Development of diagnostic data in the 10-percent sample of disabled SSI recipients

The Social Security Administration has created a 10-percent sample data base of blind and disabled recipients from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Codes showing the primary medical diagnosis were obtained for the sample by matching several files, and by imputing codes to sample cases where no diagnostic codes were found. The data base is updated each year by repeating this matching operation and by bringing forward the diagnostic codes from the previous year's file. This article describes the sources of diagnostic information in the administrative record system; the methodology used in the development of the 10-percent disability data base, and the technique chosen to compensate for missing values.