Minnesota All Payer Claims Database
Employer Resources

Employers are essential to guaranteeing access to healthcare. In Minnesota, employers provide health insurance coverage for more than half of Minnesotans (52.8%). Most employer-covered individuals have health insurance through self-insured employers (64.1%) who hold the insurance risk for these nearly two million Minnesotans.

With high and rising healthcare costs, self-funded employers, however, face the difficult task of balancing high-quality benefits with affordability. Lack of transparency, a complex system, and limited data make it hard for self-funded employers and policymakers to track healthcare spending and set accurate benchmarks.

To support self-funded employers assessing their healthcare spending when designing employee benefits, MDH is launching a number of data tools that rely on the state’s MN APCD. These data tools include:

• A dashboard to explore spending and utilization in commercially insured groups in Minnesota.
• Summary information on trends in the healthcare market.
• A data sharing program.
• Engagement with the MN APCD to identify analyses that help meet fiduciary duties.

The need for better data

However, currently Minnesota self-funded employers are not well represented in data; just 40% of the private market is currently covered in these important and valuable data. To change this, Minnesota policymakers have passed legislation that requires TPAs to permit self-funded employers the choice to participate in the MN APCD, to opt-in to data collection.

How the Minnesota All Payer Claims Database can be a resource

The MN APCD houses healthcare data from 2009 to the present, holding an average of 190 million medical and 57 million pharmacy claims every year. By opting in, you gain access to a powerful tool designed to help you control healthcare costs and fill the information gaps. Participation allows you to share and access broader data sets, including custom reports that let you benchmark your plan’s performance against statewide averages. Best of all, submitting your data is a simple process that requires very little effort on your part.

Why opt-in?

• Identify cost drivers: Use custom reports and statewide data sharing to see exactly where your healthcare dollars are going.
• Benchmark with precision: Compare your specific costs and outcomes against statewide benchmarks to see how your plan stacks up.
• Take back control: Use the database to fill in data gaps, helping you hold vendors accountable and make more informed decisions for your employees.

Why data submission matters

While fully insured plans must submit claims to the MN APCD, many Minnesotans are covered by self-insured employer plans. In these arrangements, the employer uses their own funds to pay for medical claims directly. Participating in the MN APCD will make the data stronger for all—including employers using summary information or custom reports. 

Although self-insured employers are not required to submit their data, doing so is highly encouraged because comprehensive data from all plan types helps:

Contributing to the MN APCD

The MN APCD is the state’s most detailed tool for tracking healthcare costs and usage. Organizations can voluntarily submit data through a coordinated effort between the following groups: