Data can play an important role in improving health care systems. The state-based marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are well positioned to advance policy decisions by disclosing detailed information about enrollment. Such information could improve oversight of the post-ACA insurance market, and help policymakers and others more easily identify areas where consumers could be better served.

However, to date, the 17 state-based marketplaces have released varying degrees of information, with some marketplaces providing very little public data about enrollment by insurance carrier or health plan, or about enrollee demographics. There is little consensus about what data to report, as well as how often and in what to form to release such data.

In their latest blog post for the Commonwealth Fun, Sean Miskell, Justin Giovannelli, and Kevin Lucia discuss why state-based marketplaces should report comprehensive enrollment data and illustrate what kinds of data the Marketplaces currently provide. They argue that more and better data could only help marketplaces and stakeholders cover more people and ensure that consumers are getting the coverage that is right for them