OIG says Medicare race data is inaccurate and hinders health disparities assessments

Healthcare Finance News June 20, 2022
Jeff Lagasse

CMS did not explicitly concur with the OIG’s recommendation to develop its own source of race and ethnicity data.

There are significant inaccuracies in Medicare data on race and ethnicity, which is especially troublesome given that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is looking to collect such data from providers and payers, according to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General.

Medicare’s enrollment race and ethnicity data are less accurate for some groups, particularly for beneficiaries identified as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic, the OIG found.

This inaccurate data, the federal agency claimed, limits the ability to assess health disparities. Limited race and ethnicity categories and missing information contribute to inaccuracies in...

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