DHS 120.22(3)(3) Report dissemination. The department shall distribute a paper version of the reports at no charge to the governor, the legislature and a board-approved list of individuals and agencies. The department shall make the paper version report available for purchase by others. The department shall make available from the department’s website an electronic version of the report at no charge. DHS 120.22(4)(4) Suggested uses of report. Comprised of summary data, the report provides either totals or averages. The report can provide health care providers, consumers, researchers and policymakers with a basis for facility and health care provider comparisons, trend analyses, utilization and charge summaries. Examples of information the report may contain include all of the following: DHS 120.22(4)(a)(a) The average charge, adjusted for severity, for selected medical or surgical treatments. DHS 120.22(4)(b)(b) The health care provider’s charges for selected services, adjusted for severity. DHS 120.22(4)(c)(c) Possible areas for future research, such as variations among health care providers in utilization or charges. DHS 120.22(4)(d)(d) Quality indicators that can be associated with variations in care delivery, including complication rates, volume of procedures and patient satisfaction. DHS 120.22(4)(e)(e) A description of why charges vary among health care providers. DHS 120.22 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, December, 2000, No. 540, eff. 1-1-01; CR 01-051: am. (2) (intro.), Register September 2001 No. 549 eff. 10-1-01; CR 03-033: am. (1) (a) 1. Register December 2003 No. 576, eff. 1-1-04; correction in (1) (d) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register February 2012 No. 674. DHS 120.23(1)(1) Data sources. The consumer guide shall draw on the following data sources: DHS 120.23(1)(a)(a) Bureau of health information databases, including those related to inpatient stays, ambulatory visits, physician encounters, facility financial and services information and health care provider workforce data. DHS 120.23 NoteNote: The bureau of health information was renamed the bureau of health information and policy.
DHS 120.23(1)(b)(b) Databases of other department agencies, including those of the division of health care financing and the bureau of quality assurance. DHS 120.23 NoteNote: The bureau of quality assurance was renamed the division of quality assurance.
DHS 120.23(1)(c)(c) Databases of other state agencies, including the office of the commissioner of insurance for information related to health plan finances, market conduct, complaints and grievances, and quality indicators. DHS 120.23(1)(d)(d) Other private sector information available through various websites. DHS 120.23(1)(e)(e) Federal databases, including those of the health care financing administration. DHS 120.23(2)(2) Contents. The consumer guide shall contain information on all of the following: DHS 120.23(2)(a)(a) How to find and choose a doctor, hospital, health care plan, nursing home or other health care provider. DHS 120.23(2)(b)(b) How to get health insurance or enroll in medicare, medical assistance, badgercare or family care and where to go with health care coverage or payment questions or problems. DHS 120.23(2)(c)(c) Where to learn about specific conditions, illnesses or injuries. DHS 120.23(2)(d)(d) Other websites and related information sources that provide information on health care questions. DHS 120.23(3)(3) Report dissemination. The department shall make available from the department’s website an electronic version of the consumer guide at no charge. The department shall distribute a paper, summary version of the consumer guide at no charge to the governor, the legislature and a board-approved list of individuals and agencies. The department shall make the paper, summary version of the consumer guide available for purchase by others. DHS 120.23(4)(4) Suggested use of the consumer guide. Some suggestions for using the report are as follows: DHS 120.23(4)(a)(a) Health care plan. If available to the department, the following types of data for individual health care plans shall be contained in the consumer guide and may supplement consumers’ age, health status, mobility and financial resources as important factors consumers should consider when selecting a health care plan: