Bill > S1180

This bill, titled the Medicare Data Access for Transparency and Accountability Act, aims to make Medicare claims and payment data publicly available. Specifically, it requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a searchable, free-to-access database containing information on payments made to healthcare providers and suppliers under Medicare, including the amount paid, the services rendered, and the provider's location. This data will be organized by provider specialty and searchable by service type, and each provider will be identified by a unique public identifier, such as their National Provider Identifier (NPI). The bill also clarifies that this type of data is not exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring greater transparency in how Medicare funds are spent. The regulations for implementing this data release were to be finalized by December 31, 2014, and the database will include data from fiscal year 2014 onwards.