Early on, MedAllies has been involved with other providers and payers in building two of the foundation stones needed to safeguard and transmit medical records. John Finch said HAHV has participated in both.
The Connect project is a state-led effort to assure the electronic communication of secure records. The Direct project defines protocols for sharing health information; in 2010, the Hudson Valley became one of seven pilot sites in the country chosen to demonstrate the use of Direct standards within health information exchanges.
Building a more closely integrated system out of a series of disconnected, fragmented parts, like the American health system is struggling to do, will take a very long time. There unfortunately is no magic wand that will allow the work to go faster. The evolution of a series of tools over considerable time will eventually provide a more precise common language for American healthcare.
Medicare reimbursement
Medicare last month took a shot across the bow of America’s hospitals. It disclosed that it was giving bonuses and penalties of almost a billion dollars tied to the quality of care provided to hospital patients. The payments, which began this month, mark the federal government’s most extensive effort to hold hospitals financially accountable for what happens to patients. Medicare said it was rewarding 1557 hospitals with more money and reducing payments to 1427 others.
The assessment used two vastly different quality standards. One dealt with whether hospitals utilized value-based purchasing strategies. The other was based on the ratio of hospital readmissions.
The federal program will expand each year for at least the next four years.
