20 Jul Health Data News Roundup: Payers Recommend More Federal Funds; Value-Based Care and Small Practices; and Telehealth Update

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.

Payers Recommend More Federal Funds for MA, Medicaid, Employers
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) have called on Congress to ensure access to coronavirus care and healthcare coverage through federal funds.

Payer Fuses Value-Based Care, Support Payments for Small Practices
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts announced a new value-based payment model that offers small practices financial support through a global payment, upside risk incentives, and an immediate support payment.

Payers Can Use Telehealth to Increase Convenience for Members
As payers lean more heavily on remote care, consumers stressed the need for greater convenience in care delivery and prefer to turn to telehealth and digital solutions, in part, as the answer, according to a recent CVS Health study.

Private Payer COVID-19 Reimbursement Rates Are Twice Medicare Rates
Private payers are paying far more for coronavirus-related healthcare services than Medicare, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation brief discovered.

Health Pros: Do Not Wait to Measure ONC Interoperability Rule
Three healthcare professionals recommend that the ONC does not wait 24 to 36 months to conduct a comprehensive measurement on the ONC interoperability rule.

Using Health Information Exchange to Automate Disease Reporting
Regenstrief and Indiana University utilized Indiana’s statewide health information exchange data to automate a previously burdensome process.

VA Implements Platform to Increase EHR Interoperability for Veterans
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched the Veterans Data Integration and Federation Enterprise Platform (VDIF EP) to promote and increase interoperability for veterans.

Joint Initiative Council Adds LOINC to Interoperability Coalition
The Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) health dataset has been inducted as the newest member of the Joint Initiative Council (JIC) for Global Health Informatics Standardization.