Frequently Asked Questions - Analytics

Q: What is the difference between BENE_ID and Health Insurance Claim (HIC) number?

A: The difference between BENE_ID and Claim (HIC) number is as follows:

  • The BENE_ID is a unique beneficiary identifier encrypted specifically to the researcher/Data Use Agreement (DUA). This identifier is unique to the Chronic Condition Data Warehouse (CCW) and protects the identity of the Medicare beneficiary.
  • NOTE: There may be multiple HICs per BENE_ID due to the following reasons:
    • Beneficiary Identity Codes (BICs) change in the source Medicare eligibility files due to change in or clarification of the relationship to the covered beneficiary. When the BIC changes, the HIC changes.
  • There may also be multiple BENE_IDs per HIC due to a change in gender or Date of Birth (DOB) in the CCW monthly enrollment updates.

Q: How do I use identifier crosswalks to link data?

A: Your request may include one or more identifier crosswalks that will allow you to link datasets.  These identifier crosswalks may include any of the following identifiers, depending on your data use agreement (DUA):

  • BENE_ID (contained in the CCW data received from Buccaneer, A Vangent Company)
  • BID, or beneficiary identification (contained in the CCW data received from Acumen – prior to January 2009)
  • SSN (social security number)
  • HIC (health insurance claim number)
  • RES_ID (resident identification number from assessment data)

Q: When using the Drug Characteristics file, would Brand Name (BN) equal Generic Name (GNN) if the drug was dispensed as generic?

A: If the GNN is the same as BN, it is a generic product. However, this does not cover all the generic products. Many generic products have their own BN.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains the Orange Book, which lists the approved generic products. For more information, see www.fda.gov for more details. If Reference List Drug (RLD) is No, then the drug product is considered a generic product. If the RLD is Yes, then it is called an innovator drug (or the brand product as considered by most) and it is the standard by which the generic products are tested. 

Q: How do researchers, who are using CCW data, open a File Transfer Summary (.FTS) document?

A: Open the .FTS document in Notepad (it is a plain text document). Open the .SAS program with Notepad (if you don’t have SAS). If you are using STATA, use the .FTS for layout to read in the .dat file (Microsoft prompts to open in Word, changes the font automatically; don’t save changes).

Q: How is the CCW BENE_ID assigned?

A: The BENE_ID assignment is based on an extensive beneficiary matching logic routine which is updated monthly from CMS Medicare Enrollment Database (EDB) data feeds. This data source is more timely than other CMS data sources (conflict with other CMS data sources may occur in a small number of cases). One BENE_ID can map to multiple health insurance claims (HICs) due to changes in HIC, etc. In order to be assigned a BENE_ID in the CCW, the matching logic must reach a predetermined confidence interval, based on CMS specifications.