The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is planning a new database that will store health care claims information from three federal programs - the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the National Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program and the forthcoming Multi-State Option Plan.
OPM (in a 10/5 Federal Register notice, says the database will allow OPM to "actively manage all three programs to ensure the best value for the enrollees and taxpayers." The database will be effective Nov. 15 "unless comments are received that would result in a contrary determination."
OPM? Healthcare “value?” This raises two issues: (1) expertise and (2) mission creep. Are people being hired to do this? Who are they? Who’s choosing them? Transparency is required – if not a Congressional hearing.
Information collected will include personal identifying information, address, dependent information, employment information, health care provider details including debarred provider information, health care coverage information, health care diagnosis information and provider changes and reimbursement on the aforementioned coverage, procedures and diagnosis.
OPM? Really? Sounds like a CMS program – or even AHRQ. Also, will this data be shared with other federal agencies? And if so, to what end.
Per the FR notice, "the data will be de-identified for specific analysis that provide flexible queries of the data set for general demographic queries, risk-adjusted profiles, and comparison of chronically ill patients and other useful analytics; and engage in econometric modeling of, among other things, health trends, risk adjustment methodologies, pharmacy pricing and negotiation."
Hm – “econometric modeling?” That sounds menacing.
Yes – definitely Congressional hearing material.
