Frequently Asked Questions are used to provide additional information and/or statutory guidance not found in State Medicaid Director Letters, State Health Official Letters, or CMCS Informational Bulletins. The different sets of FAQs as originally released can be accessed below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Dataset Views are available for the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD)?
Per the state drug utilization data table, the "Dataset Views" dropdown selections available are:
- State: State-specific data at the NDC-11 level, for a quarter/year.
- Full Dataset (States + National Totals): A compilation of all the individual state utilization data (50 states plus Washington D.C.) and the National Totals at the NDC-11 level, for a selected year.
- All States: Includes data for all states but does not include the National Totals
- National Totals: Data are aggregated for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. at the NDC-11 level, for a quarter/year.
Since all of the states are combined in the National Totals, the state abbreviation will show on the "Annual State Detail" with a state abbreviation of "XX".
Users can also generate his or her own views of the dataset on data.medicaid.gov.
FAQ ID:91786
SHARE URLWhy am I unable to see all of the data in the dataset/view?
You are likely running into a limitation of the program you are trying to use to analyze the data. Microsoft Excel allows 1,048,576 rows of data and many of our datasets exceed this limit.
We recommend users not use Excel for large datasets but instead use another application that can work with datasets of large size (e.g. Microsoft Access).
FAQ ID:91801
SHARE URLWhy is there a State column labeled XX when viewed as National Totals in the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD)?
Since all of the states are combined in the National Totals, the state abbreviation will show on the "National Totals" and "Annual State Detail" option as "XX".
See Also:
FAQ ID:91811
SHARE URLWhy does some State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) have an asterisk?
As CMS is obligated by the Federal Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. Section 552a and the HIPAA Privacy Rule, 45 C.F.R Parts 160 and 164, to protect the privacy of individual beneficiaries and other persons, all direct identifiers have been removed and data that are less than eleven (11) counts are suppressed. An asterisk (*) notes suppressed data. CMS applies counter or secondary suppression in cases where only one prescription is suppressed for primary reasons, e.g. one prescription in a state. Also, if one sub-group (e.g. number of prescription) is suppressed, then the other sub-group is suppressed.
See Also:
- What fields changed when CMS moved the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) to data.medicaid.gov?
- What are the data field descriptions for the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD)?
- Is the redacted State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) available to the public?
FAQ ID:91831
SHARE URLIs the redacted State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) available to the public?
No. In accordance with federal laws, State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) that has been suppressed is not available for public consumption. As CMS is obligated by the Federal Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. Section 552a and the HIPAA Privacy Rule, 45 C.F.R Parts 160 and 164, to protect the privacy of individual beneficiaries and other persons, all direct identifiers have been removed and data that are less than eleven (11) counts are suppressed. A checkmark in the "Suppression Used" column notes suppressed data. CMS applies counter or secondary suppression in cases where only one prescription is suppressed for primary reasons, (e.g., one prescription in a state). Also, if one sub-group (e.g., number of prescriptions) is suppressed, then the other sub-group is suppressed.
FAQ ID:91856
SHARE URLIs the amount reimbursed by Medicaid net of rebates or pre-rebate in the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD)?
Does the State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) field "Units Reimbursed" represent the number of pills Medicaid paid for a drug that comes in a pill form?
"Units Reimbursed" are the number of units (based on Unit Type) of the drug (11-digit NDC level) reimbursed by the state or, for MCO drugs, the number of units dispensed during the Quarter/Year. For more specific information, you may contact either the Drug Manufacturer or State via the contact lists.
FAQ ID:92016
SHARE URLWhen are states required to submit State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS)?
States are required to submit their utilization data to CMS within 60 days of the end of the rebate period.
FAQ ID:92026
SHARE URLHow long does a state have to report State Drug Utilization Data (SDUD) that was not previously reported?
Per section 1927 of the Act, initial submissions of quarterly state utilization data are due to CMS within 60 days of the end of each rebate period. If a state fails to report utilization data in the quarter that it was dispensed, the state must submit initial utilization data for the most recently closed quarter as well as adjustments/corrections to any previously reported utilization data.
FAQ ID:92036
SHARE URLAre all states required to participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP)? If not, is there a listing published by Medicaid indicating who is not participating?
Drug coverage under Medicaid is an optional benefit for the states. However, if a state opts to cover prescription drugs in their Medicaid program, they must participate in the MDRP. As part of that participation in the MDRP, states are required to submit quarterly drug utilization data to CMS. All states and the District of Columbia currently participate in the MDRP; therefore, they all submit quarterly drug utilization data to CMS.
FAQ ID:92061
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