BCBS Association's recommendations for data collection: 4 things to know

Clear data collection standards will help advance health equity, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association says. 

In 2024, the Office of Management and Budget will publish updated guidelines for collecting data on race and ethnicity for federal programs for the first time since 1997. 

In a report published March 28, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and the National Minority Quality Forum laid out four recommendations for new standards the Office of Management and Budget, and the healthcare industry, should adopt. 

Here are the association's recommendations: 

1. Update federal guidance with consistent requirements on data collection for race, ethnicity and language and sexual orientation and gender identity, with interoperability standards for race and ethnicity data. 
   
   
2. The Office of Management and Budget should include HHS' Office of Minority Health's current data standards in its new guidance. 
   
   
3. The OMB should proactively seek feedback on gathering sexual orientation and gender identity data. 
   
   
4. The OMB should enforce these guidelines for all federal agencies and healthcare stakeholders, including payers and providers. 

Read the full report here.