This variable is contained in the following files: Carrier (Encounter, Preliminary File), Durable Medical Equipment (Encounter, Preliminary File), Home Health Agency (Encounter, Preliminary File), Inpatient File (Encounter, Preliminary File), Outpatient (Encounter, Preliminary File), Skilled Nursing Facility (Encounter, Preliminary File), Carrier (Encounter, Final File), Durable Medical Equipment (Encounter, Final File), Home Health Agency (Encounter, Final File), Inpatient File (Encounter, Final File), Outpatient (Encounter, Final File), Skilled Nursing Facility (Encounter, Final File)
Short SAS Name
CLM_CNTL_NUM
SAS Name
CLM_CNTL_NUM
The claim control number is an identifier assigned by the processing system (i.e., the Encounter Data System Contractor) to a claim.
This is the field that, in combination with the original claim control number, identifies a unique version of a service record.
Multiple iterations of a single service (i.e., a particular type of claim for a specific service date for the person) are present in the Encounter RIFs; records are not limited to the final version of the encounter record. When multiple records for a service exist, the higher the claim control number, the later it was adjusted (i.e., the highest CLM_CNTL_NUM is the latest version of the encounter).
Source: CMS Encounter Data System (EDS)