How to Use the CMS.gov Data MCP in Claude Code

Q: How do I add the CMS.gov Data MCP Server to Claude Code?

Run claude mcp add --transport http cmsgov-data-mcp -- in your terminal. Use claude mcp list to verify that tools like searchdoctors are active.

Pipe public Medicare registries and hospital rating datasets directly into your terminal workflows using Claude Code.

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Connect CMS.gov Data MCP to Claude Code

Create your Vinkius account to connect CMS.gov Data to Claude Code and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup CMS.gov Data with Claude Code

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Pipe CMS.gov Data MCP Server outputs to shell scripts

The `get_doctor_by_npi` tool fetches provider names, specialties, and Medicare enrollment status via a single CLI command. You can pipe this JSON payload directly into jq, grep, or custom shell scripts to automate clinical registry audits. Because Claude Code runs entirely in your terminal, you can script bulk lookups without web browsers. It queries the 10-digit NPI registry and outputs clean text ready for your terminal pipeline.

Query regional hospital ratings from the command line

The `get_hospital_ratings` tool returns overall quality scores and emergency service flags filtered by US state codes. Claude Code runs this query, filters the terminal output, and saves the structured data to CSV or JSON. You can combine this with `search_hospitals` to instantly check the status of specific medical centers during migrations or data ingestion tasks.

Automate dataset metadata checks in CI/CD

The `list_datasets` tool returns identifiers for Medicare utilization and provider enrollment catalogs. Claude Code can run this in a cron job or GitHub Action to check for new publication dates. If a dataset changes, the CLI runs `get_dataset_metadata` to compare the modified timestamps. This lets you trigger downstream ETL pipelines the moment the federal government publishes new data.

Setup guide

Set up CMS.gov Data MCP in Claude Code

Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Run the add command

Open your terminal and run the command shown on the right. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com. Use --scope user to make it available across all projects.
2

Verify the connection

Start a Claude Code session and type /mcp to list connected servers. You should see cmsgov-data-mcp with a green status indicator.
3

Start using tools

Ask Claude Code something like "Check my latest CMS.gov Data transactions." It will automatically discover and invoke the available CMS.gov Data tools.

Terminal

claude mcp add --transport http cmsgov-data-mcp https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

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Prerequisites

Claude Code CLI installed
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open the config file

Create or edit .mcp.json in your project root for project-level scope, or ~/.claude.json for user-level scope.
2

Add the CMS.gov Data MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Code

Start a new Claude Code session. Type /mcp to confirm the server is connected. The tools will be automatically available in your conversation.

.mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cmsgov-data-mcp": {
      "type": "url",
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by CMS.gov Data. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about CMS.gov Data MCP in Claude Code

Run `claude mcp add --transport http cmsgov-data-mcp -- ` in your terminal. Use `claude mcp list` to verify that tools like `search_doctors` are active.

Yes. You can tell Claude Code to search for nursing homes using `search_nursing_homes` and pipe the resulting JSON directly into your local database scripts.

Provide Claude Code with a list of NPIs, and it will execute `get_doctor_by_npi` sequentially, formatting the provider names and Medicare statuses into a clean terminal table.

Yes. Ask Claude Code to check a specific dataset ID, and it will run `get_dataset_metadata` to output the last-modified timestamp to your terminal.

Yes. The server only queries public registry data, such as NPI numbers and hospital ratings. Your queries run through an ephemeral, zero-trust MCP sandbox, leaving no trace of sensitive search parameters.

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