Principal Source of Payment
Minnesota birth records report Medicaid as the principal source of payment at a rate 21% lower than the national average according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
When the Office of the State Register data quality staff analyzed the data, they identified several hospitals that are choosing “other” as the principal source of payment and filling in the text box. We noticed that almost all the responses in the text box belong in one of the standard categories.
For example, Medicaid covers Medical Assistance. HealthPartners and BlueCross Blue Shield could be either private insurance or Medicaid (Medical Assistance). Your billing office should be able to confirm the correct source of payment so it can be accurately recorded on the birth record.
To help you choose the right selection, we are clarifying the choices for the Principal Source of Payment.
· Medicaid (Medical Assistance)
· Private Insurance (BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, HealthPartners)
· Self-Pay (no third party identified)
· Indian Health Service
· CHAMPUS/TRICARE
· Other Government (federal, state, local) e.g. MinnesotaCare
· Other (no standard choice available)
· Unknown
Please let us know if there are barriers to confirming this information with your billing office prior to finalizing the birth record by sending an email to health.birthreg@state.mn.us
Here’s a Way to Have Your Say!
Do you want to tell us what you think about birth registration? Maybe make a few suggestions about improving the birth registration system or learn more about how legislative changes affect birth registration? Your thoughts, challenges, insights and ideas are important to us.
MDH is seeking partner-volunteers to participate in a birth registration and data quality advisory group. This group will meet quarterly and although we’d love to see you in person, please consider joining even if you can only attend via conference call.
Look for more information at the Excellence in Birth Registration Conference on May 2nd.
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