Schatz Announces $3 Million for ACA’s Health Insurance Premium Review
Washington, DC--Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz announced the Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs will receive $3,023,387 from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create a Hawai‘i Data Center that will support the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance rate review and increase transparency in health care pricing.
“Greater oversight of insurance rates will help to ensure Hawai‘i's families receive quality, affordable health care,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz. “Implementation of President Obama’s health plan will protect our communities, make care more affordable, and give Hawai‘i families control over the care they receive.”
This funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will:
- Establish Data Collection:With Cycle III funding, Hawaii will create an All Payers Claims Database (APCD), a database that systematically collects medical claims data from both public and private payer sources.
- Expand and Improve Data Analysis:The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs will use the data from the APCD to identify variations in and between market segments, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of health care and lowering health care costs.
- Increase Health Pricing Transparency:Hawaii will establish a website that provides medical pricing data and fee schedules that reflect market rates and quantifies geographic variation. This website will be regularly updated with new pricing data. In addition, the website will also provide clear descriptions of the statistical methodologies used to develop the fee schedule. In addition, Hawaii will also develop a data release policy to support the release and use of the APCD data, while protecting data security and confidentiality. (CMS, 9/23/13)
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