Health Care Payments, Media Center

Read HCAI’s Fall Newsletter for the Health Care Payments Data Program

Graphic with blue background which features the HCAI logo and the word news underneath it.

The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is releasing the Fall Health Care Payments Data (HPD) Quarterly Newsletter. The newsletter is designed to keep stakeholders informed on programmatic updates including information about the upcoming Advisory Committee Meetings, Advisory Committee Recommendations, National All Payer Claims Database (APCD) updates and HPD careers.

HPD Programmatic Updates

  • HCAI selected Onpoint Health Data as the HPD Platform vendor. Onpoint will manage data intake from California’s health plans and insurers, and will play a key role integrating data across multiple sources. More information can be found here.
  • The Medi-Cal data sources have been mapped to the APCD-CDL™ format and initial Medicaid test files for HPD are being developed by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
  • HCAI is participating in the National Association of Health Data Organization (NAHDO) Non-Claim Based Payment Data Collection and Use meeting series, which is working toward a national standard file format for Alternative Payment Model (APM) data collection.
  • HCAI held the first HPD Submitter Group meeting on July 15 and is preparing to convene the next meeting October 14. Please email hpd@hcai.ca.gov if interested in attending.
  • HCAI has developed an HPD Data Submitter Webpage to help inform and support data submitters through the submission process.

National APCD Updates

  • The State All Payer Claims Data Advisory Committee (SAPCDAC) held its last meeting in late July 2021. At that meeting, the Committee considered the recommendations below, which will be included in a final report that is currently in review at the Department of Labor. Recommendations discussed at the meeting include:

Standardize reporting format recommendations

  • Use of APCD-CDL
  •  Recommendation for non-claims payments
  •  Uniform timeline for data collection using existing state methods for collection
  •  Recommendations for the future (data layout and collection)

 Recommendations to address concerns around privacy and security

  •  Rigorous privacy and security protection for health information
  •  Uniform/standardized data use agreements for states
  •  Recommendation for standardized public use file

Guidance for voluntary reporting by self-funded group health plans to State APCDs

  • Creation of standardized clarifying message to self-insured health plans emphasizing value in participating in data submission to State APCDs
  • Uniform opt-in form/process for states that have adopted standardization
  • Simplify and harmonize to allow for ease of submission for self-insured health plans operating in various states

Overall recommendations

  • Though the SAPCDAC will dissolve following the submission of the report, a committee should be convened to further consider the many more issues related to this committee’s charge that could not be considered in the short window provided.
  • Engagement with employers to identify what could be done to increase participation in voluntary data submission to State APCDs

HPD Advisory Committee

HCAI is hosting the next Health Care Payments Data Program Advisory Committee Meeting on October 28, 2021.  The meeting will be held virtually via WebEx Live from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (PST).

The agenda and all other meeting materials will be posted on the HPD Advisory Committee website prior to the meeting.

2021 Advisory Committee Meeting Dates

Graphic in blue says October 28. Below graphic in white with bullet points reads Progress Updates, Access to non-public data, voluntary private self-insured: approach and outreach.

Are you interested in joining the HPD Team?

Watch for job opportunities coming soon to support the Health Care Payments Data Program at: oshpd.ca.gov/about/careers/jobs 

Watch HCAI’s Monthly News Update for more department wide updates

About the HPD Program 

Assembly Bill 80 (Chapter 12, Statutes of 2020) provides HCAI the authority to establish the Health Care Payments Data Program (HPD), often referred to as an All Payer Claims Database or APCD, which is intended to support greater health care cost transparency, inform policy decisions supporting quality health care, and to reduce health care costs and disparities.
 
To find out more please visit HCAI’s HPD Webpage or email hpd@hcai.ca.gov.
 
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