Increased Value and Expanded Use of Claims Data Detailed at Conferences Nationwide

October 19, 2017

At recent stakeholder meetings in Washington, DC; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia, FAIR Health leadership detailed the increasing value that our data are bringing to strategic, legislative and clinical initiatives. 

Here is just a sampling of recent discussions regarding a new appreciation of what independent, comprehensive, and “smart” healthcare claims data can mean for your organization:

• National Association of Health Data Organizations’ (NAHDO’s) 32nd Annual Conference. State and private health data organizations that maintain statewide healthcare databases and stakeholders of these databases convened in Washington, DC, from October 2 to 4, to examine the application of claims data to state health-related initiatives, including consumer protection laws that hold consumers harmless from balance billing and surprise bills. In her presentation “How State Legislative Laboratories Can Use Healthcare Claims Data to Advance Consumer Protection Laws: A Detailed Case Study,” FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd noted that parties considering these laws typically are looking for an independent, conflict-free, geographically granular source of claims data—and that benchmark data from such datasets can serve as a common ground for policy discussion and negotiation, a source of information for consumers, a tool to support dispute resolution and a baseline for determining reimbursement. FAIR Health data already serve as an official data source in consumer protection laws enacted in New York and Connecticut. She noted that a number of other states—including but not limited to New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Georgia and Idaho—have reached out to FAIR Health for assistance in understanding how billed and allowed claims data benchmarks compare to alternative reimbursement models such as Medicare rates. Ms. Gelburd stated that FAIR Health has helped these states advance their policy discussions through written and oral testimony before legislative committees and agency officials, webinars and other means. 
• Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) 2017 Annual Leadership Conference. Held October 8 to 11 in Austin, Texas, this meeting attracted home care agencies, clinicians and others interested in home care innovations, business strategies and clinical practices. FAIR Health Executive Director of Business Development Donna Smith’s presentation, entitled “How Claims Data Can Illuminate Healthcare Trends Affecting Home Care,” noted that home care is just one component of a healthcare continuum, and that an examination of trends in utilization and costs for other types of healthcare delivery can lead to greater success for home care businesses. The session spotlighted changes in utilization of home health services, telehealth, hospitals and post-acute care facilities; geographic and demographic factors; and clinical patterns, such as diagnoses and procedures related to home health and post-acute care—and how that information can support strategic decisions about partnerships, affiliations, business expansion or contraction; improving referral streams; and more.
• National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) CONVERGE 2017. At this annual forum held from September 25 to 28 in Atlanta, Georgia, attended by the full spectrum of dental benefits companies, including major dental carriers, regional and single-state companies, Donna Smith spoke about “Current Trends in Dentistry as Illuminated by Claims Data.” Her presentation explored how private dental insurance claims data can help inform benefits design and fee schedule development by opening a window onto current procedure utilization trends, ranging from common procedures, such as the use of composites versus amalgams, to trends in treating periodontal disease and the use of cast restorations, such as inlays, crowns and onlays.

To learn how FAIR Health’s data products and FH^® Custom Analytics can inform your organization’s strategic decisions, contact us by e-mail at info@fairhealth.org or call us at 855-301-3247, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm ET.