UNH Today

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has appointed Jo Porter, director of the Institute for Health Policy and Practice to the newly created State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (SAPCDAC), which provides guidance to U.S. states on the process for collecting all payer health care claims data, and advises the Secretary of Labor on the standardized format for voluntary reporting by group health plans. All Payer Claims Database (APCD) reporting includes medical claims, pharmacy claims, dental claims, and eligibility and provider files collected from private and public payers. The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, requires the committee to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Labor within 180 days.

Porter's expertise in this work stems from her role as the Co-Chair of the All Payer Claims Database (APCD) Council, a partnership with the National Association of Health Data Organizations, which serves as a national learning network for APCDs. As a national authority on APCD issues, her years of experience in promoting health care transparency made her a sought-after candidate for the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee.

“I am pleased to be able to serve on the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee,” says Porter. “The inclusion of APCDs in the Consolidated Appropriations Act is an important recognition of the value of these data for improving the understanding of health care costs and utilization, and developing informed policy to address challenges in the health care system.”