Current Medicare Survey: Hospital Insurance Sample

THE STATISTICAL system of the Social Security Administration records the use of and the charges for covered hospital nnd medical services under health insurance for the aged (Medicare). The system’s operation depends on the receipt of hospital and medical bills sent to and paid by intermediaries and carriers throughout, the coulltry. Substantial delays in the statistical reporting of current information are inlierentj in this system. To obtain current estimates of hospital and medical care services used and charges inwrred by covered persons, the Social Security AYdministration therefore conducts a continuing monthly Current Medicare Survey (CMS) . The CMS is composed of a hospital insurance sample and a medical insurance snmple, both designed to provide current nation al program data on the volume of services and charges incurred for specified periods. Data based on the medical insurance sample hare heen presented in the Health Znxurnnce Stntistks series, published by the Office of Research and Statistics to show current data on Medicare.’ This article describes the hospital insurnnce sample and presents monthly dxtn on admissions, discharges, covered days, and charges for the period ,July 1, 1966, through December 31, 1967. Highlights from the survey data for the first 18 months of the hospital insurance program reveal that)