Condensed Resource (CoRe) Files

The Medicare BASE Enrollment and BASE utilization files, (i.e., the files obtained from CMS) are complex and cumbersome. Therefore, the Condensed Resource (CoRe) files have been created to make the included information in the BASE files more analytically friendly. Unlike the BASE FFS Claims files, which are provider-specific files (e.g., in-patient or out-patient hospitals, hospices, or individual healthcare providers), the CoRe files are organization based on research measures (e.g., enrollment, comorbidity, and type of care: systemic therapy, radiation, and surgery). The CoRe files are also more focused than the BASE files; only the most relevant variables (e.g., select dates, diagnoses, and procedures) are included. Diagnoses, procedures and/or drug codes (e.g., ICD-CM, ICD-PCS, CPT, HCPCS and NDC) are also retained, but the inclusion of code labels and/or classification variables make the data more user friendly. Additionally, CoRe files are further simplified by only including persons who have complete information (e.g., those who were continuously enrolled in Medicare at a minimum during the 12 mon prior to cancer diagnosis through 1 month post diagnosis). Persons can have more than one cancer diagnosis in the SEER data; therefore, unless otherwise stated, the CoRe files are created at the tumor level (e.g., enrollment and healthcare utilization are time-dependent so measurements are calculated relative in time to each cancer diagnosis). Detailed information on the creation of each CoRe File is provided below.

• CoRe Enrollment File
• CoRe Comorbidity Files
• CoRe Cancer Treatment Files

Access to the CoRe files is granted through the SEER-Medicare application process.