Input sought from Medicaid stakeholders in streamlining effort

U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to Medicaid stakeholders on Friday in an effort to determine ways of improving the quality, transparency, accountability and efficiency of the program.

The letter specifically seeks input on how to streamline state reporting requirements in an effort to reduce redundancies and provide information that is both useable and timely to aid states and the federal government in fulfilling their administrative and oversight responsibilities.

“Federal reporting requirements for the Medicaid program have evolved over a long period of time and represent a patchwork of requirements linked to specific legislation and programs that may have resulted in overlapping and duplicative reporting,” Hatch and Wyden said. “Given the resources involved in reporting and analyzing the data, and the increasing role of the program, we are interested in ensuring that the appropriate information is collected in an efficient manner and that states and the federal government have the information they need in a useable format to fulfill their responsibilities and make informed policy decisions.”

According to Hatch, who serves as the chairman of the Finance Committee, and Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden, changes to state data systems have provided the capability for more advanced data and analytics than were previously available.

“The Medicaid program offers a vital gateway to comprehensive health coverage for over 72 million people, including the low-income and most vulnerable,” Hatch and Wyden said. “However, when compared to Medicare and commercial payers, the program lags behind in terms of reliable and current data on quality, spending, payment, and utilization. In order to effectively operate the program, these data points are essential to ensure enrollees have access to quality care, that state and federal taxpayer funds are appropriately spent, and that the largest payer in the country is held to reasonable transparency and accountability standards.”

Among those receiving copies of the letter were the National Association of Medicaid Directors, National Governors Association, Medicaid and Chip Payment and Access Commission, Medicaid Health Plans of America, Association for Community Affiliated Health Plans, National Conference of State Legislatures, America’s Essential Hospitals, National Quality Forum, Children’s Hospital Association and the American Health Care Association.