Understanding the data
Where the numbers come from, what each one means, and what they are not.
Each question below opens a guide with its short videos, the written steps for every screen and the full narration, so you can follow along with the app open beside it. The numbers in the videos are illustrative and the payers are anonymized.
Where do the rates come from?
Payers publish their rates in monthly machine-readable files under the Transparency in Coverage rule. We read each file and compare it with the Medicare fee schedule.
1 written guide
- See where the rates come from · written
Is the rate shown what I will be paid?
No. The figures are a market benchmark built from payer files, not a promise of payment. They are state level, with no county or ZIP figures.
1 written guide
- Read rates as a benchmark · written
Why do the videos show Payer A and hidden numbers?
The videos use a demo workspace. Payers are shown as Payer A to G and rate figures are hidden, so no real rate appears in them.
1 written guide
- Read the illustrative data in videos · written
What do median, p25 and p75 mean?
The median is the middle of the rates a payer lists for a code in a place, and p25 and p75 mark the ends of the middle half.
1 written guide
- Read median, p25, p75 and n · written
How is each rate compared with Medicare?
Each payer median is set beside the Medicare DMEPOS fee for the same code and state. The bands are Below Medicare, Within 3%, +3% to +10% and +10% or more.
1 written guide
- Read the vs Medicare bands · written
What counts as a material move?
A payer median that changed by at least 5% and at least 50 cents between the two latest months of data. Rate alerts use their own rule, by default 5% and $1.
1 written guide
- Read month-over-month moves · written
How current is the data?
The Data through chip at the top right shows the latest month of payer files in the app and the day it arrived. Rates refresh monthly as each payer publishes.
1 video · 7 sec in all
- Check how current the data is · 7 sec
Which payers and codes are covered?
Seven large commercial payers, and DMEPOS codes sold in category bundles. Your workspace sees the codes in the bundles it holds.
1 video · 9 sec in all · 1 written guide
- See which payers and codes are covered · written
- Look up a code in the Code Hub · 9 sec
The website says Payer Analyst. Where is that in the app?
Payer Analyst is the Chat tab. Rate Watch News is the News tab inside Rate Watch, and briefs and insights are the same saved item in the Insights Library.
1 written guide
- Match website names to app tabs · written