Data consist of CMS Medicare data files which are restricted access and cannot be released publicly. This dataset is not publicly accessible because: EPA cannot release personally identifiable information regarding living individuals, according to the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This dataset contains information about human research subjects. Because there is potential to identify individual participants and disclose personal information, either alone or in combination with other datasets, individual level data are not appropriate to post for public access. Restricted access may be granted to authorized persons by contacting the party listed. EPA cannot release CBI, or data protected by copyright, patent, or otherwise subject to trade secret restrictions. Request for access to CBI data may be directed to the dataset owner by an authorized person by contacting the party listed. It can be accessed through the following means: CMS Medicare data are available from: https://www.cms.gov/data-research/files-for-order/data-disclosures-and-data-use-agreements-duas/limited-data-set-lds with the requirement of a signed Data Use Agreement. . Weather data are available at https://prism.oregonstate.edu/. Format: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were provided under a Data Use Agreement specific to this study. Data are available from: https://www.cms.gov/data-research/files-for-order/data-disclosures-and-data-use-agreements-duas/limited-data-set-lds with the requirement of a signed Data Use Agreement. Data do not contain personally identifiable information but contain are classified as Limited Data Set files and their distribution require an agreement and between CMS and the requester and approval by CMS. Weather data are available at https://prism.oregonstate.edu/. Because the data do not contain identifiable private information and were not obtained through interaction or intervention with individuals, the Institutional Review Board for the University of North Carolina and the US Environmental Protection Agency Human Research Protocol Officer determined that use of this data does not constitute human subjects research.

This dataset is associated with the following publication: Wade, T., and C. Herbert. Weather conditions and legionellosis: a nationwide case-crossover study among Medicare recipients. EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 152: E125, (2024).