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effective start date

eff_start_dt
general
Updated 3/30/2026

Definition

The beginning date value for a coverage start validity. Used to track temporal information related to effective start date. This field is commonly used in electronic health records (EHR), healthcare information systems (HIS), and clinical data warehouses for effective management and reporting.

Standard Abbreviation

eff_start_dt

Category

general

Database Usage

-- Example column naming
CREATE TABLE claims (
  claim_id VARCHAR(50),
  eff_start_dt VARCHAR(100),  -- effective start date
  ...
);

-- Example in SELECT
SELECT 
  claim_id,
  eff_start_dt as effective_start_date
FROM claims;

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