Medicare paid out $91 billion in Part B in 2014, just-released data show
For the first time, the data removes geographic differences in payment rates for individual services, CMS says.
DHHS Headquarters, Washington D.C.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday released updated data on close to 1 million healthcare providers who collectively received $91 billion from Medicare in 2014.
The 2014 dataset on over 986,000 providers compares to the 950,000 providers listed in 2013 who collectively received $90 billion from Medicare, CMS said.
The third annual Physician and Other Supplier Utilization and Payment data contains summarized information on Part B services and procedures provided by physicians and other healthcare professionals.
Its aim is to increase transparency in the Medicare program.
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"The release of timely, privacy-protected data is especially important as Medicare increasingly pays providers based on the quality, rather than the quantity, of care they give patients," CMS said.
For the first time, the data removes geographic differences in payment rates for individual services, such as those that account for local wages or input prices. This makes Medicare payments across geographic areas comparable, while protecting beneficiaries' personal information, CMS said.
It includes payment and submitted charges, or bills, for services and procedures provided by each physician or supplier. It allows for comparisons by physician, specialty, location, types of medical services and procedures delivered, Medicare payment, and submitted charges.
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CMS is also making more timely extracts of Medicare claims data available to researchers.
Historically, researchers have only been able to request the data annually through limited data sets. The change allows researchers to request updates as frequently as quarterly. The more timely research will allow for better quality and lower costs in the healthcare system, CMS said.
"This week's announcements underscore CMS' ongoing commitment to releasing data and information to promote a vibrant health information economy," said CMS Chief Data Officer Niall Brennan.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
