HIT News

News & Updates

November 18, 2021

Addressing GFE and AEOB:

No Surprises Act National Summit

This past Tuesday WEDI convened industry stakeholders to discuss the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and Advanced Explanation of Benefits (AEOB) requirements of the 2020 No Surprises Act. The goal for the Summit was to not only identify challenges, but develop consensus recommendations on how best to implement the GFE and AEOB provisions of the law. Facilitators from different stakeholder groups were present to lead the discussion throughout the day. The Summit sessions focused on workflow considerations, technical specifications, and implementation issues. Special thanks to Availity for sponsoring the summit so that everyone could attend free of cost. Use the link below to access the recorded summit.

NSA Summit On-Demand

January 13

Free for WEDI Members

February 16

Free for WEDI Members

WEDI Awards: Call for Nominations

Make your Nominations before Thanksgiving

Deadline November 26th

As we think back on all of the virtual events, workgroup meetings and papers that we have produced in 2021, it is clear that none of it would have been possible without our outstanding members. The WEDI staff and leadership believe our organization has the best community of volunteers and it is important that we highlight the time and work that so many of you dedicate to WEDI.

The bestowing of the WEDI Awards is a long standing tradition that recognizes those volunteer members and organizations that have gone above and beyond to make positive changes to our nation’s health care system. Award winners are nominated by their peers, which makes the honor even more meaningful.

As a WEDI member, we encourage you to think about which workgroup and subworkgroup colleagues have made significant contributions and nominate them for an award.

Submit Your Nominations

Harnessing Electronic Health Data in the Palm of Your Hand: New Survey Data Shows Increasing Availability of Patient-Facing APIs and Early Uptake by Patients

ONC recently published two data briefs that explore the current state of patient electronic access to health information. These briefs – Hospital Capabilities to Enable Patient Electronic Access to Health Information, 2019 and Individuals’ Access and Use of Patient Portals and Smartphone Health Apps, 2020 – provide new insights into the adoption of secure, standards-based APIs by hospitals, and their subsequent use by patients via their smartphone health apps.

Learn More

Information Sharing After the 21st Century Cures Act

The Cures Act’s information blocking provision requires new thinking, new practices, and adjustments to prior norms. It also potentially makes the “starting line” for evaluating whether a given practice might be considered information blocking different depending on the fact pattern and the actor(s) involved (health care providers, health IT developers of certified health IT, and health information networks or health information exchanges, as defined in the information blocking regulations). As a result, understanding how the information blocking provision may apply to particular practices must account for case-by-case details, including whether a regulatory exception has been met, what an actor’s intent was, and whether an interference in the access, exchange, or use of EHI has occurred.

Learn More

ONC Seeks Input

Are there any state/other laws that you think require an actor to deny access, exchange, or use of EHI; or require practices that may rise to the level of an interference depending on how the law is met by the actor?

Submit Input

Resources for You

WEDI Spotlight: Standards and Operating Rules

WEDI held a webinar for members to attend this important spotlight as SDOs (Standard Development Organizations) and Operating Rules Entities offering updates on their activities and addressing any questions from the audience. Members could learn more about these organizations; their activities, workgroups, products, and how to participate.

Learn More

CMS has created a series of fact sheets to help explain how HIPAA electronic adopted transactions streamline health care billing through the use of standards and operating rules.

Inclusion In Health Technology Assessments:

The First Step Toward Equity

Many researchers working on health technology assessments (HTAs) are keen to address disparities in health care. But the COVID-19 pandemic and recent prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement have cast a bright spotlight on structural racism in the US and elsewhere, showing that addressing health disparities after they are established is both too late and not enough. To eliminate health disparities, researchers have been called on to examine underlying inequities, specifically the ways that systematic exclusions are baked into the principles, data, approaches, and even objective methods that we use in our work. To be accountable for our own role in perpetuating health disparities, researchers must examine how our assumptions and approaches perpetuate racism.

Learn More

HL7 FHIR Connectathon (CST)

January 10-22

X12 Winter 2022 Standing Meeting

January 23 – February 2

Hot Headlines:

Get to know the WEDI Board:

WEDI Board member, Claire Hueholt-Krumnow (Anthem) loved wining and dining in beautiful Hungary.

WEDI President & CEO, Charles Stellar loves traveling and new experiences like climbing the Sydney Harbour bridge.

Prior Authorization Subworkgroup

The next meeting will be

November 23rd from 1:30-2:30ET.

Contact sholvey@wedi.org

to get involved

WEDI Workgroups

WEDI workgroups provide thoughtful leadership and common-sense approaches that enhance the exchange of clinical and administrative healthcare information. They collect input, exchange ideas, and make recommendations that inspire impactful and far-reaching change in our industry.

LEARN MORE & JOIN TODAY

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