Public hearing to be held Sept. 16; deadline to provide feedback is Sept. 21 - OHA release - SALEM, Ore. -- The public is encouraged to share their thoughts on changes being proposed by Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to improve a public health care claims database.  Most health care insurers submit health care claims data to OHA’s All Payer All Claims, or APAC, database, which contains information on insurance coverage as well as health care cost and use by people in Oregon with health insurance. Researchers, lawmakers, OHA leadership, and others have used this information to inform health care policy decisions, improve health care quality and affordability, compare the cost and effectiveness of treatment strategies, and more.  Certain health care insurers and other organizations are required to submit their health care claims data to APAC. OHA works with those organizations to clarify data submission requirements and improve data quality. OHA also sets requirements for how the data can be requested in alignment with state and federal health data confidentiality and privacy laws.  OHA is proposing a variety of changes, including improving the data submission file layouts, revising some criteria for requiring an insurer to submit data, clarifying data request approval and denial criteria, and proactively posting a de-identified public summary file on the OHA website so the general public can directly access it without needing to submit a request. Because a summary file will be readily available to the public through the OHA website later this year, APAC is removing state administrative rules related to requesting a public use file.  For more information, see the specific wording of the proposed rule changes in track changes. The administrative rule changes are expected to go into effect by December 2026.  To provide input on these changes:  Provide comment during a remote public hearing, which will be held 10-11 a.m. Pacific Time Sept. 16, by following the below instructions to join a Microsoft Teams call:  Meeting ID: 236 892 954 924 594. Passcode: Mu2bx79j. To join via a telephone, call 971-277-2343.  Phone Conference ID: 271 138 473#.  Submit comment to [email protected] by 5 p.m. Pacific Time Sept. 21.