Hospital Wage Indices File
Study Number	A03_8399
Background of Dataset
Purpose of the Data Set	This file contains a history of all wage indices used since October 1, 1983.
Criteria(s) for Inclusion/Exclusion	Includes wage indices for all Medicare hospitals used since October 1, 1983.
Age Range Included	N/A
Method(s) of Data Gathering	The source for this data set is the hospital wage indices used to create each Fiscal Year's Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Sampling Frame/Design	N/A
Limitation(s) of Study	No
Year(s) Available	1983 - 1999
Number of Observations	3911
Unit of Observation	The unit of analysis was measured by Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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
•Physician identifier
•Health facility identifier
•Geographic identifier	MSA
•Other identifier
Demographics Information
•Sex
•Race
•Geographic location	Yes
•Income
•Education
•Employment status
•Others	Rural/Urban identifier
Access/Utilization Information	N/A
Health Care Facility Information	N/A
Physician Information	N/A
Cost/Expenditure Information	N/A
Other Information
•Wage index	By MSA