dbt Variables

The Tuva Project includes a number of Data Marts and some Data Marts have optional parameters. We use dbt variables to control the behavior of these parameters. This section describes these variables and how to use them.

vars:
  cms_hcc_payment_year: 2024
  quality_measurement_year: 2024
  period_end: '2024-12-31'

Year-Specific Variables in dbt_project.yml

Tuva’s Input Layer and Data Marts rely on year-specific reference data for things like:

• Risk adjustment models (e.g., CMS HCCs)
• Quality measure specifications
• Benchmark values
• Period-based data filtering

These parameters can be set in the vars: section of your dbt_project.yml to customize or lock behavior.

vars:
  claims_enabled: true

  # Optional year-specific parameters
  cms_hcc_payment_year: 2024
  quality_measurement_year: 2024
  period_end: '2024-12-31'

Parameter Reference

Parameter	Description	Example
cms_hcc_payment_year	Specifies the CMS HCC model year (used for risk scoring).	2023
quality_measurement_year	Specifies the measurement year for quality metrics (e.g., Stars, HEDIS).	2024
period_end	Optional date filter to exclude data after a certain date.	'2022-12-31'

When to Use These

You only need to override the defaults if:

• You're analyzing past years (e.g., historical claims)
• You want to lock behavior for reproducibility or backtesting
• You're setting up a static reporting period

Example Use Case

Analyzing 2022 claims using the 2023 HCC model:

vars:
  claims_enabled: true
  cms_hcc_payment_year: 2023
  period_end: '2022-12-31'

This ensures that:

• Only claims through 2022 are included
• Risk scores use the 2023 model coefficients