Hosptial Cost Report Information System Minimum Data Set
Study Number	A16_96 - A16_99
Background of Dataset
Purpose of the Data Set	The Minimum Data Set contains cost, financial, and other information from the Medicare Hospital Cost Reports.
Criteria(s) for Inclusion/Exclusion	Includes Medicare certified hospitals.
Age Range Included	N/A
Method(s) of Data Gathering	Hospitals submit an annual Medicare cost report their Fiscal Intermediary (FI). The FI generates a Medicare reimbursement amount.
Sampling Frame/Design	N/A
Limitation(s) of Study	N/A
Year(s) Available	Federal fiscal years: 1996 - 1999.
Number of Observations	23,354.
Unit of Observation	Hospital.
Publisher	Health Care Financing Administration
Contact Information/Web Address	http://www.hcfa.gov/stats/pufiles.htm
Condition of Use	Publicly Available.
Contents of Database
Key Linking Variables
•Patient identifier	N/A
•Physician identifier	N/A
•Health facility identifier	Yes.
•Geographic identifier	State.
•Other identifier	N/A
Demographics Information	N/A
Access/Utilization Information
Unit of Utilization	Hospital.
Source of Information
•Self reported
•Parent
•Medical provider
•Billing/encounters
•Other source
Health Insurance Information
•Insurance status
•Insurance type
•Other information
Health Care Utilization
>Type
1) Outpatient
•Date of visits
•Number of visits
•Referrals information
•Specialty visits
•Other outpatient utilization
2) Inpatient
•Admission/discharge dates
•Number of admissions	Yes, by categories.
•Length of stay
•Admission status (transfer, ER      admissions...etc)
•Discharge status
•Other information	Number of inpatient days, by category of beds.
3) Emergency room
•Date of visits
•Number of visits
•Other information
4) Pharmacy
•Date of prescription
•Drug information
•Other information
5) Other utilization
•Home care services
•Long term care
•Other services
>Medical Codes
•CPT codes
•ICD-9 codes
•DRG codes
•Other codes
Health Care Facility Information
•Location	State.
•Number of beds	Yes.
•Number of MDs	Yes.
•Other information	Type of control, type of services provided, types of facilities available.
Physician Information	N/A
Cost/Expenditure Information
•Unit of cost
•Charges/costs/payments	Yes: Charges, revenue by categories.
•Total	Yes.
•Allied and additional services	Yes.
•Pharmacy	N/A
•Out-of-pocket payments	N/A
•Other information
Other Information
•	Balance sheet data