According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), several states will benefit from addition stimulus fund.  The funds are to help setup health information exchanges (HIE).

The health information exchange HIE awards announced today provide approximately $162 million to 16 states and qualified state designated entities (SDEs) to facilitate non-proprietary health information exchange that adheres to national standards.  Health information exchange is critical to enabling care coordination and improving the quality and efficiency of health care.  

“Today’s announcement of awards to 16 states and SDEs marks a significant milestone with all states now empowered to start their journey towards identifying innovative ways to break down theses barriers that prevent the seamless exchange of information, so that we can give patients the access to care they deserve and expect,” stated Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health information technology.  “States play a critical leadership role in advancing the development of the exchange capacity of healthcare providers and hospitals within their states and across the nation. Health information exchange will enable eligible healthcare providers to be deemed meaningful users of health IT and receive incentive payments under the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive program.”

New Jersey is set to receive $11.4 million and Connecticut will receive $7.2 million.

The states receiving funds from the $162 million awards include:

State/SDE	Award Amount
Agency of Health Care Administration (FL)	$20,738,582
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene	$9,313,924
New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority	$11,408,594
South Carolina Department of Health & Human Services	$9,576,408
Iowa Department of Public Health	$8,375,000
Idaho Health Data Exchange	$5,940,500
State of North Dakota, Information Technology Department	$5,343,733
State of Alaska	$4,963,063
Nebraska Department of Administrative Services	$6,837,180
South Dakota Department of Health	$6,081,750
Department of Public Health, State of CT	$7,297,930
State of Mississippi	$10,387,000
Indiana Health Information Technology, Inc.	$10,300,000
HealthShare Montana	$5,767,926
Texas Health and Human Services Commission	$28,810,208
Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum	$10,583,000
Total	$161,724,798

AIS’s Health Business Daily describes a New Jersey pilot program with major insurers that aims to cut provider paperwork and standardize processes.  The goal is to reduce the costs associated with determining patient eligibility and checking claim status

A typical primary care physician spends about $68,000 a year on administrative tasks such as determining patient eligibility and checking claim status. The goal of a 12-month pilot project — announced Feb. 10 — is to show how that problem might be fixed.

The pilot program will work with all the major insurance plans.

New Jersey’s five largest health plans and five physician groups will participate in the initiative, which aims to dramatically reduce administrative costs by allowing hospitals and physicians to communicate with health plans and address administrative tasks through a single Web portal.

“What we’re producing is a one-stop shop, through which physicians and their offices can contact all of the health plans they deal with” through a single Web portal. The participating health plans are Aetna Inc., Independence Blue Cross subsidiary AmeriHealth New Jersey, CIGNA Corp., Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare, Inc.

Providers access access insurance information through the NaviNet web portal.

The portal is maintained by NaviNet, a health care information technology company. Several health plans that operate in New Jersey already use NaviNet. Horizon, the state’s largest health plan operator with 3.6 million members, expects to close its independent portal and move to NaviNet in March or April. During the conference call, Christy Bell, Horizon’s senior vice president of health care management, said the pilot is an opportunity for health plans and providers to move closer to standardizing administrative processes.

 Aetna has been using NaviNet’s portal for several years. More than 40% of the health plan’s network providers have access, said Aetna President Mark Bertolini. Along with helping to streamline administrative processes, he said the portal also can be used to improve health outcomes.

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