Illustration or chart showing the breakdown of ambulance service costs in Colorado, comparing out-of-pocket expenses and total charges for individuals with commercial insurance versus Medicare beneficiaries. The graphic emphasizes disparities in emergency medical transport pricing across different payer types

New Data Shows High Ambulance Costs for Coloradans with Commercial Insurance Compared to Medicare

A first of its kind analysis on ambulance service costs in Colorado is now available, delivering valuable insights into cost trends, in-and out-of-network claims, and geographic variation. Leveraging the CO APCD, this report sheds light on costs affecting patients and health insurance payers and informs policy discussions aimed at enhancing emergency Read more…

Line chart illustrating the number of Medicare Advantage payers included in the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) from 2013 to 2023. The chart shows a starting count of 10 payers in 2013, a dip to 9 in 2014, followed by an increase to 12 payers in 2020 and 2022, before declining to 10 payers again in 2023. This visual highlights changes in Medicare Advantage payer participation over the years.

Medicare Data in the CO APCD

As of June 2023, the Colorado All Payer Claims Database (CO APCD) contained over one billion claims spanning 2013 through 2022. These claims were submitted by commercial health insurance plans, including Medicare Advantage, voluntarily submitted Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and mandated non-ERISA self-insured employer plans, Medicaid, and Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS). The CO Read more…

Nurturing Growth: Year One

By Twanisha Parnell, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer I joined the Center for Improving Value in Health Care one year ago following decades working for nonprofits in education, youth services, and affordable program enriched housing. I had very limited health care experience and honestly didn’t quite know what I was Read more…