The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared skeptical that state officials have the power to require health insurers to turn over reams of data revealing how much they pay for medical claims.
Most of the justices seemed to agree during a one-hour argument that efforts by Vermont and other states to collect and publicize the data conflict with federal law governing certain health plans.
Vermont is one of at least 18 states that gather health care claims data in an effort to keep down health costs, increase competition and improve quality. More than a dozen other states are interested in starting up similar databases to compile health claims and allow consumers to compare plans.
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