Plain-English labels for every variable in the three analytic tables. Same wording as _documentation/data_dictionary.csv.
A Stata variable can carry a human-readable LABEL (and dataset NOTES) so the file explains itself to the next analyst. This step attaches a plain-English label to every variable and writes a few dataset-level notes; it does NOT change any data values. Example: the bare variable name negotiated_amount gains the label "Negotiated price (US dollars; a percent when rate_basis=percentage)". A couple of numeric flags also get VALUE labels (e.g., is_evergreen shows "1 Yes" / "0 No" instead of 1/0).
The same wording is kept in _documentation/data_dictionary.csv so the data, the labels, and the dictionary always agree. After this step runs, a few examples of what each variable then means:
negotiated_amount → "Negotiated price (US dollars; a percent when rate_basis=percentage)"rate_basis → "How to read the amount (negotiated / fee schedule / percentage / per diem)"provider_type → "Professional (clinician) / institutional (facility) / both"region → "Texas Public Health Region (from provider practice location)"Result — every variable in the medical prices table now carries a plain-English label (and the dataset carries the scope notes above). Click to see the labeled variable list.
. describe Contains data from /Users/ericbooth/Library/CloudStorage/GoogleDrive-eric.booth@texas2036.org/Shared drives/Data and Res > earch Team/_datashare/Insurance_PriceTransparency/BCBSTX/02_cleaned/bcbstx_prices.dta Observations: 2,097,564 BCBS Texas negotiated prices (1 row = 1 distinct price). See 300_labels.do. Variables: 33 31 May 2026 18:55 (_dta has notes) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Variable Storage Display Value name type format label Variable label ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ source_file str94 %94s Source machine-readable filename network_name str28 %28s Provider network the price applies to (e.g., Blue Choice PPO) market_segment str13 %13s Coverage segment served (fully-insured / self-funded / both) county_fips str5 %9s run_date str10 %10s Monthly-snapshot key: date Texas 2036 pulled the data (text) payer_name str35 %35s Insurer that published the price (here: BCBS Texas) payer_type str23 %23s Reporting entity type (issuer=fully-insured; TPA=self-funded) schema_version str5 %9s CMS data-format version of the source file file_vintage str10 %10s Source file production date (provenance; text) code_system str7 %9s Medical code system (CPT, HCPCS, MS-DRG, ...) code_system_ver str4 %9s Code system version/edition (often a year) procedure_code str5 %9s Procedure / service / item code being priced procedure_desc str107 %107s Insurer free-text description (not standardized) arrangement str3 %9s Payment arrangement (ffs=fee-for-service, bundle, capitation) rate_basis str10 %10s How to read amount (negotiated$, fee schedule, percentage, per diem, derived) negotiated_am~t double %10.0g Negotiated price (US$; a percent when rate_basis=percentage) provider_type str13 %13s Professional (clinician) / institutional (facility) / both care_setting str10 %10s Care setting (inpatient / outpatient / both) place_of_serv~e str53 %53s Place-of-service code(s); a price often spans a SET of POS codes code_modifier str1 %9s Procedure-code modifier(s), if any rate_expiration str10 %10s Date the price expires (9999-12-31 = no expiration) is_evergreen byte %10.0g yesno Price has no real expiration date n_provider_gr~s int %10.0g Provider groups paid this exact price n_npi_members~s long %10.0g Provider-NPI memberships paid this price (breadth; double-counts) n_tax_ids int %10.0g Distinct organizations (tax IDs) paid this price file_vintage_d int %td Source file production date (Stata date) run_date_d int %td Monthly-snapshot key (Stata date) — stack months on this service_label str52 %52s Texas 2036 short label for the procedure (our menu) service_categ~y str20 %20s Texas 2036 service grouping (our menu) county_name str13 %13s region str4 %9s region_id byte %11.0g reglbl dollar_ffs byte %8.0g yesno Comparable unit price (ffs + dollar basis) — filter for $ analysis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorted by: . di as txt _n "Dataset notes:" Dataset notes: . notes _dta _dta: 1. Source — BCBS Texas Transparency-in-Coverage MRFs (https://www.bcbstx.com/member/machine-readable-files). 2. Unit = one DISTINCT negotiated price for a procedure in a network (same price shared by many providers = ONE row, with provider counts). 3. Texas scope = providers with NPPES practice state TX; TIN-only (npi 0) and out-of-state dropped. 4. For dollar price analysis keep if dollar_ffs==1 (excludes percentage-of-charge and per-diem). Never pool professional + institutional.
Result — the prescription-drug table, labeled. Click to view.
. describe Contains data from /Users/ericbooth/Library/CloudStorage/GoogleDrive-eric.booth@texas2036.org/Shared drives/Data and Res > earch Team/_datashare/Insurance_PriceTransparency/BCBSTX/02_cleaned/bcbstx_rx_prices.dta Observations: 1,198,555 BCBS Texas prescription-drug negotiated prices (1 row = 1 distinct NDC price). Variables: 17 31 May 2026 18:55 (_dta has notes) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Variable Storage Display Value name type format label Variable label ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ source_file str105 %105s Source Rx filename run_date str10 %10s Monthly-snapshot key (text) payer_name str35 %35s Insurer (BCBS Texas) payer_type str23 %23s Reporting entity type drug_name str70 %70s Drug name (as published) drug_type str7 %9s Drug type (brand / generic / specialty) ndc str11 %11s National Drug Code negotiated_rate double %10.0g Negotiated drug price (US$) dispensing_fee double %10.0g Dispensing fee (US$) administrativ~e byte %10.0g Administrative fee (US$) transaction_fee byte %10.0g Transaction fee (US$) historical_ne~e double %10.0g Historical net price (US$) service_code str2 %9s Pharmacy service/setting code n_price_records int %10.0g Raw price records collapsed into this row n_pharmacy_tins int %10.0g Distinct pharmacy tax IDs at this price n_pharmacy_id~s int %10.0g Pharmacy-ID memberships at this price run_date_d int %td Monthly-snapshot key (Stata date) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorted by:
Result — the provider-organization directory, labeled. Click to view.
. describe Contains data from /Users/ericbooth/Library/CloudStorage/GoogleDrive-eric.booth@texas2036.org/Shared drives/Data and Res > earch Team/_datashare/Insurance_PriceTransparency/BCBSTX/02_cleaned/bcbstx_provider_org_directory.dta Observations: 192,438 BCBS Texas — Texas organizations by network (network-membership directory; raw). Variables: 5 31 May 2026 18:55 (_dta has notes) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Variable Storage Display Value name type format label Variable label ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ network_name str18 %18s Provider network tax_id_type str3 %9s Tax ID type (ein=employer ID; npi) tax_id str10 %10s Provider/organization tax ID provider_org_~e str82 %82s Organization or individual name (as filed; raw/noisy) n_group_entries int %10.0g Provider-group entries for this tax ID in this network ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorted by: