It was another busy year for the Public Reporting team at Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), which produced over 30 publications including seven interactive reports and analyses that bring transparency to the health care marketplace. These public releases of data from the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) are widely used in both Colorado and nationwide.
New Reports in 2023 – 2024
Telehealth Equity Analysis – This innovative analysis shows the relationship between social factors in the U.S. Census data such as transportation, employment, or broadband connection and the use of telehealth and in-person visits.
Firearm Related Injuries – This data analysis provides a snapshot of the types of firearm injuries in Colorado between 2016 and 2022 by volume, rate per person, health care cost, and region, as well as trends over time.
Race and Ethnicity in the CO APCD – This data set provides a snapshot of the race and ethnicity information that payers submit to the CO APCD for individual members.
Wildfire/Ozone Impact on Health – Using data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the CO APCD, this analysis evaluates the impact of Wildfire and Ozone on Emergency Department (ED) visits for respiratory and circulatory diseases.
Updated Reports in 2023 – 2024
Provider Payment Tool – This first-of-its-kind tool shows how payments to providers vary across the state. It includes codes for thousands of services and represents the first comprehensive analysis identifying how much Colorado doctors and other providers get paid. In January 2024, CIVHC updated the tool to include data through 2022.
Prescription Drug Rebates – An analysis providing insight into spending on prescription drug spending in Colorado and the percentage of prescription drug spending that comes back to payers in the form of rebates. The update in spring 2024 incorporated data through 2022.
Medicare Reference Based Pricing – This report, updated in summer 2024 to include data through 2022, shows what commercial health insurance companies pay hospitals for inpatient and outpatient services compared to Medicaid.
CO APCD Insights Dashboard – Providing an interactive look into the contents of the CO APCD itself, the Insights Dashboard includes information about the percentage of the population represented in each county as well as the number of lives in small group, large group, individual, and employer-based markets.
Community Dashboard – The Community Dashboard features data aimed at helping to understand how different aspects of health care – cost, utilization of services, access to care, use of preventive services, and treatment for chronic conditions – vary across Colorado by counties. The updated dashboard is currently under review and will be available on civhc.com soon. This update will incorporate trend information from 2013-2022.
Shop for Care – This valuable and popular tool empowers Colorado consumers to compare procedure costs for over 150 health care services at over 100 hospitals and facilities across the state. In summer 2024, CIVHC enhanced the tool with the addition of over 100 new procedures and services.
Use of Z Codes in the CO APCD to Identify Health Related Social Needs – Z Codes are codes that identify non-medical factors that may influence a patient’s health status. This report helps users understand the volume of members with recorded Z codes in the CO APCD from 2016-2022.
Looking Ahead
In the coming year, CIVHC’s Public Reporting team looks forward to expanding these analyses through new updates that enhance usability, quality, and enable more detailed data breakouts. We are honored to continue using the CO APCD to increase the availability of transparent health care information while Illuminating opportunities for action.