Dive Brief:
- The inability to access certain Medicare and Medicaid data is putting a damper on research efforts, some experts say.
- Due to privacy concerns, in 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services removed researchers' access to certain types of Medicare and Medicaid patient data. HIPAA regulations also restrict data access due to a requirement that protected health information, such as name, age (if over 89), date of birth and zip code, be de-identified.
- HHS is planning to revisit the relevant regulations over the summer in an attempt to balance privacy concerns with access to research data.
Dive Insight:
In an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, Nicholas Bagley, J.D., said the problem for researchers is substantial. "Access to reliable Medicare and Medicaid data has long offered researchers a window into U.S health care," he said. "Indeed, given the unwillingness of private insurers to share their data, Medicare and Medicaid data often provide our only way of gathering information about medical practice, patient outcomes, and costs."