18 Mar What the ONC Interoperability Rule Means to Payers

In the wake of HIMSS20 being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ONC still moved forward with the publishing of its long-awaited interoperability rule last week.

According to HHS, the new rules are the most extensive healthcare data-sharing policies yet implemented by the federal government, and aims to hold public and private entities accountable for enabling easy electronic access to health information.

In response, there were many published statements from industry providers and associations such as Cerner and the American Medical Association (AMA). Many payers and associated groups also chimed into the discussion.

“Americans should be able to get their health care information when they need it, in a format that is convenient for them, to help them make better, more informed health care choices. That’s why health insurance providers continue to make personalized tools available to deliver actionable health information, from patient portals to mobile apps and telehealth services,” said Matt Eyles, President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), in this statement.

In addition, Health Payer Intelligence is offering this deep-dive take on AHIP’s perspective on the interoperability rule. It also highlights how AHIP believes that protecting patients’ data privacy is lacking in the new interoperability rule.

“Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies believe empowering consumers with the right information at the right time, and in a secure way, is critical to driving positive health outcomes. This starts with the seamless flow of health information among patients, doctors, hospitals and insurance companies, stronger privacy and security measures to protect personal health information, and more advanced data sharing standards to improve and simplify the healthcare experience,” said Justine Handelman of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association here.

Though according to a recent Fierce Healthcare article, the COVID-19 pandemic may have a negative impact. According to the article, many payers said that HHS timelines to implement interoperability regulations are “troubling,” and not realistic given the current evolving health situation.

“The timeline was overly ambitious in the first place. Add everyone’s response to the pandemic and the timeline is more difficult to meet,” Danielle Lloyd, senior vice president of quality and private market at AHIP, in the article.

In the wake of both the new interoperability rule and coronavirus dominating the news cycle, we will be publishing more content in the coming weeks about how IMAT Solutions can help payers best manage this ever-changing landscape through the collection, aggregation, analysis, reporting and auditing of clinical, claims and member data.