Using Internet Archive to Find Historical Documents and Downloadable Data Files

Purpose

The Internet Archive is a useful resource for finding historical copies of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) websites, reports or statistics that are no longer available.

Current Version Date:
07/14/2017
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The Internet Archive is an Internet Library that has archived over 270 billion web pages from 1996 to the present.  The Internet Archive includes several thousand capture dates for the CMS’s website. Previously captured CMS websites may hold historical information that is no longer found on the current site.

Between 2001 and the present, CMS has used two URLs.

  • cms.hhs.gov
  • cms.gov
Between 1996 and 2001, CMS was known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
  • hcfa.gov

The Internet Archive supports searching a specific URL, but does not support a keyword search. To begin searching,

  • Type hcfa.gov, cms.hhs.gov or a specific website URL in the search box.
  • Then select from the archived dates available.
  • Navigate to different areas of the historical site by clicking either the black bars at the top of the page or the dates with the colored circles. As mentioned previously, a keyword search won’t work with the historical site, it will take you directly to the current site (cms.gov). 

Example of what a user may see once a date is selected.

This image shows the contents of the “Statistics and Data” page.

Medicare National Enrollment Trends for 1966-1998

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Article Information

Author:
Faith Asper, MHS, CIPP/G; Gerri Barosso, RD, MPH, MS
Level:
Introduction
Topic:
Data Files or Variables
Program:
Medicare, Medicaid
Disclaimer:
The process and materials mentioned as part of this KnowledgeBase article are current, as of the publication date on the article, to the best of our knowledge. The examples provided are correct in the aggregate but may not apply to every subgroup or circumstance that a researcher may wish to study. It is up to the researcher to conduct analysis and confirm that the patterns described in this KnowledgeBase article apply to his/her particular study. If your research findings appear to contradict the advice provided, please contact ResDAC at resdac@umn.edu.