Call for benchmark data
The benchmark data call is conducted annually and requires the largest health insurance carriers doing business in Washington State to submit data to the Health Care Authority (HCA). This data will be used to measure what we are collectively spending on health care in our state and if we have met our benchmark for that year—in other words, whether the health system has been successful at reining in spending. The benchmark is a specific rate of spending growth that carriers and providers will be held to and should try to stay under to make health care more affordable.
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2024 benchmark data call
In the second year of the benchmark data call, the board collected data from 2020-2022. Submissions were due to HCA on May 15, 2024. This is the first year that data will be measured against the benchmark. The data the board collected is helping all of us see where our health care dollars are going and where spending is riding fastest. The report is expected by the end of 2024.
2024 resources
Materials for submitters
- Cover letter
- Webinar: 2024 benchmark data call submissions for carriers Watch the webinar recording (March 5, 2024).
- FAQ for submitters (updated February 2024). Answers frequently asked questions from health insurance carriers and state agencies.
- Data submission template. Instructs submitters on how to organize the benchmark data so that the data submission process can go smoothly.
- Technical manual. Describes the data and other information required for benchmarking health care spending in Washington.
Materials for providers
- Webinar: Cost growth benchmark reporting for providers. Watch the webinar recording (June 6, 2024).
- FAQ for provider reporting (updated August 2024). Answers frequently asked questions about provider reporting.
- Provider reporting methodologies (updated August 2024). Explanation of age and sex risk adjustment, pooled variance, and confidence interval of cost growth calculation for provider reporting.
- Provider reporting methodologies sample calculation (updated August 2024). Steps and example of calculation methods for provider reporting.
Materials for carriers
- Carrier reporting methodologies (updated August 2024). Explanation of age and sex risk adjustment, pooled variance, and confidence interval of cost growth calculation for carrier reporting.
2022 benchmark data call
In 2022, the first year of the benchmark data call, the board collected several years of data to establish a baseline. The historic benchmark trends are published in the 2023 report.
- Read the report Health care spending growth in Washington, 2017–2019
- Read the report summary