Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS) DATASET - Skilled Nursing Facility
Release 1.0, April 24, 2003

The data included with this release includes all years of SNF cost reports
(CMS-Form-2540-96) received by HCRIS from FY1996 through the date in the filename,
(i.e., HCRIS_SNF_MM_DD_YYYY.zip)

README.txt

HCRIS PRODUCTION NOTES FOR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY (SNF) COST REPORT DATA

1. OVERVIEW
2. INTRODUCTION
3. NOTES
4. FILES AND CONTENT
5. SET UP GUIDANCE
6. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

1. OVERVIEW: 

CMS has moved the HCRIS cost report files from a mainframe based, flat-file
environment to one utilizing a relational database.  As a result,
the extracted data in the database is very different from the previous
extracted data format.  As of 04/30/2002, the data will only be available in
the new format.

The foremost characteristic of this new format will be the fact that data 
elements will be distributed in flat files aligned with the database table 
in which they reside in our database.  Instead of a single line in the data
file representing a single report, it will now represent a row of data in a
given table.

The shift to this perspective affords you, the data user, many benefits.  
If you were previously a minimum data set or practical data set user, you 
will now be able to access the entire set of HCRIS Cost Report data that 
is submitted by a Fiscal Intermediary on behalf of a provider.   In essence, 
you will be able to access a "super set" of what was previously available 
in the Minimum Data Set.  The second major benefit for all users is the 
ability to use Relational Database technology to quickly exclude certain 
fields of data or perform cross-sectional analysis.

2. INTRODUCTION:  

The CMS Form 2540-96 SNF Cost Report data files contains cost reports with 
fiscal years ending on or after September 30, 1996.  The data files contain
the highest level of Medicare cost report status.  If HCRIS has both an as 
submitted report and a final settled report for a SNF for a particular 
year, the data files will only contain the final settled report. If HCRIS has 
an as submitted, final settled, and reopened report for a SNF for a 
particular year, the data files will contain the reopened cost report.  

If you have any questions about this product, please contact the HCRIS 
staff via e-mail at HCRIS@cms.hhs.gov, and use the letters "SNF" in the
subject line.


3. NOTES:  

The data included with this release includes all years (from FY1996 through 
FY2002) of SNF cost reports received by HCRIS through 03/31/2003.  If 
you are querying data for a specific year, you will need to set up query 
parameters to include only the years that you want to analyze.  For example, 
if you want data for fiscal year 1996, you need to create a condition for 
the fiscal year begin date to be between 10/1/95 through 9/30/96.

The data in the SNF database includes cost reports for free-standing SNF's
through FY02 and simplified SNF's from FY00 forward. Hospital-based SNF's
are included in the Hospital database (2552-96).    

To use the SNF cost report database, you first need to determine the data 
that you are interested in by reviewing the cost report forms and the data 
specifications.  You will need to know the Worksheet ID, line, and column 
from the cost report form.  For example, if you wanted to extract the data 
for "Skilled Nursing Facility-Number of Beds", you will need to determine 
where this information is collected in the report and use these elements 
as parameters to pull the data from the SNF_RPT_NMRC table.  The number of 
beds is collected on Worksheet S-3, Part I, Line 1, Column 1 so you would 
create the following condition:  
     Worksheet Code ='S300001' *
     Line Number ='00100'
     Column Number ='0100'    
 *Note: Use Table 2 of HCRIS specs to determine worksheet codes.

It is important to read the cost center coding rules from Table 4 of the HCRIS 
specifications to understand the connection between worksheet line numbers and 
cost center codes.  The table explains what cost center codes to use for each 
line on the worksheets that collect data for cost centers.  When collecting data
from any cost center code, remember to enter a range of cost center codes.  For
example, the cost center for Housekeeping includes lines from 00700 through 00799. 

In the SNF_RPT_ALPHNMRC data, you may notice a worksheet indicator of #000000.
There is no # worksheet.  This data is for internal use only.

4. FILES AND CONTENTS:

2540-96_Forms.zip - File containing the forms that comprise the SNF system
     in Microsoft Excel format.  (The cells that are extracted
     for HCRIS contain an "X")

2540-96_Specifications.zip - File containing the specifications for all
     worksheets that comprise the HCRIS SNF system in Microsoft Excel 
     and Microsoft Word format.  

COUNTS_03_31_03.xls - File containing the counts of SNF cost reports per year in 
     Microsoft Excel format.  

DESC.txt - Brief description of this data release.

SNF_DM.pdf - Adobe PDF version of the Relational Data Model for SNF HCRIS

SNF_RPT.zip - Compressed Winzip file containing 1 text file with the raw 
     data to be loaded into the SNF_RPT table. The file contain data 
     elements that are separated by commas.  

SNF_RPT_ALPHNMRC.zip - Compressed Winzip file containing 1 text file with the raw 
     data to be loaded into the SNF_RPT_ALPHNMRC table. The file contain data 
     elements that are separated by commas.  

SNF_RPT_NMRC.zip - Compressed Winzip file containing 1 text file with the raw 
     data to be loaded into the SNF_RPT_NMRC table. The file contains data 
     elements that are separated by commas.  
		
SNF_TABLES.sql - ANSI SQL Program (non-Database specific) Containing the
     DDL scripts to create the 3 tables that comprise the HCRIS 
     SNF Database.

SNF_Data_Dictionary.xls - A dictionary describing the fields included in the 
     database.

README.TXT - This readme file.


5. SET UP GUIDANCE:  

It is important to note that the datafiles you will be provided are not restricted 
for use in one given database platform or even a database management system for 
that matter.  You will likely be able to use your existing tools or utilities to 
access the data, given the ability of those tools to handle files up to the size 
of the largest datafile and files containing data arranged in CSV or Comma 
Separated value format.  You will, however, need to re-program, re-direct, or 
adjust any programs, utilities or other automated routines previously used with 
HCRIS files, to the new data specifications.  

If you choose to modify your existing programs, please be certain to examine the 
individual datafile and corresponding database table structure carefully or else 
you may not achieve valid results or even be able to access the data. If you 
choose to use a relational or desktop database management system, please be 
mindful of the sizes of the various datafiles.   


6. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY:    

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shall retain no responsibility for 
the data recipients inability to load, examine, or otherwise use the published 
data for the HCRIS system.  

The information in these files is subject to change, and should be reviewed for 
each release.  

(c) 2002 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, All rights reserved.  
www.cms.hhs.gov