CMS Updates Physician and Other Supplier and Referring Provider DMEPOS PUFs with 2017 Data

To demonstrate the agency’s continued commitment toward improving price transparency and unleashing data, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an update to the Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File (PUF) and Referring Provider Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Public Use File (PUF) today with data for 2017.

The Physician and Other Supplier PUF includes summarized information on Part B services and procedures furnished to Medicare beneficiaries by physicians and other healthcare professionals. The data includes information on utilization, payment, and submitted charges organized by National Provider Identifier, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code, and place of service. The new 2017 dataset includes information on more than 1 million distinct health care providers who collectively received $98.4 billion in Medicare payments. The 2017 data and supplemental information are available at: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Medicare-Provider-Charge-Data/Physician-and-Other-Supplier2017.html

The Referring Provider DMEPOS PUF contains summarized information on physicians and other healthcare professionals who referred DMEPOS products and services, such as wheelchairs, walkers and diabetes supplies to Medicare beneficiaries. The data includes information on utilization, payment, and submitted charges organized by National Provider Identifier, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code, and supplier rental indicator. The new 2017 dataset includes information on more than 380,000 distinct health care providers who collectively referred DMEPOS products and services in the amount of $7.2 billion in Medicare payments. The 2017 data and supplemental information are available at: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/Medicare-Provider-Charge-Data/DME2017.html 

These data can be used to look at volume and price information for all Part B services and procedures as well as DMEPOS products and services. In addition, the data can be used to conduct a variety of research analyses such as trends in physician office visit intensity and geographic variation in referrals for DMEPOS products.