09 Mar Health Data News Roundup: Regional MA Plan Growth; 14.3M Enrolled in an ACO for 2026; and the HTI-5 Proposed Rule

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.

Stability Drives Record Growth for Regional Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Advantage enrollment grew less than 1% during this past annual enrollment period, but beneath that modest topline number was national payers shedding hundreds of thousands of members while smaller and regional plans posted some of the largest enrollment gains, according to Becker’s Payer Issues.

CMS Estimates 14.3M Medicare Beneficiaries are Enrolled in an ACO for 2026
The number of Medicare beneficiaries treated in ACOs continues to rise, according to new data from the Trump administration with CMS saying 14.3 million people are enrolled in an ACO as of January 2026, up by 4.4 percent 2025, according to Fierce Healthcare.

Industry Groups Weigh in on HTI-5 Proposed Rule
The HHS Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP)/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) received more than 6,400 public comments on its proposed rule aimed at health IT deregulation, according to xtelligent Health IT and EHR.

Permanente Federation CIO Sees AI Impacting Care System Navigation
Kaiser Permanente is exploring AI to improve care navigation, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing patient experience, while also having human oversight, according to Healthcare Innovation.

Exploring New Models That Encourage Primary Care ACO Participation
CMS initiatives such as APCM, Primary Care Flex, and LEAD models aim to boosting primary care physician participation within ACOs, emphasizing proactive care, flexible payments, and tailored support for high-need populations, according to Healthcare Innovation.

Elevance Health’s Plan for a More Connected Healthcare Experience
Elevance Health is using AI to simplify healthcare interactions and make them more personal, and the payer believes that real transformation starts with keeping people at the center of every innovation, including AI, according to Modern Healthcare.