02 Mar Health Data News Roundup: ONC Interoperability Debate; Combating EHR Clinician Burden; and HASA 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.

Debate Over ONC Interoperability Rule Roils Onward
Leaders at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF Health) have penned a letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar in support of the ONC for Health Information Technology’s proposed interoperability rule.

Managed Care Organizations Lead to 27 Percent Lower Prescription Costs
Managed care organizations are providing Medicaid programs with lower cost prescription drugs, resulting in as much as $6.5 billion in net savings in fiscal year 2018, according to a recent report by AHIP.

HHS Finalizes Strategies to Combat EHR Clinician Burden
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a set of strategies aimed at combating health IT-related burdens on healthcare providers.

Outpatient Costs Push Spending in Employer-Sponsored Health Plans
Employer-sponsored health plans spent $5,892 per plan member in 2018, most of which went towards emergency department visits and other outpatient services, according to a report by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI).

Aetna Offers Atlanta Employers Fully-Insured, Self-Insured Plans
Aetna Whole Health will offer employers access to self-insured and fully-insured plan options that focus on better care coordination through accountable care organizations (ACOs) and incorporating upside risk value-based contracting.

Pew to Develop Roadmap on Biometrics to Enhance Patient Matching
Pew Charitable Trusts and RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, announced a partnership to develop the use of biometric technology to enhance patient matching in healthcare settings.

HASA Removing Health Information Exchange Barriers for Hospitals and Providers in Texas
Last week, HASA announced that it has received a Texas Health Information Exchange Implementation Advanced Planning Document (HIE IAPD) contract aimed at removing cost barriers for HIE participation in Texas.