Purpose

• Expand access to all-payer claims data to researchers and organizations for efforts to improve health care outcomes, access, quality, disparities, and spending, while supporting health insurance oversight.

Main Provisions

• Access to all-payer claims data: The data submitted under certain code sections (described as subdivisions 4, 5, 5a, and 5b) can be made available to individuals and organizations for research and transformation efforts in health care, so long as the use serves a public benefit and follows required data-use rules.
• Oversight and safeguards: Access and use must follow detailed rules, including a legally binding data-use agreement, a clear consent process, a robust oversight system, a data management plan, and security provisions to keep data safe. There will be agreements with state agencies and the University of Minnesota to ensure proper and secure use, plus technical help for users and stakeholders.
• Community of access: A fee schedule will be created to help cover the cost of expanded access, but the fees must not create barriers for groups most affected by health disparities.
• Research review body: A research advisory group will be set up to judge data-access requests. They will look at how strong the research approach is, the technical ability of the user to handle the data, and the user’s ability to safeguard the data.
• Research protections: The data may not be used to give any health care market participant (like health plans, payers, or providers) an unfair market advantage. Individuals in the data cannot be reidentified, and contract details between a health plan and a provider derived from the data cannot be publicly reported.

Data Access and Safeguards (Expanded Details)

• The commissioner must create:
  • A clear process for data access and a system of enforceable data-use agreements.
  • A robust oversight framework and a data-management plan to ensure privacy and compliance with laws.
  • Agreements with state agencies and the University of Minnesota to ensure proper use and security.
  • Technical assistance for data users and broader stakeholder support.
  • A fee schedule that does not block access for those most affected by disparities.
  • A research advisory group to evaluate applications for data use on criteria like rigor, technical capability, and data safeguards.

Intragovernmental Data Sharing

• The bill adds that the data collected (under the specified subdivisions) can be shared within state government. Specifically, the commissioner must provide the data to the commissioner of health.

Changes to Law (What would be amended)

• Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 62U.04, subdivision 13, to expand access to all-payer claims data for research and public-benefit purposes, with guardrails and oversight.
• Adds a new subdivision (subd. 4) to Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 62W.06 to allow intragovernmental sharing of the data with the commissioner of health.

Potential Impacts

• Greater opportunities for research aimed at reducing health disparities and improving health care efficiency and quality.
• Strong privacy protections intended to prevent reidentification and limit disclosure of sensitive contract details.
• Increased coordination between health data and health policy oversight, with formal review and accountability mechanisms.

Relevant Terms all-payer claims data, APCD, data access, data-use agreement, data management plan, data privacy, health insurance oversight, health care outcomes, health care access, health care quality, health care spending, disparities, unfair market advantage, reidentification, contract details, health plan, payer, provider, research advisory group, intragovernmental data sharing, University of Minnesota, fee schedule, oversight, research transformation.