Journalism CAN Lead to Changes in Policy: CMS and Data Sharing

The video discusses the disappearance of substance use disorder data from Medicare and Medicaid files, a crucial resource for health services research. This issue arose from a 1976 regulation that restricted data sharing, unnoticed until 2013. The data scrubbing hindered research on addiction and related conditions. Efforts by researchers led to a proposed rule change by SAMHSA to allow data sharing with safeguards. However, the rule's future is uncertain due to potential political changes. The video concludes with a call for viewer support.

What was the main issue that arose regarding substance use disorders and Medicare?

How did the 1976 regulation affect the sharing of data related to substance use disorders?

What actions did CMS take in 2013 regarding its data?

What was the outcome of the proposed rule by SAMHSA regarding data scrubbing?

What concerns remain about the new rule related to substance use disorder data sharing?