Bridging Data and Practice: A Resource Guide for Medicare's Enrollment Race and Ethnicity Data

In a June 2022 data brief, Inaccuracies in Medicare's Race and Ethnicity Data Hinder the Ability To Assess Health Disparities (OEI-02-21-00100), OIG found that Medicare's enrollment race and ethnicity data are less accurate for some groups, particularly for people identified as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Hispanic. These Medicare enrollment data are the only source of race and ethnicity data for all people enrolled in Medicare, and the accuracy of these data is vital for identifying health disparities and advancing health equity. This resource guide will provide detailed information about the data analyzed in the recent data brief, including the origins of race and ethnicity variables in the enrollment database, the accuracy of the variables when compared to self-reported race and ethnicity data, and considerations for alternative data sources for race and ethnicity analysis.

Announced or Revised	Agency	Title	Component	Report Number(s)	Expected Issue Date (FY)
February 2023	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services	Bridging Data and Practice: A Resource Guide for Medicare's Enrollment Race and Ethnicity Data	Office of Evaluation and Inspections	OEI-02-21-00101	2023