Limited Data Set (LDS) Files
Guidance for updates to the Limited Data Set (LDS) Files. The updates apply to the Quarter 1 2017 and annual 2016 data files.
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: December 04, 2019
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) makes Limited Data Set (LDS) files available to researchers as allowed by federal laws and regulations as well as CMS policy. LDS files contain beneficiary-level health information and are considered identifiable files, but they do not contain specific direct identifiers as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule (HIPAA Privacy Rule).
For detailed information on each of the LDS files that CMS allows researchers to request, please use the navigation menu on the left.
To request LDS files, please follow the instructions on the Limited Data Set Files Data Use Agreements page.
To view information on the estimated timeline for updates to LDS file availability, please select the drop-down option below.
- Limited Data Set (LDS) File Update Schedule
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File Title
Estimated Release Timeline
LDS Rule-Making Files
MEDPAR - Hospital (National)
Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) PPS Expanded Modified MEDPAR
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) MEDPAR
End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (ESRD PPS)
Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)
Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System
Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS)
Inpatient Psychiatric Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS)
Available once the associated rule (proposed or final) has been posted to the Federal Register
Other LDS Files
Annual Master Beneficiary Summary File (MBSF) and Standard Analytic Files (Medicare Claims)
August
Quarterly MBSF and Standard Analytic Files
Q3: February
Q4: May
Q1: August
Q2: NovemberMedicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS)
Survey File: Summer
Cost Supplement: FallEnrollee-Level External Data Gathering Environment (EDGE)
August
Medicaid State Drug Utilization
May
Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary (PSPS)
August
NOTE: The estimated release timeline is based on historical file releases and is subject to change.
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DISCLAIMER: The contents of this database lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law (including Medicare Advantage Rate Announcements and Advance Notices) or as specifically incorporated into a contract. The Department may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not posted on the guidance repository, except to establish historical facts.