The Maine Health Data Organization has, in accordance with Rule Chapter 120: Release of Data to the Public, instituted a process for the purpose of notifying users and providers of health care data when the MHDO receives a request for health data and accepts that request. In addition to sending electronic notification to interested parties and to providers that are responsible for the submission of the data, we provide the summary page of the ten most recent data requests below. If you are interested in seeing requests prior to the last on this page, you will find them here: https://mhdo.maine.gov/dataRequests_Archived.htm
For all data requests, the data providers or other interested parties may submit comments related to the data request to the Executive Director. To be considered, comments must be received by the Executive Director in writing or by electronic notification no later than thirty business days after the initial posting of the data request on the MHDO web site. If the Executive Director determines that (a.) the comments received are of significant enough importance to delay the release of data and/or (b.) additional information is required from the requesting party to address the comments; then the data shall not be released until the additional information has been received from the requesting party and an additional review is conducted by the Executive Director or the MHDO Data Release Subcommittee, as applicable, to ensure that the requesting party conforms to all applicable requirements of this chapter.
The Executive Director will bring all comments received from the data providers and or other interested parties for the release of Level III Data to the MHDO Data Release Subcommittee for consideration.
Individuals who want to opt out of a specific Level III data request may do so by completing this MHDO Choice Disclosure Form no later than 30 business days after the initial posting of the data request. If you opt out of Level III data requests, you will remain opted out unless you choose to opt back in via completion of the MHDO Choice Disclosure Form.
NOTE: If you would like to be notified when new data requests are posted, please email your request.
| Request # | Organization and Data Applicant | Consultant | Comment Close Date | Data Requested | Purpose of Request, Benefits to the Citizens of Maine, and Public Reporting Plans | Request Status (Approved or Withdrawn) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025042902 |
University of Kentucky
Chris Delcher, Assoc. Prof. |
N/A | 8/26/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2022 – Q4 2023 Custom Extract: Includes Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Pharmacy Claims, Pharmacy Eligibility, Practitioner Identifiable Data, City/Zip and Race and Ethnicity. | The aim of this study is to compare the on-label prescribing of psychotropic medications for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to the general population (referred to as “non-ASD controls”). Individuals with ASD often experience co-occurring conditions at higher rates than the general population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depressive disorders, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy; and it is known that patients with ASD are vulnerable to overprescribing to treat challenging behaviors. By examining medication utilization patterns in the MSDI data, we can investigate differences in treatment approaches and identify areas for improvement in the management of ASD and its co-occurring conditions for Maine residents. Patients with ASD will be identified based on specific diagnostic criteria, including inpatient and outpatient claims with an ASD diagnosis and continuous enrollment in medical and pharmacy benefits. Propensity score matching will be used to create a 1:5 control population without ASD, ensuring demographic similarity between groups. On-label prescribing for various medication types, including ADHD medications, antidepressants, anxiolytics, antiepileptics, and mood stabilizers/antipsychotics will be the primary outcome. On-label prescribing will be defined as patients with a diagnosis followed by a respective prescription fill within 7 days. Difference in number of medication types will be examined between the ASD and control group using negative binomial regression. Our project is guided by a team of research and clinical experts convened from the state. On-going meetings will help ensure that analyses and research questions are relevant to improving health outcomes in Maine. By fostering a deeper understanding of these prescribing patterns, healthcare providers in Maine can better tailor treatment strategies to meet the diverse needs of individuals with ASD, ultimately improving their overall quality of life. | |
| 2025032502 |
University of Utah Jaewhan, Kim - Prof. |
N/A | 8/26/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2022 – Q4 2023 Custom Extract: Includes Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Pharmacy Claims, Pharmacy Eligibility, Practitioner Identifiable Data, City/Zip and Race and Ethnicity. | This project aims to provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of bariatric surgery versus weight loss medications among Maine residents. The Maine Health Data Organization (MHDO) data will play a crucial role in achieving the project's objectives by providing comprehensive information on patient demographics, clinical characteristics and allowing for a detailed comparison between individuals who undergo bariatric surgery and those who receive weight loss medications. The project will examine four key areas: 1.) Differences in characteristics of subjects undergoing bariatric surgery versus weight loss medication treatment. 2.) Differences in the incidence of mental disorders following bariatric surgery compared to weight loss medication prescriptions. 3.) Comparison of all-cause and diabetes-related ER visits and hospital admissions following bariatric surgery versus weight loss medication prescriptions. 4.) Comparison of total healthcare spending between subjects who underwent bariatric surgery and those who received weight loss medication prescriptions. This research will benefit the citizens of Maine by providing insight into healthcare utilization, cost comparisons, and economic impacts of bariatric surgery and weight loss medications. Findings will help Maine policymakers and healthcare organizations develop cost-effective obesity management strategies. We plan to publish 4 papers using MHDO data in open access journals. As part of our dissemination plan, we will share all key findings and reports with the Maine Quality Forum (MQF), a state agency that plays a vital role in informing public health policy in Maine. This will facilitate timely dissemination and use of our research to support data-driven policy decisions aimed at improving healthcare delivery and population health in Maine. By bridging clinical evidence with policy application, this work will enhance healthcare practices, optimize resource use, and promote healthier communities throughout Maine. | |
| 2025032201 |
Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) Holladay Ford, Darcy |
N/A | 7/23/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2022 – Q4 2023 Custom Extract: Includes Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Pharmacy Claims, Pharmacy Eligibility, Practitioner Identifiable Data, MHDO De-Identified Person Directory, and City/Zip, Race and Ethnicity. | This research project is conducting a Medicare Advantage (MA) analysis in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation. Our Medicare Advantage analysis aims to understand Medicare Advantage plan enrollment by year, the associated medical costs, and differences in utilization by plan type (PPO, HMO, EPO). Rural versus metropolitan areas are particularly interesting, allowing the research team to compare Maine, which has a primarily rural designation, with Virginia and Colorado, which balance urban and rural areas in the CO frontier. The benefits to the citizens of Maine are to understand the footprint of MA plans in their aging populations and what impact this enrollment has on meeting the needs of their aging populations. Additionally, this analysis will be published nationally on the Commonwealth's website, allowing for a national understanding of Maine's MA footprint compared to Virginia's and Colorado's. This will allow for a greater understanding of regional drivers of Medicare Advantage enrollment, increase transparency, and allow for benchmarking across states. The analysis also examines the proportion of dually eligible members enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and ancillary services and screenings coverage. This study aims to understand the cost and utilization impact of a growing Medicare Advantage (MA) population across states. | |
| 2025032002 |
Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) Holladay Ford, Darcy |
N/A | 7/23/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2022 – Q4 2023 Custom Extract: Includes Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Pharmacy Claims, Pharmacy Eligibility, Practitioner Identifiable Data, MHDO De-Identified Person Directory, and City/Zip, Race and Ethnicity. | The Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC) Research & Evaluation team will conduct a cross-sectional analysis of maternal care trends through a health equity lens, focusing on the material prevalence of Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder compared to controls across states, and examining procedures and diagnoses by member demographics. Rural versus metropolitan areas are of particular interest, allowing the research team to compare Maine, which has a primarily rural designation, with Virginia and Colorado, which have a balance of urban and rural areas in the CO frontier. The benefits to the citizens of Maine is to understand the maternal outcomes of a high-risk population to potentially allow for future intervention to lower an ever-growing maternal mortality and morbidity rate. Specifically, we are interested in understanding key maternal care measures among different groups, including those by age, race and ethnicity, geography, and among individuals with comorbidities or chronic conditions. This project aligns with our maternal health research agenda, and allow for a comprehensive comparative analysis of key therapeutic interventions, including treatments for anxiety and depression, as well as occupational therapy and physical therapy, to improve outcomes. Maternal care measures will be calculated using the CPT/ICD Procedure and Provider Taxonomy codes. They may include prenatal care, vaginal versus cesarean delivery, complication rates, types of delivery providers, and lactation support. | |
| 2025052101 |
InterMed, P.A. Weiss, Diana |
N/A | 7/17/2025 | MHDO Level II Q3 2024 – Q2 2025 Medical Claims including City/ZIP and Practitioner Identifiable data. | This data request seeks to add additional quarters of MHDO data (Q3 2024 – Q2 2025) to previously approved data request number 2023121501. InterMed is a physician-owned medical group founded on the goals of patient centered primary care that is enhanced by integrated specialty services. InterMed serves patients in the community through practice sites in Portland, South Portland, and Yarmouth with the driving vision of care without compromise, every patient, all the time. InterMed plans on using MHDO’s medical claims and eligibility data to identify opportunities to improve access, quality, and cost of care. For example, identify where patients are driving long distances to receive regular care for chronic conditions like diabetes. Identify potential locations to expand services including community based ambulatory care, partnerships with employers and regional health systems that will improve access. That is why we are requesting demographic information to include patient zip code, location of healthcare services and providers throughout the state as well as details on diagnoses and procedures. InterMed also plans on using claims data to better understand the uptake of telehealth and opportunities to enhance those service and potentially integrate remote monitoring for hard to control conditions like hypertension. InterMed will use MHDO data to develop strategies to address clinical and social determinants of health. For example, using diagnosis to risk stratify populations and inform personalized healthcare services like care coordinators and dietitians for the highest risk populations. Benefits to the Citizens of Maine: InterMed’s use of the MHDO data will directly impact quality and operational improvement activities in our organization and thus benefit our patients. This data will help inform our decisions regarding the allocation of primary care and specialty services and enable us to develop targeted new programs. | |
| 2025042801 |
Children's Oral Health Network Matusovic, Becca |
University of Southern Maine and McGuire Consulting Services | 7/17/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2024 – Q4 2025 Dental Claims, Dental Eligibility, Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility including City/ZIP, DOB, FIPS Codes, Anonymous Payer Name/ID and MHDO De-Identified Person Directory including DOB and Race & Ethnicity. | This data request seeks to add additional years of MHDO data to previously approved data request number 2024080201. The Children's Oral Health Network (formerly PCOH) is a broad network of oral health stakeholders who are collaborating toward a shared mission: eradicating dental disease among Maine children. A key piece of this work is to strengthen the capacity of Maine’s oral health service delivery systems to reach all children in Maine with effective preventive and restorative dental care. In order to create a shared understanding of the strengths and challenges of the current delivery system, we propose an analysis of MHDO’s all-payer claims data that will provide a snapshot of current patterns in utilization of preventive and restorative dental services and look at variations in utilization and cost across payer/insurer type, age group, location/geography, provider type, and setting of care. Additionally, summary data will be reported on children's dental health use to the Kids Count Project, as well as the statewide Shared Community Health Needs Assessment and Public Health District data profiles. This project will benefit the people of Maine because it will help to build shared understanding of ways in which the current delivery system is able to meet the needs of Maine children, and what gaps remain. This will allow for collaborative planning to align resources and coordinate efforts to fill the gaps and increase children’s access to recommended oral health care. | |
| 2025031901 |
Maine Cancer Foundation Ruby, Ray |
Human Services Research Institute | 6/9/2025 | MHDO Level II CY 2024 Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Encounter Data, Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Pharmacy Claims, Pharmacy Eligibility and Practitioner Identifiable Data including City/Zip, DOB, Race & Ethnicity, FIPS Codes, Integrated Cancer-Incidence Registry Data, Integrated Vital Statistics Death Data and MHDO De-Identified Person Directory. | This data request seeks to add additional years of MHDO data to previously approved data request number 2023022401. The Maine Cancer Foundation (MCF) used MHDO data to create Maine's first comprehensive Cancer Blueprint focusing on lung and bronchus cancer and then expanded to include colorectal cancer measures. The goal of the Maine Cancer Blueprint is to increase knowledge and awareness of issues related to cancer, expand access to care, and support lifestyle changes to reduce cancer risk by exploring inequities and variations in cancer rates, by examining factors that may influence cancer risk, and analyzing how factors such as social determinants of health, race, ethnicity, insurance status, and socio-economic status influence health outcomes. The current website can be found here https://mainecancer.org/maine-cancer-blueprint. The website provides credible, detailed data points that are publicly available to Maine clinical experts, residents and others who are interested in actionable statistics related to cancer in Maine. The MCF is moving on to the next phase of this project with the focus on updating existing measures and adding more detailed measures on breast cancer. The Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) is supporting MCF with using the MHDO data for identifying and creating measures that will report variations in cancer incidence, mortality, cost, screening rates, and access to care across Maine. The dataset may be used for ad hoc reporting requests directed by an advisory group formed by the MCF and comprised of clinical and other public health experts. | |
| 2025031701 |
Maine Quality Forum Harrington, Karynlee |
University of Southern Maine and McGuire Consulting Services | 6/9/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2024 – Q4 2025 Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Pharmacy Claims, Pharmacy Eligibility and Practitioner Identifiable Data including City/ZIP, DOB, Payer Group ID, Payer Name/ID, and Anonymous Payer Name/ID. | Public Law 244, An Act to Establish Transparency in Primary Care Spending; and Public Law 603, An Act Regarding Reporting on Behavioral Health Care Services requires the Maine Quality Forum (MQF) to produce annual spending reports for primary care and behavioral health care services in Maine using data from the Maine Health Data Organization. This request updates the data time-period of the previously authorized data request numbers 2023060701 and 2024042901 by adding the two most recent CY data sets for 2024 and 2025. The report will include the percentage paid (claims and non-claims payments) as a percentage of the respective total medical expenditures for primary care and behavioral health care by commercial insurers, the MaineCare program, Medicare, and the State Employee Plan and the Maine Education Association Benefits Trust; as well as the average percentage of total medical expenditures paid for primary care and behavioral health care across all payors. The reports will be submitted in January 2026 and 2027 to the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health coverage and health insurance matters. Copies of most recent reports can be found here: https://mhdo.maine.gov/mqf.html. Purpose of Request/Benefits to the Citizens of Maine/Public Reporting Plans: Legislative mandate. | |
| 2024092501 |
MaineHealth Anne Ponsor |
N/A | 5/14/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2022- Q4 2025 Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Encounter Data, Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Pharmacy Claims, Pharmacy Eligibility including City/ZIP, Practitioner Identifiers, Anonymous Payer Name/ID, Integrated Vital Statistics Birth and Death data and Integrated Cancer-Incidence Registry Data. | This data request seeks to add additional years of MHDO data to previously approved data request number 2018062601. The Maine Health Data Organization (MHDO) data will be used to support MaineHealth’s mission to improve the health and well-being of communities across Maine by identifying opportunities to enhance outcomes, care coordination, and cost-effectiveness of services. MaineHealth will leverage MHDO data to develop and evaluate strategic plans, clinical service distribution, medical staff development and facility plans, Certificate of Need applications, and community health programming. The continuation of this data access is vital to maintaining longitudinal analyses that inform strategies aimed at improving care. Additionally, this data will support the hospital Implementation Plans required by the Affordable Care Act and in partnership with Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), a cross-state and multi-organization effort aimed at improving health outcomes for the citizens of Maine. For example, the 2022 CHNA forums identified Access to Care as a top priority for Cumberland County. In response to that priority, MaineHealth's Implementation Strategy was to "Ensure equitable access to care by supporting people with transportation and/or interpreter/translation services". To that end, MaineHealth increased video interpretation abilities at their care sites, and increased transportation support for patients. Data from the MHDO such as patient zip code and other demographic information are crucial to understand which strategies may be most effective. By leveraging demographic data such as zip codes, MaineHealth seeks to enhance access to care, increase quality, and ensure that services are close to home while addressing key public health concerns, including chronic conditions and social determinants of health. The MHDO Integrated Vital Statistics Birth and Death data are valuable data sources for understanding health care disparities in Maine due to individual poverty, regional poverty, and access to care. Using the MHDO Integrated Cancer-Incidence Registry data will be an incredibly powerful tool to understand relationships for malignancies in Maine, which are the second leading cause of death. The insights derived from MHDO data will directly benefit MaineHealth’s patients and communities by enabling evidence-based decision-making, fostering better outcomes, and aligning services with the needs of Maine’s population. Furthermore, these data will inform resource allocation decisions and strategic planning efforts, ensuring that MaineHealth can effectively address evolving healthcare challenges and improve health equity across the state. | |
| 2025010801 |
ME CDC Harakall, Maryann |
N/A | 4/8/2025 | MHDO Level II Q1 2023 – Q4 2025 Hospital Inpatient Encounter Data including City/ZIP, DOB, FIPS Code, Race & Ethnicity and Integrated Vital Statistics Birth and Death data | The Maine CDC Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program ensures the health of Maine’s birthing people, women, children, and youth, including children with special healthcare needs, and their families. The Maine CDC MCH epidemiologists propose using MHDO integrated vital statistics and inpatient hospital encounter data to conduct routine surveillance of key maternal and child health indicators, analyze risk and protective factors associated with preventable morbidity and mortality, and assess disparities by education, insurance type, race, ethnicity, age, and geography. MHDO’s integrated data set will help improve the understanding of the determinants of health and preventable morbidity and mortality in the MCH population. The results will enable Maine’s MCH leaders to conduct effective program planning, obtain federal funding, and make data-informed decisions to support the health and well-being of Maine’s MCH populations. | |
| 2024020903 |
Maine DHHS, Rural Health & Primary Care Tripp, Merica |
JSI | 3/27/2025 | Custom Level II MHDO Data Extract Q2 2023 – Q1 2024 Medical Claims, Medical Eligibility, Dental Claims, Dental Eligibility including City/ZIP, DOB, FIPS Codes and Practitioner Identifiable Data. | This data request seeks to add additional years of MHDO data (Q2 2023 – Q1 2024) to previously approved data request number 2018020501. This data will be used solely in support of the ME DHHS objectives related to their contracted work with JSI to provide "Health Professional Shortage Area Designation Assistance and Primary Care Workforce Data Management and Analysis". This work involves two separate but related components. 1) The evaluation, submission, & maintenance of federal Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations to the federal Health Resources and Services Admin, Bureau of Health Workforce. These designations, which cover medical, dental, & mental health professions, are dictated by federal regulations that govern how areas of need are identified and defined. HPSA designation provides access to a range of federal resources to support primary care access and provider workforce recruitment and retention in the designated areas. 2) To conduct a broad based and inclusive analysis of primary care workforce capacity and accessibility, and to examine the patient access patterns in support of service area definition. The claims data can be used in support of both objectives. For federal HPSA designation, the regulations establish that a certain number of Medicaid claims provided can be equated to a provider Full Time Equivalent (FTE) for use in the Population-to-Provider FTE ratio which determines eligibility. Beyond Medicaid, the other claims data classifications will help to validate the location of providers in the state overall-another federal requirement and a useful process for analysis overall. We will further use the analysis of patient origin town/zip, in combination with the destination (provider) town/zip to examine accessibility to primary care services in terms of drive time minutes for the population in the area, as well as the frequency of service utilization. Benefit to Citizens of Maine: Use of this data will result in more accurate and comprehensive analysis of HPSA eligibility and the definition of more representative service areas. The likelihood of obtaining or retaining HPSA designations will be increased, while the level of effort and accuracy of the data will be greatly decreased compared to the traditional process of surveying providers to obtain their estimated of hours and service to the Medicaid population. | |
| 2024121601 |
ME CDC Harakall, Maryann |
N/A | 3/10/2025 | MHDO Level II Q3 2024 – Q4 2025 Hospital Inpatient Encounter Data including City/ZIP, DOB, FIPS Code and Race & Ethnicity | This data request seeks to add an additional year of MHDO data to previously approved data request number 2023010301. In 2021 Maine received funds to become part of the National Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM). This ongoing initiative involves engaging hospitals in the implementation of patient safety bundles designed to improve the quality of health care provided to women around the time of pregnancy with the overall goal to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Currently, 49 US states are enrolled in the AIM initiative. As part of this initiative, states are asked to provide administrative data on severe maternal morbidity by hospital (de-identified) to monitor progress on QI efforts. Maine selected to focus on maternal hypertension as the state's first QI initiative. There are currently 20 Maine birthing hospitals currently participating in the project. Maine people will benefit from a data-driven approach to implementing best practices related to reducing maternal morbidity and improving care for pregnant people with severe hypertension. MHDO data will allow for ongoing monitoring of maternal morbidity to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of these evidence-based practices in Maine hospitals. |