Unless otherwise noted, the data used to create the graphs and tables in the About Hospitals section of the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) Web site was taken from the Health Care Cost Information System (HCCIS) database. Additional MHA data collection sources include the UB-92 Administrative Database and the American Hospital Association (AHA) survey.

Health Care Cost Information System (HCCIS)

Under agreement with the Minnesota Department of Health, MHA serves as the voluntary, nonprofit reporting organization for the collection of the HCCIS hospital-specific financial, utilization, staffing and services data. The data is required by Minnesota Statutes Section 144.695 - 703 and Minnesota Rules, Chapter 4650 and is public information with the exception of administrative cost data that is classified as non-public. Specifically, a database of key hospital indicators is maintained for comparative reporting. There are over 500 data elements in the database. The Hospital Annual Report (HAR) is the method by which this data is collected. (See HAR information and education page.)

In addition to the database, hospital audited financial statements and Medicare Cost Reports are collected and available for public inspection.

Data Release Policy for data contained in the HCCIS database:
All reports and data, except data classified as "non-public," shall be open for public inspection per Minnesota Statute Section 144.698, subdivision 4. Nominal fees are charged by MHA to cover the cost of producing reports.

Reports and data can be obtained from the Minnesota Department of Health at no cost by contacting MDH staff or going to the HCCIS Web site.

UB-92 Administrative Database

MHA has a database of nearly 5 million records dating back to 1980 for Twin Cities metropolitan hospitals. From 1980-1992 the system was based on abstracts from the medical record, but in 1993 there was a switch to collect the Uniform Bill, 1992 version (UB-92). In 1995, the database was expanded to invite all Minnesota acute care hospitals to submit both inpatient and outpatient claims data on a voluntary basis. Hospitals benefit by receiving a standard set of reports on a quarterly basis and having access to a vast array of data for use in areas such as strategic planning and marketing, finance, quality assurance and facilities management.

Data Release Policy for data contained in MHA's UB-92 Data Set:
All hospitals will agree on the format of a set of standard, hard copy reports which all will receive. Any data shared among hospitals in such reports (i.e., where hospitals are identified to one another), must be agreed to by each hospital receiving such reports. Hospitals not wanting to be identified in any or all reports will have their data included in an "other hospitals" aggregate category, and will not receive those reports where other hospitals are identified.

Special reports which go beyond the standard set are available on a fee-for-service basis to hospitals or the community at large if the data requests meet one of the below conditions:

1. the reports do not identify any individual hospitals or physicians;
2. the reports contain aggregate categories which are broad enough to make identification of individual hospitals or physicians impossible;
3. individual hospitals or physicians consent, in writing, to have themselves specifically identified in any reports.

No entity shall have access to raw data (i.e., MHA will not release individual patient records.)

AHA Survey of Hospitals

MHA serves as a coordinator for the American Hospital Association (AHA) survey of hospitals. This online survey contains data on a hospital's services, finances, utilization and staffing. The information is maintained at AHA.