Niall Brennan, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) chief data officer and director of the office of enterprise data and analytics, took to the organization's blog Dec. 16 to relay the importance of keeping those who use Medicare and Medicaid updated on matters relating to health insurance.
"At CMS, we are committed to providing our stakeholders with information needed to support informed decision-making as they navigate the health care system," Brennan wrote. "As such, we have been a government leader in promoting increased data transparency. For example, we have released data on geographic variation in Medicare utilization and quality, as well as data on provider level utilization, including prescribing patterns. A commitment to making such resources available puts engaged and empowered individuals at the center of their care, which is essential to transforming our system to one that delivers better care, smarter spending, and healthier people."
The Qualified Entity (QE) program was put in place as a part of the Affordable Care Act so performance reports and other similar information to be published for public consumption.
According to Brennan, the QE program is still a work in progress.
"There are currently 12 certified QEs -- 11 QEs that will be reporting regionally and one QE that will be reporting nationwide," Brennan wrote. "Since the launch of the program, two QEs have already released public performance reports. I’m excited to announce further growth in the QE program with the approval of a second nationwide QE, Amino. With the addition of Medicare data, Amino will enhance its free service to help Americans make care decisions: including, for example, determining the providers from whom they choose to receive services."
