04 May Health Data News Roundup: Healthcare AI No Longer Experimental; CMS Health Tech Ecosystem and HIEs; and Prior Authorization Standardization

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.

AI in Healthcare is No Longer Experimental
AI is no longer confined to healthcare pilots and innovation labs, as health systems are increasingly embedding it into clinical workflows, administrative operations, and patient engagement, making leadership alignment, workforce training, and responsible implementation critical for long term success, according to Fast Company.

What the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem “First Wave” Signals for HIEs and the Future of Interoperability
CMS’s Health Tech Ecosystem “First Wave” marks a shift from interoperability planning to real-world deployment, with more than 700 organizations engaged and over 120 actively building tools to support app-based patient access, digital intake, and workflow-integrated data exchange, according to this Civitas blog post.

Health Plans Move to Standardize Prior Authorization Requirements
More than 50 health plans are adopting standardized electronic prior authorization requirements for common medical services, a move designed to reduce administrative burden, improve submission accuracy, and speed patient access to care, according to AHIP.

Aetna Announces Progress on Industry Leading Efforts to Simplify Prior Authorization
In line with the news above, Aetna also announced that it is setting the pace for prior authorization reform, moving faster and further to simplify access to care for patients and providers by standardizing 88% of its prior authorization volume, according to this press release.

Healthcare Business Today: Why MSSP ACOs Must Rethink Data Infrastructure for the APP Era
As CMS shifts MSSP quality reporting toward full population digital measurement, ACOs can no longer rely on sampling and manual chart abstraction to manage performance, and trusted, standardized, and report ready data is now essential for APP success, according to this IMAT blog post.