Data Analysis Working Group
August 11, 2005

Some notes about the data project idea:

• Tom Moore — utilization analysis with Sonoma County/State data, "small area analysis" — define potential applications
• Gil Ojeda's introduction to data project — create and use "a data tool", "to assist in needs assessment, cost containment, and health plan design" — "bring together a task force of local resident experts and other interested parties to create a Sonoma County Health Care Profile" — "create a first Annual Profile" — create a Ôdata tool' to assist private and public decision makers and the public in making decisions regarding local health care" — "go after a planning grant to support a proposed network of organizations and individuals to support a multi-year county based effort"
• Develop master cost scenarios to reach costs of "coverage in common" for all Sonoma County residents. The calculations would include those presently excluded from health plans and the partial cost offsets by applicable Federal, state, and other payments.
• Renewal of critical public health care losses — Example: how respond to massive cancellation of critical public outpatient treatment services, other key services and costs lost in egregious state and federal budget cutbacks.
• Inclusion of an independent actuary to help prepare companies and labor-management parties to make use of significantly extended data analysis to better prepare for renewal negotiations and the renewal cost calculation.
• "Limited risk sharing across total populations"
• Wider and more sophisticated data sharing among critical/key parties — to affect plan design, plan operations, contracting, and renewal negotiations

"A Proposed Sonoma County Healthcare Data Project" by Gil Ojeda