
Through its data linkage program, NCHS has been able to expand the analytic utility of the data collected from the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) by augmenting it with administrative data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
NHCS data have been linked to VA administrative data containing information on details of active-duty service in the United States uniformed services (such as branch of service and era of active-duty service) and VA benefit program utilization including VA health care, service-connected disability compensation, pension, VA guaranteed home loan program, life insurance, education, training and veteran readiness (vocational rehabilitation), and employment benefit programs.
VA administrative records are available for patient records in the NHCS for which NCHS was able to match with VA administrative records. VA provided NCHS with administrative data for all successfully matched patient records.
The 2016 NHCS data have been linked to VA administrative data through September 30, 2020 (end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020). Descriptions of the methods used for linkage and analytic considerations for the 2016 NHCS linked to VA Administrative Data Files through FY 2020 can be found in The Linkage of the 2016 National Hospital Care Survey Data to United States Department of Veterans Affairs Administrative Data: Linkage Methodology and Analytic Considerations [PDF – 637 KB].
Data Access
Due to confidentiality requirements, the restricted-use 2016 NHCS linked to VA Administrative Data Files through FY 2020 are accessible only through the NCHS Research Data Center (RDC) Network. All interested researchers must submit a research proposal to the RDC. Please see the RDC website for instructions on submitting a proposal.