AMGA submits letter to Senate Finance Committee regarding healthcare data transparency

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) today submitted formal comments to the Senate Finance Committee regarding healthcare data transparency.

The letter, addressed to Senator Ron Wyden, chairman of the Committee on Finance, and Senator Chuck Grassley, highlighted how multispecialty medical groups and other organized systems of care are using data to improve quality and lower costs. Using clinical and claims data and predictive analytics, these medical groups are able to identify patients with chronic conditions that need intense management. Sophisticated collection and analysis of healthcare data also allows medical groups to identify treatment gaps and develop care processes to address those gaps. The letter also pointed out that, despite the promise of healthcare data transparency, the current non-system of quality measurement needs reform.

"The current state of healthcare data is fragmented and siloed and is inadequate in a value-based system of care," remarked Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, president and chief executive officer of AMGA. "Congress can take steps to create a system of quality measurement that will benefit both patient and provider."

The letter notes that reforms-such as creating a standardized process for the collection, submission, and dissemination of healthcare data-would allow consumers to review apples-to-apples comparisons of providers, something not possible today. Further, AMGA recommends the development of a central data warehouse which would allow providers to access claims data to better manage populations of patients.