Development of a MCBS Public Use File: Ensuring Ease of Use and Access for Researchers

• Activity Number: 676
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 13, 2015 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
• Author(s): Jessie Parker*
• Companies: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Keywords: disclosure ; PUF ; survey ; Medicare ; public-use

Abstract

The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) is a continuous, multipurpose survey of a representative national sample of the Medicare population. Currently, access to the MCBS requires entering into a Data Use Agreement with CMS and purchasing the files. One of the primary reasons that CMS has not offered the MCBS as a free, downloadable, beneficiary-level public-use file (PUF) is because the data include both survey and administrative information, such as Medicare claims, which increases disclosure risk. However, a MCBS PUF will allow for greater access to the data and would likely result in significantly more research being conducted using the survey. This paper will discuss the creation of a MCBS microdata PUF using methods to ameliorate disclosure risk, including an evaluation of the trade-off between disclosure risk and analytic utility. This paper will also discuss the content of the MCBS PUF, such as beneficiary measures, access to care measures, and characteristics of the health care system, allowing for research to monitor priority areas of improving the quality of care, increasing access to care, and strengthening population health.