02 Sep Health Data News Roundup: Blue Cross and Social Determinants of Health; Payers Making Data Actionable; and eHealth Exchange News

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.

Blue Cross Plan Doubles Housing Investments To Address Social Determinants
One of the nation’s largest Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans is more than doubling its investments in housing and related support to the homeless and those who cannot afford rent as health insurers intensify their efforts to address social determinants of health.

How Payers Transform Volumes of Data into Actionable Information
With the volume of information payers have and the limitless challenges in healthcare, how can payers effectively leverage data? Payers should assemble dedicated provider teams to sift through the data, according to Leanne Metcalfe, PhD, Executive Director of Data Science at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

Medicare Plan Finder Aims for Price Transparency, Plan Comparison
CMS released a new Medicare Plan Finder, which seeks to streamline price transparency and plan comparison through new features and a refreshed design.

Payers Turn to Younger Vendors for Utilization and Care Management
Not price, not incumbency, but functionality is the key to winning and losing payers’ business, the KLAS Decision Insights Report 2019 indicated. Payers want highly functional, integrated, dynamic systems to support their shift into utilization and care management.

Blue Cross Minnesota Announces $0 Insulin Copay, More Access to Care
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) will offer a $0 insulin copay for commercial, fully-insured members, increasing diabetic members’ access to care, the payer announced.

Nationwide eHealth Exchange Finalizing Carequality Implementation
The eHealth Exchange, the largest network of its kind, is finalizing its Carequality implementation to provide a common gateway for all participants and support additional exchange methods.

FDA Plans to Modernize Infrastructure for Improved Interoperability
The FDA has plans to define its technology infrastructure and framework in order to improve interoperability and inform regulatory decision-making in real time.

Epic to Gather Records of 20 Million Patients for Medical Research
Epic is unveiling a massive data compilation effort intended to gather de-identified patient information from participating systems that eventually could be used by clinicians to improve care decisions.