Healthcare.gov, the health insurance sign-up site created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is in the midst of open enrollment, meaning that a rash of personally identifiable new data is entering insurer systems. Add to that 13 states and Washington, D.C.’s own websites to enroll for insurance, and that’s a massive amount of data to manage.
Already, as many as 9.9 million people are expected to enroll in healthcare plans through the exchanges this year.
Jeff Brown, product manager at data integrity and data analytics company Infogix, has a few tips for adequately managing all of that data, starting with managing edge server data accurately.
“Accurate enrollment data sets the stage for full reimbursement later on,” he said in a blog. “Not only will you miss out on those valuable funds if your data is faulty, you'll also be out all the time (and related costs) spent investigating and fixing the problem records.”
A solid edge server data management system can automate data management and preparation through the entire life cycle so that the enrollment data can be trusted.
Also, he said that automating membership and payment reconciliation is a best practice.
“Millions of newly insured people create billions of bits of data, which can make reconciliation a challenge,” he said. “But implementing data integrity controls eliminates some of the worry. Controls help you track membership processes through easy-to-interpret reports and dashboards, allowing you to quickly spot and resolve any inconsistencies.”
And finally, having hundreds of thousands of new customers means that keeping claims processing on track from the start is critical.
“Automated data integrity controls help you detect inaccuracies early, as well as identify new or unauthorized claims submitters,” said Brown. “Root out missing claims by analyzing them in batches, which streamlines the process. And reject duplicate or error-filled files before they mess with your system, so you know you can trust every piece of data.”
Edited by Alisen Downey