The All-Payer Claims Database Common Data Layout (APCD-CDL™) harmonizes claims collection across states and reduces the burden of data submission. Its goals are to improve efficiency, reduce administrative costs, and improve accuracy in claims data collection.
What's in the APCD-CDL
The APCD-CDL consists of technical specifications and multiple file layouts composed of data elements, data types, maximum field lengths, descriptions, valid values, and references to industry standards. APCD-CDL files collect adjudicated medical, pharmacy, and dental claims data for all eligible members, with data about members and providers.
Claims-Based Files
Member Eligibility
Demographic data for members eligible for medical, pharmacy, and dental benefits, including references to ASC X12 270/271 implementation guides.
Medical Claims
Service-level remittance with clinical diagnosis codes, medical procedure codes, and charges and payments data, including references to the ASC X12 Post Adjudicated Claims Data Reporting Guides (Institutional and Professional).
Pharmacy Claims
Service-level remittance with drug-dispensing, pharmacy and prescribing physician, and charges and payments data, including references to the NCPDP Uniform Healthcare Payer Data Standard Implementation Guide.
Dental Claims
Service-level remittance with clinical diagnosis codes, dental procedure codes, teeth treated, and charges and payments data, including references to the ASC X12 Post Adjudicated Claims Data Reporting Guide (Dental).
Providers
Provider identifiers, such as the National Provider Identifier (NPI), with provider name, practice location(s), and specialty data for all providers on all other files.
Header and Trailer Records
Records that support successful data exchange.
Non-Claims-Based Payment Files
The APCD-CDL also includes standardized layouts and data collection protocols for non-claims-based payments. These layouts contain individual data elements, data types, field lengths, and field descriptions and code assignments for collecting non-claims payment data from healthcare payers and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Annual Payments
Data on contractually based non-claims payments made by a payer to a provider.
Prescription Drug Rebates
Data on prescription drug rebate payments made by pharmaceutical manufacturers to a payer or fully integrated delivery system.
Capitation Payments
Data on payments made by a payer to a provider for member-attributable services under a capitation arrangement.
Get the APCD-CDL
Download the APCD-CDL™, including prior versions and the NCP Data Layout™, or read the APCD-CDL FAQs.
Maintenance Process
We communicate the maintenance process through the website. The process is evaluated and updated during the second quarter of the off-year.
An advisory committee of volunteer state agencies, payers, and vendors established guidelines for maintaining the APCD-CDL:
- The APCD-CDL is maintained on a biennial cycle.
- Anyone using the APCD-CDL can submit a Data Maintenance Request (DMR).
- Corrections to the APCD-CDL are made as needed.
2026–2027 Maintenance Cycle
Requests due June 30, 2026. New version published January 2027.
- 1Jan–June 2026
Submit Data Maintenance Requests by June 30
Each Data Maintenance Request (DMR) includes:- Data element
- Change or update requested
- Business reason for the request
- Notes from discussion with data submitters
- 2July 2026
APCD Council posts all requests on the website for a 30-day review and comment period
- 3Aug 2026
APCD Council delivers all requests and comments to the APCD-CDL™ maintenance and change committee and convenes the committee
- 4Aug–Oct 2026
Committee votes on whether and how to incorporate each request
- 5Oct 2026
APCD Council holds a public webinar to review approved changes
- 6Nov 2026
APCD Council posts the change log for the upcoming version
- 7Jan 2027
New version of the APCD-CDL™ is published