Health Care Law Blog

The Government is paying HOW much?

The Medicare Data Access for Transparency and Accountability Act ("DATA Act") was introduced in the United States Senate on April 7, 2011.  The DATA Act seeks to make public the Department of Health and Human Services' claims and payment data, which would include data on payments made to medical providers pursuant to the Social Security Act (i.e., Medicare).  Specifically, the data made available to the public would include the following:

• Amounts paid to each supplier or provider of services;
• Items or services for which payment was made; and
• Location of the supplier or provider of services.

The data would be available to the public at no cost, included in a searchable database and organized based on the specialty or type of provider involved.  As a safeguard, the database would also include a disclaimer that the data does not reflect on the quality of items or services furnished or the provider of services or supplier who furnished them.  Additionally, all disclosures made would still have to comply with all applicable privacy laws.

If you have any questions on the DATA Act or how it may impact your practice, please contact one of the experienced health care attorneys at Foster Swift.

Categories: Billing/Payment, Medicare/Medicaid