Health-database bill clears panel

The Joint Budget Committee endorsed an appropriation granting $3.2 million to the state Department of Insurance for the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative Claims Database that is managed by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement under a law passed in 2015. The appropriation is in Senate Bill 107 for fiscal 2019, which starts July 1.

The database contains health care information from a variety of sources.

Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, said “it is just a little bit odd to me that we are going to put an appropriation out there for database expenses and not [know in more detail] what it is going to be used for.”

But Rep. Doug House, R-North Little Rock, said the Center for Health Improvement collects information from insurance companies, hospitals and state agencies for the database. He said as an example, the center can now get information from the Department of Health regarding medical-marijuana patients.

The information in the database has “been instrumental in reducing drug costs [and] hospital costs,” he said.

Sen. Larry Teague, D-Nashville, said the governor’s office has had several different groups look at the database operation, and they felt that was by far the least expensive way to operate it.

“I think that they really anticipate, as this thing moves forward, considerable amounts of revenue will come in eventually because all universities are doing research and lots of groups and think tanks need access to that kind of data, and it’s all going to be in one place and be able to put it out for them,” he said.

Teague said “I was a little skeptical when I first heard about this. But I’m convinced that it is probably a good idea. Hopefully, it will help lower costs eventually, but who knows?”