News: CMS launches pilot to give clinicians direct access to claims data
CMS unveiled a new pilot program last week that will give clinicians direct access to Medicare beneficiaries’ claims data, HealthLeaders Media reported. CMS Administrator Seema Verma says the “Data at the Point of Care” (DPC) pilot is designed to improve care, sharpen diagnoses, and reduce redundant services by knocking down silos that prevent patients and their providers from accessing their complete health history in one record.
“Technology, coupled with open data sharing, is how we will improve value, control costs, and keep patients our healthcare system into the 21st century,” Verma said in prepared remarks.
Clinicians in the DPC pilot program can request a Medicare beneficiary’s claims data from CMS to get a full history of care, including from other healthcare providers. The pilot will rely on Health Level 7's Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource (FHIR) standard, a widely used protocol that joins systems to promote interoperability and data sharing.
The DPC pilot is the latest attempt to improve access to healthcare data for clinicians and beneficiaries that the Trump administration has rolled out over the past two years under its MyHealthEData initiative, according to HealthLeaders Media.
Clinicians who want to participate in the DPC pilot program can sign up by clicking here. Beneficiaries who wish to opt out of data sharing can do so by calling 1-800-Medicare.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in HealthLeaders Media. To learn more about the MyHealthEData initiative, click here.