General News
Published March 15, 2022
For self-funded and OptiFlex groups
Starting March 10, 2022, Premera account representatives will begin reaching out to certain self-funded and OptiFlex groups to invite them to opt-in to participate in FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit focused on transparency in healthcare.
What is FAIR Health?
FAIR Health is a national, independent non-profit organization whose mission is to bring transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through comprehensive data products, consumer resources, and the support of health services research.
They manage a large database of privately billed health insurance claims and Medicare Parts A, B, and D claims data from 2013 to the present.
Where does FAIR Health’s data come from?
FAIR Health gets its data from more than 60 health plans, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators, which includes insured lines of business with Premera. In addition, because FAIR Health is certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) as a Qualified Entity (QE), FAIR Health receives all of Medicare Parts A, B and D claims data for use in nationwide transparency efforts.
Why would my group client want to opt in?
This would be an opportunity for these groups to play a part in the accuracy of industry-recognized, trusted benchmarks. The growth of FAIR Health’s data collection assures it continues to serve as a credible representation of the healthcare marketplace
not only in Alaska, but nationwide. In addition, a group’s contribution also helps Premera keep administrative costs lower by reducing the cost of FAIR Health products.
Is the data secure?
Premera currently contributes data on our insured lines of business. This means FAIR Health has satisfied strict security and confidentiality standards, as required by Premera, for handling, transmitting, and storing the data. In addition, a secure connection
between Premera and FAIR Health to transmit data is already in place. FAIR Health is HITRUST CSF certified, SOC 2 compliant, and certified as a Qualified Entity (QE) by CMS.
Please note, Premera removes any personal protected information (PPI), prior to submitting data to FAIR Health. FAIR Health also excludes from its products any information that could be used to identify a plan or contributor.
How does my client opt in?
Qualifying groups will receive an invitation from their Premera account representative. If they would like to participate, the only action required is for an authorized person to provide a statement with direction to Premera on behalf of their company
- a reply to their email invitation is sufficient. Beyond that, Premera will take care of the rest.
If you have any questions about this invitation or FAIR Health, reach out to your Premera sales representative.