Introducing BCDA v3

[Beneficiary Claims Data API (BCDA) Community]

Data timeliness and performance for value-based care

The BCDA team is excited to announce version 3 (v3) of its Medicare claims data API. Based on a platform improvement spanning other CMS APIs (e.g., Blue Button API, and Claims Data to Part D Sponsors API (AB2D), v3 is uniquely applied to the needs of payment model organizations.

Migrating to BCDA v3

The v1 and v2 endpoints will be disabled on July 30, 2027. To get started:

1. Refer to the v3 Migration Guide. 

2. (Optional) Sign up for v3 office hours to get live support.

BCDA v3 improvements

BCDA version 3 (v3) delivers more timely, granular, and reliable access to Medicare claims data through:

• A single source of Medicare claims data 

• Better alignment with sources such as Claim and Claim Line Feed (CCLF) files

These fundamental changes improve data frequency, tracking, filtering, mapping, and conformance with Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR).

Earlier, more frequent updates   

v3 offers timelier updates to patient and coverage data, meaning:

• Shorter time between full processing (adjudication) and data availability 

• Increased frequency of updates to patient and coverage information

Easier claims tracking 

BCDA v3 makes it easier to track claims through the adjudication cycle. It receives fully and partially processed claims from one data source with one FHIR resource. It also simplifies the way it identifies claims status.

Enhanced filtering capabilities

The new _typeFilter query parameter provides additional options for complex data workflows.

Improved conformance with select FHIR Implementation Guides

v3 standardizes extensions while providing better FHIR conformance. CodeSystems are represented using StructureDefinition and CodeSystem resources.

Simplified, reliable data mapping

BCDA v3 data aligns more closely with CCLF files, and generates its Data Dictionary automatically. 

The IDR: a single source of claims data

v3 consolidates upstream data to a single data source, the Integrated Data Repository (IDR). This change:

• Reduces mismatches between BCDA resources and CCLF files

• Resolves missing data for newly attributed enrollees

• Fixes issues for enrollees assigned more than one BENE_ID

• Simplifies linking between partially and fully adjudicated claims

• Uses consistent claim identifiers across all adjudication phases

What this means for healthcare organizations

Through a unified data structure and consolidated data sources, BCDA v3 can reduce development time, improve data quality, and ensure providers have up-to-date information about every Medicare patient.