CONTACT: Stephanie Marquis, DHFS, 608-266-1683

INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP PAVES THE WAY FOR IMPROVED QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

MADISON - The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and the Department of Employee Trust Funds launched a unique partnership with the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO) to develop a comprehensive warehouse of administrative health claims data to produce meaningful public reports on the cost and quality of health care in Wisconsin. 

“This is an extremely important initiative for Wisconsin to achieve transparency in health care and promote better health care outcomes for the people of Wisconsin,” said Secretary Karen Timberlake of the Department of Health and Family Services. "We are fully committed to working in partnership with the other health care stakeholders across the state through the Wisconsin Health Information Organization.” 

Ensuring access to high quality, affordable health care is a key part of Governor Doyle’s Affordability Agenda. Wisconsin is one of the few states in the country to create this kind of public-private partnership. Legislations passed in 2006 amended Wisconsin law related to health care information and paved the way for the State to enter into this unique partnership with WHIO. 

WHIO founders represent health care providers, payers, and purchasers including: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, United Healthcare of Wisconsin, WEA Trust, Wisconsin Physicians Service, Wisconsin Hospital Association, Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Collaborative on Healthcare Quality, the Employer Healthcare Alliance Cooperative, and the Greater Milwaukee Business Foundation on Health. 

Initially, the five commercial insurers and Wisconsin Medicaid will submit claims data to the system for analyzing and reporting. To continue the growth of the system, WHIO will actively recruit other health plans to join the partnership and submit data. WHIO is also in the process of approaching the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to obtain Wisconsin’s Medicare claims data. 

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Last Revised:  May 27, 2008