Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data

Heathcare is a multi-billion dollar industry. It should come as no surprise to know that the U.S. spends more money per capita on healthcare than any other country. While this has enabled us to have some of the best care facilities and develop cutting-edge technology, the question is whether this increased spending is actually beneficial? For example, one might expect that with increased spending and advanced technology, our mortality rate for deaths caused by non-communicable diseases should be low. This is not true (see figures below).

On a global or national scale, improving outcomes or reducing costs might seem insurmountable. However, by analyzing regional network spending, we may be able to identify inefficiencies in spending which could eventually lead to reduced costs for healthcare consumers. In an effort to increase transparency in our system, the Obama administration has released two large datasets which contain information on provider services which receive medicare funding.

Detailed analysis coming soon! Check out the image above for an example of regional spending grouped by county codes!