Alaska Health Payment and Utilization Database (HPUD) Snapshot HPUD Snapshot Tool The Alaska HPUD Snapshot (click here) is a tool to help Alaskans make more informed decisions about the cost of health care. It is a dynamic dashboard that allows the user to search and sort medical procedures in the state to find the Average Paid Amount per Claim, Total Claim Count, and Total Paid Amount. HPUD Frequently Asked Questions What is Alaska HPUD? What is the Alaska Health Payment Utilization Database (HPUD)? The Alaska Health Payment Utilization Database (HPUD) is a tool that collects health care claims data from Alaska Medicaid, Medicare, and two commercial market insurers regulated by the Division of Insurance, Moda Health Plan and Premera Blue Cross. AlaskaCare data from the Division of Retirement and Benefits will be added later this year. The data is hashed and aggregated to protect people’s privacy and then made available to the public through the Alaska HPUD Snapshot. The HPUD does not include claims data of self-funded health plans. What are the primary goals of the Alaska HPUD? The Alaska HPUD started as a pilot project to create a health care claims database. The primary goals of the Alaska HPUD are to: Collect and analyze existing health care cost and quality data. Create an objective, reliable, and comprehensive central repository of health care information. Provide researchers, policymakers, and the public with timely and transparent access to health care information while protecting individual privacy and proprietary data. Enable researchers, policymakers, and the public to make informed health care decisions and reduce unnecessary health care costs. Multiple goals have now been achieved. The Alaska HPUD is in the final stages of the implementation phase, with only the addition of AlaskaCare data to be completed. The launch of the Alaska HPUD Snapshot is the realization of providing public access to health care claims information while protecting individual privacy. As part of the contract to create and manage the Alaska HPUD, Onpoint Health Data created and maintains the Enclave, a securely protected database from which the Alaska HPUD Snapshot is populated. The Enclave would be the source for research for a fully funded and staffed All Payer Claims Database. What is the Division of Insurance’s role with the Alaska HPUD? The Division of Insurance manages the contract with Onpoint Health Data, the vendor operating and maintaining the Alaska HPUD. The Division of Insurance works in partnership with the Department of Health and the Division of Retirement and Benefits to determine how to direct Onpoint Health Data regarding data aggregation and labeling. What is the history of the Alaska HPUD? In 2021, Governor Dunleavy proposed legislation (SB 93 and HB 113) which would have created an All-Payer Claims Database, which would have required most payers to participate. This legislation did not pass, but the Finance committees saw an opportunity to make progress in developing a more limited database using voluntary participation. Appropriations for HPUD began in Fiscal Year 2023 with the Operating Budget bill HB 281 where the Legislature allocated $1,500,000 to the Division of Insurance and $500,000 for the Department of Health for the connections needed to send data to the HPUD. Pages 6 and 23 of the enacted legislation include the related text: www.akleg.gov/PDF/32/Bills/HB0281Z.PDF. Additionally, the Division of Insurance was given a supplemental capital appropriation for FY 2024 of $5 million to continue operations of the HPUD. In 2021, Governor Dunleavy proposed legislation (SB 93 and HB 113) which would have created an All-Payer Claims Database, which would have required most payers to participate. This legislation did not pass, but the Finance committees saw an opportunity to make progress in developing a more limited database using voluntary participation. Appropriations for HPUD began in Fiscal Year 2023 with the Operating Budget bill HB 281 where the Legislature allocated $1,500,000 to the Division of Insurance and $500,000 for the Department of Health for the connections needed to send data to the HPUD. Pages 6 and 23 of the enacted legislation include the related text: www.akleg.gov/PDF/32/Bills/HB0281Z.PDF What is the Alaska HPUD Snapshot? What is the Alaska HPUD Snapshot? The Alaska HPUD Snapshot is a tool to help Alaskans make more informed decisions about the cost of health care. The Alaska HPUD Snapshot is a dynamic dashboard that allows the user to search and sort the top 240 medical procedures in the state to find the Average Paid Amount per Claim, as well as Total Claim Count and Total Paid Amount. The default view spotlights the 25 highest-volume medical procedure categories based on claims data reported to the Alaska HPUD. In addition to filtering the search by medical Procedure Category, the user can filter by Plan Type, Type of Service, and Reporting Year. How often is the Alaska HPUD Snapshot updated? The Alaska HPUD Snapshot is scheduled for quarterly updates. Data reporting will lag due to the time necessary for claims to be processed by the payer and then submitted to Onpoint Health Data for processing. AlaskaCare data is currently being prepared for processing and is expected to be added later in 2025. Can I submit a request to get more granular data that is not provided in the Alaska HPUD Snapshot? The Alaska HPUD is not currently funded to fulfill study, research, or analysis requests, like a more traditional All Payer Claims Database. What data is in the Snapshot? What data is currently in the Alaska HPUD Snapshot? The Alaska HPUD Snapshot includes health care claims data from: Alaska Medicaid (2020 - Q4 2022) (medical only) Additional Medicaid data will be available in the next quarterly update Medicare (2020 - Q4 2023) (Part A – Hospital Insurance, Part B – Medical Insurance, and Part D – Drug Coverage) Moda Health Plan Alaska-regulated individual, small group, and large group health insurance plans (2020 – Q3 2024) (medical only) Premera Blue Cross Alaska-regulated individual, small group, and large group health insurance plans (2020 – Q3 2024) (medical only) Who is included in the Alaska HPUD Snapshot? Alaska Medicaid – Alaska residents and those who are receiving treatment for longer periods of time in other states Medicare – Alaska residents and those who move during the calendar year to a different state Moda Health Plan – Alaska residents with plans regulated by the Division of Insurance Premera Blue Cross – Alaska residents with plans regulated by the Division of Insurance What data is not in the Alaska HPUD Snapshot? The Alaska HPUD Snapshot does not include claims data from self-funded health plans except for the AlaskaCare data that will be added later this year. What is a self-funded health plan? Employers can choose to directly fund the health plans for their employees instead of purchasing a health insurance plan for them. The employer pays all the claims as well as for the administration of the health plan. It is not unusual for the employer to hire a health insurer or affiliate company of a health insurer to administer the health plan, to provide access to a network of providers, to ensure the health plan meets federal requirements, and to pay claims. Self-funded health plans are not regulated by the Division of Insurance. Information about Data Privacy and Data Security How is Alaska HPUD data protected? The claims data is processed through a one-way "hashing" process that de-identifies the data and cannot be reverse engineered. This ensures that an individual cannot be identified by being linked to their data. The data is then aggregated to provide additional privacy protections. For example, the data in the Snapshot is reported at the state level and not broken out by zip code or borough. What is Onpoint? What is Onpoint Health Data? Onpoint Health Data is an independent, nonprofit health data organization based in Portland, Maine, with nearly 50 years’ experience developing and delivering independent, innovative, and insightful health data solutions to clients nationwide. Over the past two decades, Onpoint has developed and maintained more than half of the country’s All Payer Claims Databases (APCD), expanding the value of these rich data sources through the integration of non-claims data such as alternative payment model, non-claims payment, social determinants, and clinical data. They leverage advanced data analytics, machine learning, and secure cloud-based technologies to provide comprehensive solutions that help policymakers, researchers, and the public understand how healthcare is being delivered – and how it can be improved – based on reliable, trusted data. Onpoint currently supports APCD programs in 12+ other states with data management and/or analytic services. Onpoint has been supporting Washington’s APCD since 2016 and regularly works with health plans across the Pacific Northwest. Other current state-mandated APCD clients include California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Onpoint was selected by the State based on their proven and cost-effective APCD solution and services. How was Onpoint Health Data selected as the vendor to build and manage the Alaska HPUD? On October 10, 2022, the Division of Insurance issued a Request for Proposal for an Alaska HPUD. The deadline for receipt of proposals was November 7, 2022. The Division received six proposals. The vendor identified as most advantageous was Onpoint Health Data. Notice of intent to award was issued November 16, 2022. The contract was signed December 12, 2022, and implementation work began shortly after.