This variable is contained in the following files:
SAS Name
PRVDR_NUM
This variable is the provider identification number of the institutional provider certified by Medicare to provide services to the beneficiary.
The first two digits indicate the state where the provider is located. As two-digit state codes have been exhausted, CMS has implemented a two-position alpha-numeric coding system for State Codes (reference the NOTE in the VALUES below). The middle two characters indicate the type of provider; and the last two digits are used as a counter for the number of providers within that state and type of provider (i.e., this is a unique but not necessarily sequential number).
Effective October 1, 2007, the OSCAR Provider Number has been renamed the CMS Certification Number (CCN). The name was changed to avoid confusion with the National Provider Identifier (NPI). The CCN will continue to play a critical role in verifying that a provider has been Medicare certified and for what type of services.
Refer to CCW Technical Guidance document: "Getting Started with Medicare Data" for additional information regarding service setting classifications.
If you want additional information about the institutional provider, the quarterly CMS Provider of Services (POS) file contains dozens of variables that describe the characteristics of the provider. This file is updated quarterly, and effective May 2014 is available for free online from the CMS website (2005–current).