Careplots, a leading healthcare technology and data analytics company, is joining forces with Westat for a large-scale project to furnish crucial insights for state and national leaders to pinpoint optimal areas for targeted investments. The collaborative effort will encompass comprehensive data analysis from very large health care claims data stores, national surveys, data collected by national agencies and states and select reports, in support of a major task order for SAMHSA CFRI. The primary goal is to deliver a thorough analysis of current per-person and per-population investments across public funding streams influencing Substance Use and Mental Health disorders.
Building upon the seminal Behavioral Health Spending & Use Accounts study released by SAMHSA in 2019, this proposed analysis will delve into emerging funding sources nationwide, spanning federal and state governments, public and private insurers, and philanthropic organizations. The objective is to craft a comprehensive portrait of present public funding, enabling the judicious allocation of resources towards targeted priorities with the greatest potential impact.
Careplots and Westat's data engineering teams will meticulously gather and extract payment data for behavioral care conditions from a diverse array of sources. These include CMS' Medicare Fee-For-Service claims data, Medicare Advantage encounters, Medicaid TAF data, and dual-eligible beneficiaries. Additionally, data from federal payment sources such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, the Community Services Block Grant, and SAMHSA-administered Treatment Grants will be integrated. The study will also incorporate data from programs predominantly funded by state and local Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder agencies, along with ancillary programs like Opioid Settlement Funds, ARPA Funds, and COVID Supplement Funds, to offer a comprehensive national funding perspective.
The resulting data cohorts will serve as the foundation for generating tabular charts, infographics, and visual "heat maps" illustrating disparities in total funding per population across categories, service types, funding sources, provider types, and care settings, categorized by State and Region, Race, and Ethnicity. This analysis will furnish pivotal information for strategic planning at various government levels—Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies. Looking ahead, the analysis will expand to encompass health outcomes and equity data, further enriching strategic endeavors in prevention, treatment, and recovery.
About Careplots:
Careplots is dedicated to transforming healthcare through data-driven innovation, providing insightful data solutions to government agencies, healthcare organizations, research institutions, and consumers. For more information, visit Careplots.
About Westat:
Westat’s mission is to improve lives through research. The company offers innovative professional services that help clients achieve better outcomes in health, education, social policy, and transportation. For more information, visit Westat.
About SAMHSA CFRI:
The Center for Financing Reform and Innovation (CFRI) is a SAMHSA initiative focused on understanding behavioral health financing to identify opportunities, innovations, and challenges in service delivery and access. For more information, visit SAMHSA CFRI.