Purpose & Vision

The CAQH Index was created as an industry-wide resource for tracking the transition from a paper- and phone-based system to an electronically-enabled system. The CAQH Index raises awareness of potential savings and seeks to facilitate public-private sector collaboration to overcome barriers with electronic processing. Findings from the 2014 CAQH Index report show that the healthcare industry could save billions each year by continuing the shift from manual to electronic administrative transactions.

The CAQH Index serves as a meaningful tool for all healthcare industry stakeholders, enabling public and private participants to assess remaining gaps and develop strategies to enhance administrative processes. As government and industry work to simplify and increase the effectiveness of the U.S. healthcare system, the CAQH Index provides especially valuable information for policymakers and regulators.

Moving forward, the CAQH Index will continue to refine current measures, examine opportunities to measure progress from the perspective of additional stakeholders, and expand the scope of its annual transaction data collection. It will offer a robust analysis of the progress being made in the transition from paper-based transactions to more efficient and cost-effective electronic transactions.

History

In September 2011, CAQH accepted ownership of the Index from Emdeon, a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange solutions. Originally established in 2008, the Index has expanded over the years to provide a more comprehensive view of the adoption of electronic transactions. The CAQH Index is helping explore the impact of new transaction standards and operating rules contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA).

An Advisory Council representing all facets of the healthcare industry has helped guide the work of the CAQH Index since its inception. The Council is responsible for developing the data collection methodology and reporting on industry progress.