Hamilton County lawmakers: Hoosiers can use new online tool to compare health care prices, quality

Area legislators encourage Hoosiers to take advantage of a new state website to compare health care prices and quality.

In 2020, state lawmakers passed a law establishing the newly launched Indiana All Payer Claims Database, which is overseen by the Indiana Department of Insurance, to help increase transparency in health care costs. The website collects insurance claims data from public and private health care payers to track the cost, utilization and quality of health care across the state.

“This new database can give Hoosiers a better understanding of what providers are nearby and an idea of what they could expect to pay for certain services,” House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said. “As we move forward, we’ll continue to look at ways to drive down health care costs while increasing access and affordability of care.”

State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) said the APCD lets Hoosiers search what other patients have paid for common procedures across regions, providers and insurance plans. Additionally, the database includes a list of health care providers that perform services within certain distances from a zip code, the average out-of-pocket costs for a service and the quality rating for that facility. For example, Hoosiers needing a knee replacement can select their insurance, procedure and ZIP code on the database to view a list of nearby health care providers that perform the service, the quality rating for that facility and the average out-of-pocket cost.

“This new resource can help consumers know their expenses upfront and the availability of care nearby before deciding whether to move forward,” Jeter said. “This is a strong step in the right direction, and we’ll keep looking for solutions to address the affordability and availability of health care.”

According to State Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville), the goals of the database are to inform Hoosiers seeking medical care, identify state health care needs, support health care policy, and improve the quality and affordability of health care in the state.

“This online database is a significant step forward to creating more transparency in Indiana’s health care system,” Goodrich said. “I encourage Hoosiers to utilize this tool, and explore their health care options and prices.”

State Rep. Donna Schaibley (R-Carmel) said information collected by the APCD complies with the security standards outlined in the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act also known as HIPAA and the U.S. Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act. Onpoint Health Data, the Indiana APCD administrator, is also certified by HITRUST, an industry-leading standard in health data security that uses both federal and state security requirements.

“Consumers compare prices for cars, homes and any other major expenses they plan on working into their personal budgets,” said Schaibley, sponsor of the 2020 law. “With many still struggling to access affordable health care, this new online tool can help Hoosiers make more informed decisions, and choose the services and providers that best meet their needs.”

“This new database will create a higher level of transparency and access to data to help health care consumers,” State Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) said. “With the ability to compare costs for different treatments or providers, Hoosiers can choose options that best fit their needs and budget.”

Hoosiers can visit apcd.idoi.in.gov to compare health care prices and quality, and find out more information. Questions and suggestions for the current or future reports and dashboards can be submitted by email at apcd@idoi.in.gov.