The state’s Division of Health Care Finance & Policy (DHCFP) is now an independent state agency called the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) thanks to the new Health Care Payment Reform Law (Chapter 224 of the Acts of 2012).
The new state agency will have most of the responsibilities pertaining to health care data collection, dissemination and analysis, but according to their website, “CHIA will also take on new roles in support of its mission to examine health care cost and quality information and provide objective data and analysis to assist in the formulation of health care policy.”
CHIA will continue to manage the All-Payer Claims Database and run the annual Cost Trends hearings, but will be collecting and analyzing data in particular that deals with how the new health care payment law is affecting cost trends. Last year, the Home Care Alliance sat on an expert panel to help provide a broader picture of cost trends in Massachusetts and the potential impact of Accountable Care Organizations.
HCA will continue to report on the implementation of Chapter 224 as information becomes available.
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