HFIPSSTCO indicates the five-digit state and county FIPS code listed for that hospital in the American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals. Each hospital has only one unique state/county code. If multiple hospital units are in different counties, HFIPSSTCO is the county code of the primary facility (as indicated by American Hospital Association Annual Survey information). HFIPSSTCO can be used to link HCUP data to any other data set that uses the FIPS county code, such as the Area Resource File.

HFIPSSTCO differs from the HCUP data element HOSPSTCO. HOSPSTCO contains the modified FIPS county code. HFIPSSTCO contains the unmodified FIPS county code. The unmodified FIP county code will include unique values for independent cities, such as Baltimore, MD, and Reno, NV. The modified FIPS county code uses one county code for these independent cities and the surrounding county.

HFIPSSTCO is missing if the data source that contributed discharge data to the NIS prohibits the release of hospital identifiers.