National Hospital Care Survey Linked Data

Overview

The National Center for Health Statistics has conducted linkages with the—

• National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) data and mortality (death) information from the National Death Index (NDI)
• Medicare enrollment and claims data from the (CMS)
• (T-MSIS) claims data from CMS
• Administrative housing assistance program data from the (HUD)
• Administrative data from the (VA)

The National Hospital Care Survey is designed to provide accurate and reliable healthcare statistics that answer key questions of interest to—

• Healthcare and public health professionals
• Researchers
• Healthcare policymakers

The linked data expand the ability to analyze data collected from NHCS. Linked data enable researchers to conduct studies that focus on the associations between various health factors, healthcare use, and mortality.

• Linked NHCS data citation list (rev. 05/12/2025)

NHCS data linkages

NDI mortality

• 2014 NHCS linked to 2014–2015 NDI mortality data
• 2016 NHCS linked to 2016–2017 NDI mortality data
• 2019 NHCS linked to 2019–2020 NDI mortality data
• 2020 NHCS linked to 2020–2021 NDI mortality data

CMS Medicare

• 2014 NHCS linked to 2014–2015 CMS Medicare enrollment, claims, and assessment data
• 2016 NHCS linked to 2016–2017 CMS Medicare enrollment, claims/encounters, and assessment data

CMS Medicaid

• 2016 NHCS linked to 2015–2017 CMS Medicaid (T-MSIS) enrollment and claims data

HUD administrative

• 2014 NHCS linked to 2013–2015 HUD Housing Assistance Program files
• 2016 NHCS linked to 2015–2017 HUD Housing Assistance Program files

VA administrative

• 2016 NHCS linked to VA administrative data files through fiscal year 2020