The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) has added new data and reports to its CostAware website, which is designed to help state residents understand how their health care dollars are spent by comparing the variation of average costs for different episodes of care and medical services based on actual medical claims in Delaware.
The website was created in 2020 when DHSS and the Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) began working with Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) to develop and implement various health care cost and quality analyses. These analyses leverage data in the Delaware Health Care Claims Database (HCCD). DHIN manages the HCCD and DHSS uses it to inform and support a variety of health care policy initiatives.
According to DHSS, the newest CostAware updates include the addition of data for calendar year 2022 and Medicare Fee For Service (FFS) beneficiaries, an enhanced report comparing costs for brand and generic prescription drugs by drug class and payer category, and new reports for treatment of psychosis and cervical cancer screening.
“Delawareans can now view additional data and compare costs for brand and generic prescription drugs to help make better decisions around their health care,” said DHSS Cabinet Secretary Josette Manning, who is also a member of the Delaware Health Care Commission. “CostAware continues to be a valuable tool to provide transparency around the health care dollars that are spent by Delawareans and their insurers.”
On the website, users can better understand the average cost for common episodes of care, including C-section births, emergency department visits, and joint replacements. Additionally, the website improves transparency into the costs of common imaging procedures and common medical services like well child visits and diabetes care. Users can also see results reported by specific care settings, including hospital outpatient facility, outpatient lab, professional office, urgent care facility, and telehealth. Additionally, users can also filter results by insurance category (commercial insurance, Medicaid, Medicare) and patient age group and gender.
