CMS is expanding data available to researchers starting with 2015 Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data, which provides detailed information about services to beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage managed care plan in calendar year 2015. Researchers already have access to Medicare claims data for the fee-for-service program, and this release of MA data will provide a fuller picture of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries.
CMS also plans to release data from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) next year, realizing such data has the potential to facilitate research that will help drive innovation and competition in the healthcare system and, ultimately, help doctors and patients make the best decisions about care.
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