The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announces the release of the Cost-to-Charge Ratio files, for use with selected databases available from the Agency's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). The data elements on these files can be merged with the 2001 and 2002 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and most 2001 and 2002 State Inpatient Databases (SID) disseminated through the HCUP Central Distributor. Using the merged data elements from the Cost-to-Charge ratio files and the total charges reported in the NIS or SID databases, users may convert the hospital total charge data to cost estimates by simply multiplying total charges with the appropriate cost-to-charge ratio.

The 2001 and 2002 NIS and SID contain uniformly formatted data built around a core set of more than 100 clinical and non-clinical variables for all patient encounters, regardless of payer (i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and self-pay). The HCUP databases are limited to information on total hospital charges, which reflect the amount billed to the payer per patient encounter. Total charges do not reflect the actual cost of providing care or the payment received by the hospital for services provided. HCUP data users can convert this total charge data into cost estimates using the Cost-to-Charge Ratio files, which include hospital-wide values of the all-payer inpatient cost-to-charge ratio (CCR) for nearly every hospital in the participating SID and NIS. Researchers and policy makers can use the converted cost estimates to examine a variety of topics, including use and cost of hospital services, healthcare cost inflation, and how the cost experiences of a given hospital or health plan compare with national or state trends.

Complete descriptions of the NIS, SID, and other HCUP databases, as well as supplemental data files such as the Cost-to-Charge Ratio files, are available on the HCUP User Support (HCUP-US) Website (http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/databases.jsp). For more information on how to obtain the Cost-to-Charge Ratio files, please contact the HCUP Central Distributor via the link provided or by e-mail at HCUPDistributor@ahrq.gov The HCUP Central Distributor can also be reached toll-free at (866) 556-4287.