Wandering around in OHS’s databases – lots to learn and a surprise

Our state Office of Health Strategy has several impressive portals and dashboards to explore their trove of data and other information. They include healthcare affordability, ED visits, quality ratings, facility plans, self-sufficiency tools, hospital finances, prescription drug costs, and Race, ethnicity and language data. Visitors can sort the data by service, payer, age, gender, and region.

I have been rooting around in the Cost Driver data set. It includes Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, state employees, fully insured Commercial plans, and a good number of self-insured state residents.

Per person costs are rising for all, with the exception of dually eligible state residents whose per person costs are dropping for both pharmacy and medical care. (This is very interesting as the DSS consultant’s Medicaid landscape study finds that population costs far more than other Northeastern states. It would appear we are closing the gap. An important reminder that if things are going in the right direction, be very careful making changes.)

The data is clear on how pharmacy prices are the main driver of rising costs, but that medical care is still the largest cost category for all payers. There are also pockets in our state of very high per person total costs and prices.

I know how I’ll be spending my holiday break.