I am having trouble finding whether or not ACS data can be linked to CMS claims data or mortality data. I am interested in looking at health outcomes among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Americans, who can only be identified using ancestry questions from ACS. Anyone know of data sources I can link ACS with for health?
Thank you!
For the NDI (death index) and SEER (cancer database) the files can be "linked" at the county level. I don't remember what geography is available in the Medicare Claims data but the files are on line so you can download a file and check. The NDI requires clearance through an IRB (institutional review board) at a hospital or similar institution. For a NDI search you need data such as name ,address, age or SSN (social security number). The match with your identifying data is done with a complicated "fuzzy" match. If you are able to access the NDI you will get information that you might be able to use with the Census geocoder. I haven't done an NDI search in many years so I don't remember exactly what you get in the NDI output.
Dave
PS It would be useful to list some background information about yourself in your profile so that people can have an idea about how to answer your questions.