03 Jun Health Data News Roundup: Senate Bill About Health Information Exchange; Sequoia Project and ONC Proposed Interoperability Rule; and BCBS and Wearables

Welcome to the Health Data Weekly News Round Up 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.

Senate Draft Bill Promotes Exchange of Health Information
Draft legislation released by the Senate health committee for public comment would not only reduce healthcare costs but is also meant to improve patient access to data, according to this recent Health Data Management article.

Breaking Down the Senate Draft Bill on Patient Healthcare Costs
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently released a discussion draft on legislation that would address healthcare costs, patient financial responsibility, surprise medical bills, and public health.

Sequoia Project Seeks Clarity in ONC Proposed Interoperability Rule
The Sequoia Project generally commended ONC’s proposed rule related to interoperability, information blocking, but requested federal regulators more clearly define terms such as “access,” “exchange,” “use,” and “electronic health information” (EHI) in the finalized rule.

EHRA: ONC Interoperability Proposed Rule Discourages Innovation
The EHR Association (EHRA) expressed concern that ONC’s proposed rule on interoperability and information blocking may have too broad a reach and extend beyond Congressional intent in a summary of its drafted comments.

Most Medicare Dual-Eligibles See Social Determinants of Health
Over half of dual-eligible Medicare Advantage beneficiaries experience the social determinants of health, revealing a need for better social health programming within the program, according to data presented by Avalere at ISPOR 2019.

Prescription Drug Spending Varies by Private, Public Payers
Medicare, Medicaid, and private payers covered 82 percent of prescription drug spending in 2017, according to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).

BCBS Adds mHealth Wearables to Wellness Program With Garmin Partnership
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is adding a new mHealth platform to its health and wellness program, giving health plans and members an opportunity to track health and fitness data through wearables.