2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Survey File Microdata PUF
October 31, 2024: CMS released the public use file (PUF) version of the annual MCBS Survey File Limited Data Set with data for 2022. This file provides information to researchers without a Data Use Agreement on topics such as health conditions and access to and satisfaction with care, while giving the very highest degree of protection to Medicare beneficiaries’ protected health information. The Survey File Microdata PUF can be accessed here.
2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Cost Supplement LDS
October 31, 2024: CMS released the annual MCBS Cost Supplement LDS with data for 2022 to researchers with a DUA. The MCBS Cost Supplement provides a comprehensive picture of health services received, amounts paid, and source of payment for all medical events, including those not covered by Medicare. Documentation related to the 2022 MCBS Cost Supplement LDS File is also now available and can be found on the MCBS website here.
2024 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Questionnaires
October 10, 2024: CMS released a zipped file of 2024 questionnaire specifications for both the Community and Facility survey instruments, broken out by survey topical section. The file can be accessed here.
2023 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Survey File – Early Release LDS is Now Available
CMS is pleased to announce the availability of a new LDS product, the 2023 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Survey File – Early Release LDS. The MCBS Survey File – Early Release LDS provides select microdata from the MCBS Survey File LDS on an expedited schedule for beneficiaries living in the community only. The file, released within 8 months from the end of data collection, contains data on demographics, health and chronic conditions, preventive health behaviors and other questionnaire topics collected during the Fall Round. Documentation related to the 2023 MCBS Survey File – Early Release LDS is available here.
The 2023 MCBS Survey File – Early Release LDS does not replace the 2023 MCBS Survey File, which is scheduled for release in Summer 2025.
Requests for the 2023 MCBS Survey File – Early Release LDS must be made through the CMS DUA tracking system (EPPE). EPPE can be used to initiate a new LDS DUA request or to amend/update an existing LDS DUA. Instructions for accessing and using EPPE to make a request can be found here.
All shipments of MCBS data will be sent from CMS’s data fulfillment contractor, Health APT. Those who have already updated their DUA to include the 2023 MCBS Survey File – Early Release data will have their data automatically shipped and should be on the lookout for a package from Health APT.
2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Methodology Report
August 22, 2024: CMS released the 2022 MCBS Methodology Report. This report is designed to be a complementary tool to support analytic decisions and should be used in conjunction with the MCBS codebooks, Data User’s Guides (DUG). The document can be accessed here.
2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Survey File LDS Research Files are Now Available
June 27, 2024: CMS announced the availability of the 2022 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Survey File LDS research files. Documentation related to the 2022 MCBS Survey File is also now available and can be found on the MCBS website here.
Requests for the 2022 MCBS LDS files must be made through the CMS DUA tracking system (EPPE). EPPE can be used to initiate a new LDS DUA request or to amend/update an existing LDS DUA. Requests for the 2022 MCBS should include the “2022 MCBS Survey File Only” or the “2022 MCBS Survey File Plus Cost Supplement” depending on which product you need (a follow-up notification will be sent later in the year when the 2022 MCBS Cost Supplement becomes available). Instructions for accessing and using EPPE to make a request can be found here.
All shipments of MCBS data will be sent from CMS’s data fulfillment contractor, HealthAPT. Those who have already updated their DUA to include the 2022 MCBS Survey File data will have their data automatically shipped and should be on the lookout for a package from HealthAPT.
Infographic on Sexual Orientation Among Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community in 2023
June 13, 2024: CMS released an infographic on Sexual Orientation Among Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community in 2023, overall and by age. The infographic is based on data collected in Fall 2023 and is available here.
Oral Cancer Screenings Among Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community in 2021
May 5, 2024: CMS released an infographic on Oral Cancer Screenings Among Medicare Beneficiaries living in the community in 2021. The infographic highlights oral/mouth cancer screening rates by race, language spoken at home, disability status and dental coverage.
Public Use File on Socio-demographic and Health Characteristics of Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community by Metropolitan Residence Status in 2021
April 30, 2024: CMS is pleased to announce the availability of a new public use file on Socio-demographic and Health Characteristics of Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community by Metropolitan Residence Status. This public use file uses 2021 Survey File data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. Also released today is an infographic; Health Status and Access to Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community by Metropolitan Residence Status.
Oral Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community in 2021
April 9, 2024: CMS released 3 products related to oral health 1) Infographic on Oral Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries living in the community in 2021 2) Poster on Utilization of Dental Services and Out-of-Pocket Expenses by Medicare beneficiaries living in the community 3) Poster on the Association Between Oral Health and General Health among Medicare beneficiaries.
2023 MCBS Annotated Bibliography
March 28, 2024: CMS released the MCBS 2023 Annotated Bibliography. This bibliography can be found on the MCBS website: MCBS 2023 Annotated Bibliography. Annually the MCBS posts a listing of peer reviewed journal articles and government publications which utilize the MCBS data in their analysis. Starting with calendar year 2020, the bibliographies include annotations for each source, which describe the research question, analysis, and findings.
MCBS 2021 Cost Supplement Microdata PUF
February 21, 2024: CMS released the public use file (PUF) version of the annual MCBS Cost Supplement Limited Data Set with data for 2021. This file provides publicly available information for researchers interested in summarized expenditure and source of payment data, while giving the very highest of protection to the Medicare beneficiaries’ protected health information. This file includes data on all health care services, including those not covered by Medicare. The Cost Supplement File Microdata PUF can be accessed here.
2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Chartbook
February 6, 2024: CMS released the annual update to the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Chartbook with data for 2021. The MCBS Chartbook is designed to provide the public with a new interactive collection of charts and tables based on estimates from the MCBS and can be found here: 2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Annual Chartbook and Slides.
The MCBS Chartbook is organized into 4 domains:
- Domain 1: Medicare Population Overview. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries.
- Domain 2: Beneficiary Health and Well-Being. Self-reported health status and health behaviors of Medicare beneficiaries.
- Domain 3: Health Care Access and Satisfaction. Access to and satisfaction with health care services.
- Domain 4: Health Care Use and Expenditures. Health care use by Medicare beneficiaries across eleven service categories, including: dental services, hearing services, inpatient hospital services, long-term facility care, Medicare home health services, Medicare Hospice Services, outpatient hospital services, physician/supplier services, prescription drugs, skilled nursing facility care, and vision services. Health care expenditures and all sources of payment across service categories.
Public Use File on Socio-demographic and Health Characteristics of Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community by Dual Eligibility Status in 2021
January 16, 2024: CMS released the public use file on Socio-demographic and Health Characteristics of Medicare Beneficiaries Living in the Community by Dual Eligibility Status in 2021. This public use file uses data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and contains estimates on socio-demographic characteristics, functional limitations, chronic conditions, mental health and oral health of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries by dual eligibility status. Also released today are two infographics: an infographic on Select Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Medicare Beneficiaries by Dual Eligibility Status and another on Prevalence of Chronic Conditions and Limitations in Activities of Daily Living Among Medicare Beneficiaries by Dual Eligibility Status.
- Highlights
- Among dually eligible Medicare beneficiaries living in the community in 2021, 26 percent spoke a language other than English at home, compared with 9 percent among non-dually eligible Medicare beneficiaries.
- In 2021, 40 percent of dually eligible Medicare beneficiaries living in the community had fair or poor health, compared with 15 percent of beneficiaries who were not dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
- Among dually eligible Medicare beneficiaries living in the community in 2021, 30 percent had at least one housing quality issue (pests, mold, etc.) compared with 20 percent of Medicare-only beneficiaries.
- In 2021, dually eligible beneficiaries living in the community were twice as likely to live in a multi-generational household compared with Medicare-only beneficiaries.
- Among Medicare beneficiaries living in the community in 2021, 55 percent of dually eligible beneficiaries had 4 or more chronic conditions compared with 42 percent of Medicare-only beneficiaries.
- Dually eligible beneficiaries living in the community were more than twice as likely to have difficulties performing several activities of daily living in 2021 than Medicare-only beneficiaries.
2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Cost Supplement File Variable Crosswalk 2015-2021
December 22, 2023: CMS released the MCBS Cost Supplement File Variable Crosswalk 2015-2021. This crosswalk is a reference guide to allow experienced MCBS data users to assess the feasibility of conducting longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional analyses on variables of interest across two or more MCBS Limited Data Set (LDS) data years. This variable crosswalk is designed to be a complementary tool to support analytic decisions and should be used in conjunction with the more detailed information available to data users in the MCBS codebooks, Data User’s Guides (DUG), and Methodology Reports. The main purpose of the crosswalk is to assist data users planning an analysis with MCBS Cost Supplement File LDS to determine whether the variable(s) of interest are present in each data year. The crosswalk can be accessed here.
2023 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Questionnaires
October 26, 2023: CMS released a zipped file of 2023 questionnaire specifications for both the Community and Facility survey instruments, broken out by survey topical section. The file can be accessed here.
2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Frequently Asked Questions
October 26, 2023: CMS released the annually updated MCBS Frequently Asked Questions. This document provides answers to common inquiries and points of interest for users of the MCBS data sets. The document can be accessed here.
2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Methodology Report
October 26, 2023: CMS released the 2021 MCBS Methodology Report. This report is designed to be a complementary tool to support analytic decisions and should be used in conjunction with the MCBS codebooks, Data User’s Guides (DUG). The document can be accessed here.
2021 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Survey File Variable Crosswalk 2015-2021
October 26, 2023: CMS released the Survey File Variable Crosswalk with data for 2015 - 2021. This crosswalk is a reference guide to allow experienced MCBS data users to assess the feasibility of conducting longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional analyses on variables of interest across two or more MCBS Limited Data Set (LDS) data years. This variable crosswalk is designed to be a complementary tool to support analytic decisions and should be used in conjunction with the more detailed information available to data users in the MCBS codebooks, Data User’s Guides (DUG), and Methodology Reports. The main purpose of the crosswalk is to assist data users planning an analysis with MCBS Survey File LDS to determine whether the variable(s) of interest are present in each data year. The crosswalk can be accessed here.
Want to learn more about the MCBS?
Please visit the following page for more information: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). MCBS Limited Data Sets (LDS) are available to researchers with a data use agreement (DUA). Requests for the MCBS LDS files must be made through the CMS DUA tracking system known as the Enterprise Privacy Policy Engine (EPPE). Information on ordering MCBS files from CMS, including instructions for accessing and using EPPE to make a request, can be obtained through the CMS LDS website: Limited Data Set (LDS). MCBS Public Use Files (PUFs) are available to the public as free downloads and can be found through the CMS PUF website at MCBS Public Use Files (PUFs).