Access to state health care costs – a summary

The following is a summary of activity among states and all-payer claims databases (APCDs): APCDs are up and running in Kansas, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee (with limited access), Vermont and Utah. Rrhode Island has passed the enabling legislation to create one and they are being implemented in New York, West Virginia, Colorado and Oregon.  APCD information for each state can be viewed at http://apcdcouncil.org/state/map .  The databases were created by the states and include information from Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurers on every claim they pay. Covering physicians, hospitals, dentists, physical therapists, pharmacies, and rehabilitation facilities, they allow a comprehensive look at health care costs. Connecticut lags behind other New England states in transparency, as it is still in the talking stages about launching an APCD. Connecticut does collect hospital data, in the Hospital Discharge Database (HDD), but it is controlled by the non-profit affiliate of the Connecticut Hospital Association, ChimeData.  It contains only the official hospital charge, not the actual reimbursement (Source: Connecticult Health I-Team)