Data Methodology
Government data.
Nothing else.
Every data point in an AuditPoint report is directly traceable to a named primary federal source. Derived metrics — scores, composites, benchmarks — are labeled as AuditPoint analysis with government inputs listed. This page documents what we use, how we use it, and what we don't.
Primary Data Sources
01
CMS Provider Data Catalog
The authoritative federal database of Medicare/Medicaid-certified providers. Updated monthly. Paginated API with 1,500-row caps — full ingestion requires sequential pagination.
Overall star ratings (1–5 scale)
Health inspection ratings and deficiency history
Staffing ratings and hours per resident day
Quality measure ratings (long-stay and short-stay)
Special Focus Facility designation status
Ownership type and chain affiliation
Abuse icon and penalty history (count and dollar)
CMS.gov · Federal
02
Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ)
CMS-mandated daily staffing submission from every certified SNF. The most granular federal staffing dataset available — captures actual worked hours by staff type, not self-reported estimates.
RN hours per resident day (actual, not reported)
LPN and CNA hours per resident day
Weekend staffing coverage
Zero-RN-day frequency per quarter
Contract vs. employee staff composition
11-quarter history (Q1 2023 – Q3 2025)
CMS PBJ · Federal
03
HCRIS Cost Reports (CMS-1728-20)
Annual financial cost reports submitted by every Medicare-participating SNF and home health agency. The only federal source for facility-level financial data including revenue, costs, and payer mix.
Total revenue and operating costs
Operating margin (derived)
Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay day mix
Cost per visit (home health)
Case mix index
HCRIS · Federal
04
HHVBP Performance Data
CMS Home Health Value-Based Purchasing program scores for all participating agencies. The federal accountability system for home health quality — 41% of agencies fall outside its measurement threshold.
Total performance score (0–100)
Payment adjustment percentage
VBP participation status
Benchmark comparisons (national and state)
CMS HHVBP · Federal
05
FMCSA Safety Database
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records for all registered commercial carriers. Refreshed daily. The authoritative source for carrier operating authority, safety ratings, and crash history.
Operating authority status (active / inactive)
Safety rating (satisfactory / conditional / unsatisfactory)
Crash records (24-month and all-time)
Vehicle and driver out-of-service rates
Insurance filing history and cancellations
SMS BASICs scores (7 categories)
FMCSA · Federal
06
Census ACS County Data
American Community Survey 5-year estimates at the county level. Used to contextualize provider markets — population age distribution, density, and demographic factors that affect demand and access.
Population 65+ by county
Population density classification
Rural / urban classification
Care desert scoring inputs
U.S. Census Bureau · Federal
AuditPoint-Derived Metrics
SNF Compliance Tier
Three-tier classification derived from CMS star rating and SFF designation. Non-compliant: SFF/SFF Candidate or rating ≤ 2. At-risk: rating 3. Compliant: rating ≥ 4.
Inputs: CMS overall_rating · special_focus_facility
Staffing Opportunity Score
Composite score for staffing agency prospecting. Combines RN HPRD gap vs. CMS benchmark, contract staff dependency, zero-RN-day frequency, and stability trend. Outputs LOW / MOD / HIGH / URGENT.
Inputs: PBJ rn_hprd · contract_pct · zero_rn_days · stability_score
HHA Overall Grade
Letter grade (A through F) derived from quality outcome score, patient experience score, VBP performance, and growth trajectory. Grades are AuditPoint analysis — not a CMS designation.
Inputs: CMS quality score · HHVBP score · HHCAHPS · trajectory
Acquisition Attractiveness
Composite scoring for acquisition screening. Weights compliance history, financial stability, payer mix, staffing quality, and market position. Labeled as AuditPoint analysis in all reports.
Inputs: HCRIS financials · CMS ratings · PBJ staffing · payer mix
WeighStation Score
100-point composite carrier risk score. Components: safety (FMCSA records), crash risk (24-month window), insurance stability (cancellation history), authority integrity (revocation history).
Inputs: FMCSA SMS · crash records · insurance filings · authority history
Market Density Score
Agency or facility density relative to population 65+ by county. High density = competitive market. Very low density = potential care desert. Used in HH acquisition and state market reports.
Inputs: Census ACS 65+ population · provider count per county
Data Integrity Principles
01
Primary sources only
Every data point traces to CMS, HCRIS, PBJ, Census, or FMCSA. No third-party aggregators, no survey data, no estimates.
02
Derived metrics are labeled
Any metric computed by AuditPoint — scores, composites, tiers — is explicitly labeled as AuditPoint analysis in every report. Government inputs are listed alongside it.
03
Vintage displayed on every report
Every report shows the data vintage — the CMS quarter and HCRIS fiscal year used to produce it. Buyers know exactly how current the data is.
04
No editorial opinion
AuditPoint does not characterize providers or carriers as "good" or "bad." We report what the federal data shows. Interpretation is the buyer's responsibility.
05
Monthly refresh cadence
SNF and HH data refreshes monthly via automated CMS pipeline. Carrier data refreshes daily from FMCSA. Refresh timestamps are stored and displayed per report.
Current Data Vintage