10 Dec Health Data News Roundup: Behavioral Health and Health Data Exchange; ACA Exchanges and Payers; and the HASA Podcast Interview

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.

Integrating EHR Use, Health Data Exchange Into Behavioral Health
While EHR systems and health data exchange solutions have been common tools within hospitals and physician practices for nearly a decade, many behavioral healthcare providers are just beginning to integrate EHR use into care delivery.

Narrow Network Health Plans Continue to Dominate ACA Exchanges
Seventy-two percent of health plans on the ACA exchanges feature narrow networks, according to a new study.

AMA Study Finds Lack of Health Payer Competition Across US
Annual AMA study of health insurance industry shows a lack of competition in half of the United States.

How HIE Adoption Simplifies, Streamlines Health Data Exchange
After years of frustration among stakeholders over the lack of complete, timely health data exchange across the healthcare sector, CMS is taking a firm stance on interoperability with its Promoting Interoperability programs.

Consumers Maintaining Positive Health Savings Accounts
Today, there are more than 23.4 million health savings accounts (HSAs) across the country, with assets of more than $51 billion, according to a new report.

Most EHR Vendors Have Enabled CommonWell, Carequality Connection
The majority of EHR vendors with sizeable market share currently enable providers to connect with CommonWell or Carequality, indicating the healthcare industry may be poised for a breakthrough in interoperability.

PODCAST: Phil Beckett, Interim CEO at HASA, Discusses Why Data Confidence Matters
In this podcast interview, Phil Beckett, Interim CEO at HASA, the health information exchange for North, South and West Texas regions, discusses why data quality and confidence matters for HIEs, and much more.