31 Jul Health Data News Roundup: Data-Sharing Best Practices Playbook; Payers Ranked by Medicare Part D Market Share; and How Elevance Health is Using AI

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.

Biden Admin Proposes Mental Health Parity in Private Health Plans
The Biden-Harris Administration has proposed a rule to improve access to mental healthcare for privately insured Americans by establishing mental health parity requirements.

ONC Adds 20 New Data Elements to USCDI v4 to Drive Interoperability
The ONC has released United States Core Data for Interoperability Version 4 (USCDI v4), which includes 20 additional data elements and a new data class.

AHIP, NAACOS, AMA Publish Data-Sharing Best Practices Playbook
AHIP, the American Medical Association (AMA), and the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) have combined forces to develop data-sharing best practices that organizations may voluntarily adopt to support the growth of value-based care.

New UnitedHealth Study Highlights Disparities in Mental Health
Mental health conditions have been a major topic in the industry, and UnitedHealth highlights widening disparities for vulnerable populations in its America’s Health Rankings, which dive into major healthcare trends across the country.

Medicare Advantage Plans Have Narrow Psychiatrist Networks, Study Finds
Psychiatrist networks in Medicare Advantage plans are narrower than those in Medicaid managed care and Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, according to a new study.

Consumers Blame Payers, Utilization Management for Delays in Care
A new survey found that consumers do not agree that insurers are protecting them from high out-of-pocket costs and find that utilization management practices are culpable for delays in access to care and medications.

Payers Ranked by Medicare Part D Market Share
In an analysis provided by KFF that compared market share for major payers offering both Medicare Advantage plans and stand-alone Part D plans, UnitedHealthcare controls almost 25 percent of the Medicare Part D plan market.

Three Ways Elevance Health is Using AI
Elevance Health is currently using AI for promoting identification of and access to whole health services, a digital concierge care program and employing language models to improve call center efficiency.