Plan Characteristics File (April 2024) 

This video is one segment in a series of videos from ResDAC’s Introduction to the Use of Medicare Part D Data for Research.
The Plan Characteristics File contains information about plan type, benefit design, premium, cost-sharing, and service area of the Part D plans. This presentation reviews the four sub-files contained in the Plan Characteristics file. The sub-files discussed include the 1) Plan Benefit Base file; 2) the Premium file; 3) the Cost Sharing Tier file; and 4) the Service Area file. Usefulness of specific variables included in each file is reviewed.