Limited Data Set (LDS) Files

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) makes Limited Data Set (LDS) files available to researchers as allowed by federal laws and regulations as well as CMS policy. LDS files contain beneficiary-level health information and are considered identifiable files, but they do not contain specific direct identifiers as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule (HIPAA Privacy Rule).

For detailed information on each of the LDS files that CMS allows researchers to request, please use the navigation menu on the left.

To request LDS files, please follow the instructions on the Requesting Limited Data Set (LDS) Files page.

Alert: As of 7/10/25,CMS is retiring the following older LDS products due to low demand and the costs associated with maintaining the data:

  • Annual Files:
    • 2006–2015 Standard Analytical Files (Medicare Claims)
    • 2006–2016 Denominator Files
    • 2012 Provider Master Crosswalk
  • Quarterly Files: Standard Analytical Files (Medicare Claims) and Master Beneficiary Summary Files older than two rolling years (e.g., once annual 2024 SAF files are released, only 2023 and 2024 quarterly files will be available)

To view information on the estimated timeline for updates to LDS file availability, please select the drop-down option below.

Limited Data Set (LDS) File Update Schedule

File Title 

Fee Per Year 

Fee Per Quarter 

Estimated Release Timeline** 

LDS Rule-Making Files 

  

5% 

100% 

5% 

100% 

  

Inpatient Psychiatric Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) 

n/a 

$3,000 

  

  

Available once the associated rule (proposed or final) has been posted to the Federal Register 

Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed and Final Rule Files 

n/a 

$3,000 

  

  

OPPS Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) Proposed and Final Rule Files 

n/a 

$1,000 

  

  

End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Proposed and Final Rule Files 

n/a 

$600 

  

  

Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Proposed and Final Rule Files 

n/a 

$1,500 

  

  

Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Proposed and Final Rule Files  

n/a 

$1,200 (2017-2021) 

  

$1,500 (2022 and forward) 

  

  

MedPAR Hospital (National) Proposed and Final Rule Files 

n/a 

$3,600 

  

  

  

MedPAR Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Proposed and Final Rule Files 

n/a 

$100 

  

  

MedPAR Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) 

n/a 

$650 

  

  

Other LDS Files 

  

5% 

100% 

5% 

100% 

  

Master Beneficiary Summary File (MBSF) 

$250 

$1,000 

$150 

$625 

August 

Carrier Standard Analytic File (SAF) 

  

$1,700 

n/a 

$1,075 

n/a 

Annual: 
    August 

  

Quarterly: 
    Q3: February 
    Q4: May 
    Q1: August 
    Q2: November 

Durable Medical Equipment SAF 

$800 

n/a 

$500 

n/a 

Home Health SAF 

$300 

$2,000 

$200 

$1,250 

Hospice SAF 

$300 

$1,000 

$200 

$625 

Inpatient SAF 

$400 

$3,000 

$250 

$1,875 

Outpatient SAF 

$1,000 

$7,000 

$625 

$4,375 

Skilled Nursing Facility SAF 

$300 

$1,000 

$200 

$625 

Medicaid State Drug Utilization 

n/a 

$250 

  

  

May 

Enrollee-Level External Data Gathering Environment (EDGE) 

n/a 

$2,500 

  

  

August 

Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary (PSPS) 

n/a 

$400 

  

  

August 

Part C and D Reporting Requirements 

n/a 

$2,000 

  

  

November 

Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Survey File (Early Release; Annual Release) 

n/a 

$300 

  

  

Survey File: Summer 
Cost Supplement: Fall 

MCBS (per file type): Cost and Use, Access to Care, or Survey + Cost Supplement 

n/a 

$600 

  

  

MCBS PaRIS Supplement 

n/a 

$250 

  

  

Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) Annual (Baseline) and Analytic (Cohort) Files 

n/a 

$250 

  

  

For file availability visit https://hosonline.org/ 

*Fees are per year of data

**The estimated release timeline is based on historical file releases and is subject to change 

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Page Last Modified:
02/11/2026 08:54 AM
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