Downloading the data

To download the Hospital Compare dataset, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to https://data.medicare.gov/data/hospital-compare.
2. Locate the blue button on the page that is labeled DOWNLOAD CSV FLAT FILES (REVISED) NOW. (To get the right year, you may have to select the GET ARCHIVED DATA button instead). Click the button. A .zip file will begin to download.
3. Extract the .zip file using the appropriate Windows/Mac program or Linux command.
4. Take note of the path containing the extracted .csv files.