19 Oct Health Data News Roundup: Payer Consolidation; Blue Shield Promise and LA Care News; and The Sequoia Project New Data Working Group

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.

Payers Integrate Virtual, In-Person Social Determinants Support
As businesses and health centers slowly reopen, Blue Shield Promise and LA Care are finding ways to provide social determinants support both through virtual technology and in-person services.

What Happens if SCOTUS Overturns ACA, Besides Coverage Loss?
With the Supreme Court preparing to make its final ruling on the Affordable Care Act’s constitutionality on November 10, researchers from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Urban Institute have published a list of potential impacts of an Affordable Care Act overturn, going beyond the initial coverage losses.

Exploring 3 Levels of Health Information Exchange, Data Access
Health information exchanges across the country are boosting interoperability by connecting at the state, regional, and national levels.

AMA: 56 Percent Increase in Payer Market Consolidation In Past 5 Years
Payer market consolidation has been increasing over the past five years and this consolidation is having negative effects on consumers, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).

Medicare Advantage HMOs Remain Popular in 2021 Open Enrollment
Medicare Advantage, specifically the Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization (HMO) option, is projected to be the most popular choice once again during open enrollment, according to Commonwealth Fund’s new Medicare Data Hub.

How Do Social Determinants of Health Affect Patient Wellness?
Different social determinants of health affect patient wellness by limiting patient access to key health and lifestyle resources, according to this recent Patient Engagement HIT article.

The Sequoia Project Launches Patient Data Usability Workgroup
The Sequoia Project has created its new Data Usability Workgroup to help health IT stakeholders overcome interoperability barriers.

Feds Map Out Interoperability Strategy for VA, DoD EHR Systems
The Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization (FEHRM) program office has supplemented over $21 billion to modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) and Department of Defense’s (DoD) new EHR systems.