Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS)

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Summary

The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) has collected data since 1991 on Medicare beneficiaries’ social and medical risk factors and the relationship between these factors, healthcare utilization, and health outcomes – at a point in time and over time – directly from beneficiaries. These data, linked with Medicare enrollment data and claims, provide information not otherwise available through administrative data on the Medicare program and can be used to evaluate effectiveness of health care policy and policy interventions.

Historical Data Availability

No Known Issue

Future Data Availability

No Known Issue

Data Quality

No Known Issue

Statutory Context

Moderate Risk
MCBS is mentioned, but not necessarily mandated, in 42 USC 1395b-8 and there are no alternatives since it provides insights that are not available in adminsitrative data

Resources

High Risk
HHS lost more than 10,000 staff before the shutdown.

Policy

High Risk
An Information Collection Request submitted on 4/9/2025 removed questions on gender identity and perceived discriminaton and made changes to sexual orientation items due to EO 14168 Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.
Last updated: 2025-12-16

Details

Reference Number Title Agency Status Request Type
202504-0938-006 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) (CMS-P-0015A) HHS/CMS Active
No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection
202511-0938-005 New Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) (CMS-P-0015A) HHS/CMS Active
Revision of a currently approved collection

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