From HITS: OPM to Create a New Health Claims Data Warehouse

Feds to build 'data warehouse' of health claims

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management plans to create a national "health claims data warehouse," according to an announcement published in the Federal Register.

The database will be stocked with personally identifiable healthcare data, including individuals' names, addresses and Social Security numbers as well as a wealth of healthcare information such as diagnoses and treatments, providers involved and charges. The data will be gathered via daily regular feeds from health insurers that cover current federal employees and retirees, military personnel, postal workers and their families. It also will include data from participants in the national pre-existing-conditions insurance program and the multistate option plan created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to the announcement.

The data will be mined to "actively manage all three programs to ensure the best value for enrollees and taxpayers," according to the statement from the Office of Personnel Management.

Data also will be used by law enforcement agencies at the federal, state and local levels. Medical records information from the database also could be routinely disclosed "to researchers and analysts inside and outside the federal government for the purpose of conducting research on healthcare and health insurance trends and topical issues," according to the announcement. Public comments on the project are requested, but "this action will be effective without further notice on Nov. 15" unless "comments are received that would result in a contrary determination." — Joseph Conn / HITS staff writer