FAIR Health uses dental claims data from FH NPIC in recent report published by U.S. GAO

FAIR HealthOct 9 2013

FAIR Health, the leading independent data company that serves the healthcare system through data tools and education, is pleased to announce the use of its dental claims data in the recent report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report, released on September 6, "Dental Services: Information on Coverage, Payments, and Fee Variation," provides insights into dental services in the United States, specifically: trends in coverage for, and use of, dental services; trends in payments by individuals and other payers for dental services; and the extent to which dental fees vary between and within selected communities across the nation.

The FAIR Health data were used by the GAO to assess how charges for dental services vary between, and within, communities across the United States. FAIR Health's dental claims repository includes over two billion billed services and procedures performed since 2002. The data, which include the billed charge for each claim record, are organized by procedure and the zip code where the service was performed. The GAO licensed the data through the FAIR Health Research Support Program, which offers data from the FAIR Health medical and dental claims repository for academic research.

An independent, not-for-profit corporation, FAIR Health serves as an unbiased resource for data on healthcare charges and utilization nationwide. The FAIR Health National Private Insurance Claims (FH NPIC^®) database is the most comprehensive private healthcare claims database in the United States, and currently includes more than 17 billion billed claims for dental and medical procedures performed since 2002. The data are fueling health services research on patterns, trends and geographic disparities in service utilization and private healthcare spending.

"FAIR Health is delighted to have been able to assist the GAO in their important work to better understand trends in the provision of dental services, a vital but sometimes under-discussed area of health policy," stated FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd. "We are pleased to be able to offer reliable, independent data to researchers helping to advance the national dialogue on healthcare during a time of great change and innovation."