The data collection for this measure includes 6 'linking variables':
CMS certification number
Health insurance claim number (HICN) or Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI)
Date of birth (DOB)
Sex
Admission date
Discharge date

Can you clarify if one or more of these linking variables are missing from the submission file (example 'Sex' is missing), will the file be rejected by CMS?

Thanks.