Medicare mulls the release of physician data
August 09, 2013
Amidst a national debate about health care costs, a branch of the government tried to shine a light on how much Medicare was paying. A state association of doctors fought to keep the information private. The doctors' association won. The decade? The 1970s.
Over thirty years later, amidst another debate on health care costs, the 1979 injunction was vacated when different parties (including The Wall Street Journal) asked the judicial system to overturn its previous decision. The court's decision paves the way for Medicare to release its claims database.
This is a momentous occasion -- over three decades in the making. The claims database represents a treasure trove for researchers, as well as a potent weapon against fraud and abuse. For our purposes, we recognize that this database can be extremely helpful for patients selecting a physician. For example, using the data, patients should be able to tell which doctors in their area have performed a specific procedure for Medicare.
The Department of Health and Human Services, however, is not quite ready to release the database. Instead, it's issued a Request for Public Comment. If you care about increased transparency and being able to find the right physician, I encourage you to let Medicare know.