16 Jul Health Data News Roundup: Connected Care Pilot Program; CMS Suspends Risk Adjustment Payments; and SHIEC Social Determinants Committee

Welcome to the Health Data Weekly News Roundup from IMAT Solutions. As the power of data continues to grow in the healthcare arena, today’s care organizations need to be on the forefront of all news and trends to help ensure that their data analytics efforts deliver accountable and informed care. Each week, we will provide you with the actionable news you need to meet these goals.

FCC to launch $100M Connected Care Pilot Program
The FCC intends to create a new $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program supporting the use of telemedicine solutions for low-income and rural Americans, as well as veterans, in order to improve health outcomes, reduce costs and increase access to healthcare.

Medicare Advantage Savings, Outcomes Exceed Fee-For-Service
The Medicare Advantage (MA) program has surpassed Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) in developing positive member healthcare outcomes and reducing care costs, according to a new study.

CMS Suspends $10.4B in Risk Adjustment Payments to Payers
CMS has temporarily withheld $10.4 billion in risk adjustment payments for 654 healthcare payers, citing a ruling in the US District Court of New Mexico that invalidated the agency’s risk adjustment methodology.

UnitedHealthcare Invests Millions in Social Determinants of Health
UnitedHealthcare has awarded multimillion-dollar grants to community health organizations to help address the social determinants of health in Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, and Louisiana, the health plan has announced.

How to Create a Standardized Nationwide Patient Matching Strategy
A nationwide patient matching strategy should be led by the private-sector and spearheaded by a neutral coordinating organization to ensure flexibility, transparency, and standardization, according to several healthcare industry leaders.

Montefiore’s ROI on Social Determinants Investments
Montefiore Health System in the Bronx has tackled the social determinants of health by investing in housing, a move that has cut down on emergency room visits and unnecessary hospitalizations for an annual 300 percent return on investment.

SHIEC Establishes Social Determinants Committee
The Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative (SHIEC) has established a Social Determinants Committee, with the core aim to help SHIEC better focus on identifying and linking social determinants of health (SDOH) data and best practices between societal sectors across the country.