11 Dec Health Data News Roundup: Payers and Healthcare IT for Cost Optimization; Medicare Advantage Gold Rush Potentially Over; and New MSSP ACO

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.

Payers Embrace Healthcare IT for Cost Optimization, Member Engagement
Payers are investing in healthcare IT resources to support cost optimization and improve member experience, according to a study from EY-Parthenon and KLAS Research.

Is the Medicare Advantage ‘Gold Rush’ Over?
The Medicare Advantage gold rush is slowing down, as highlighted by this recent Wall Street Journal column, which point to the potential merger between Humana and Cigna as the key indicator for this trend.

More Provider Orgs Have Value-Based Contracts With Private Payers
More provider organizations are participating in value-based contracts outside Medicare, as three-quarters of respondents were under contracts with commercial and Medicare Advantage plans in 2022, according to a recent study.

Aledade to Launch Community Health Center-Only MSSP ACO in Virginia
Aledade is working with several community health centers (CHCs) to launch Virginia’s first CHC-only accountable care organization in the Medicare Shared Savings Program next year.

ONC-Funded Project Taps FHIR for Clinical Research EHR Data Access
An ONC-funded research team has developed two new platforms that leverage FHIR to support standardized EHR data access for clinical research scalability, according to this recent EHR Intelligence article.

Four Things to Know From the UnitedHealth Investor Conference
UnitedHealth Group recently hosted its annual investor conference, where it detailed key strategic initiatives ranging from value-based care to consumerism – and here are the top 4 takeaways.

States Ramp Up Scrutiny of Payers’ AI Use
States are ramping up scrutiny over how insurers across industries are deploying artificial intelligence for underwriting purposes. The state-level actions come as federal lawmakers increasingly question health insurers’ use of AI and automated tools.