Fonteum Data GlossaryRegulatory
Machine-Readable File: Definition and Healthcare Context
Full name: Machine-Readable File (MRF) for Price Transparency
A Machine-Readable File (MRF) is a structured data file published by hospitals and health insurers under federal price transparency regulations. Under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule (effective January 2021), hospitals must publish an MRF containing standard charges for all items and services. Under the Transparency in Coverage Rule (effective July 2022), group health plans must publish MRFs containing in-network negotiated rates and out-of-network allowed amounts. MRFs are typically published in JSON or CSV format and must be publicly accessible without authentication.
- Source file
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- Published
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- Retrieved
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- Snapshot
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- Data as of
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Last updated: 2026-07-11Reviewed by: Dr. Jennifer Montecillo, MD — Gullas College of Medicine, 2019. Non-practicing medical reviewer.
How it’s used
- CMS NPPES NPI Registry: NPI links payer MRF network directory data to specific enrolled providers, enabling analysis of network coverage by provider.
- CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule (45 CFR Part 180): the rule requires hospitals to publish standard-charge MRFs, a federal dataset Fonteum draws on for price-transparency research.
- Transparency in Coverage Rule: insurer MRFs publish in-network and out-of-network rates, the payer-side files Fonteum uses in No Surprises Act compliance analysis.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a machine-readable file for health care?
- A machine-readable file (MRF) is a structured data file hospitals and insurers must publish under federal transparency rules, containing standard charges or negotiated payment rates.
- Are hospital MRFs required by law?
- Yes. The CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule (effective January 1, 2021) requires all hospitals to publish MRFs with standard charges for all items and services.
- What format are MRFs published in?
- MRFs are typically published in JSON or CSV format and must be freely downloadable without login or payment.