title: A health plan prescription for health information technology.
abstract: The economic stimulus law of 2009 included incentive payments to encourage providers and hospitals to adopt and "meaningfully use" electronic health records. One resource was excluded from these regulations: patient data from the patient's health insurer, although health insurance companies tie together multiple sectors of the healthcare industry in a single patient-centered data form known as the claims history. They also have considerable experience with information technology (IT). As a result, they are uniquely positioned to move adoption of health IT systems forward. Health plan technologies should be included in the meaningful-use requirements. The result will be additional functionality, which in the end will improve quality, lower costs, and improve individual health.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Transformation, Washington, DC 20005, USA. info@healthtransformation.net
authors.forename: Newt
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gingrich
authors.forename: Malik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasan
mesh_terms: D005380:Financing, Government; D018166:Health Care Reform; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000191:economics*; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive; D014481:United States