15 Apr Health Data News Roundup: ONC and Hospital Data Usage; CMS Finalizes Medicare Advantage; and Data Scientists in High Demand

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.

ONC: Hospitals Provide Health Data Access, But Many Don’t Use It
Nearly all hospitals provided patients with the ability to electronically view and download their health information in 2017, but fewer than one-quarter of their patients activated access to their patient portal, according to the ONC.

CMS Finalizes Medicare Advantage, Part D Payment Policies
CMS has finalized new Medicare Advantage and Part D payment policies for 2020 that will increase competition among health plans, leading to higher quality care at lower costs.

DirectTrust Working to Develop Health Data Exchange Standards
DirectTrust furthered its efforts to develop health data exchange standards using Direct exchange and trust frameworks by earning accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Anthem Joins Stanford Initiative to Find Benefits from AI
Anthem Blue Cross is joining a Stanford University initiative that aims to advance the development of artificial intelligence for use within healthcare.

Cigna, Express Scripts Partner to Cut Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs
Cigna and Express Scripts have launched a program to reduce out-of-pocket insulin costs for patients with diabetes.

Data Scientists in High Demand for Healthcare Providers, Payers
Healthcare providers and payers are competing furiously with health IT vendors to secure experienced data scientists and machine learning experts in a highly competitive job market, according to a new study.

AHRQ Awards Physician $1.1M Grant for Clinical Decision Support
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has awarded Thomas G. McGinn, MD, with a three-year, $1.14 million grant to build a clinical decision support system designed to reduce provider frustrations during care delivery.