Feb 20
2019
Audio: CMS Administrator Seema Verma Speaks To the Healthcare Media at HIMSS19
During her trip to HIMSS19, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Service administrator Seema Verma spoke with registered members of the media to preview her keynote speech and answer questions about her department’s newly released proposed interoperability rule. The rule dictates that data generated by patients while in the scare setting is theirs to own, transfer and share with caregivers. It also would require healthcare providers and plans to implement open data sharing technologies to support transitions of care as patients move between these plan types.
In a statement released prior to her meeting with the media, Verma said that ensuring patients have easy access to their information, and allowing that information to follow them on their healthcare journey “can reduce burden, and eliminate redundant procedures and testing, thus giving clinicians the time to focus on improving care coordination and, ultimately, health outcomes.”
During her meeting with the media at HIMSS, Verma started by discussing CMS’ “why” — why CMS is moving toward enhanced patient empowerment – as well as her and the administration’s focus on the improving the sustainability of the healthcare community.
Patient empowerment remains front and center for the agency, she said. For example, from the patient perspective, everyone has their own experience of going to the healthcare system and not being an empowered patient, she said, and not having access to data decreases patient engagement. CMS is working to change that, now.
When people understand their health and participate in their health, this has the ability to improve care outcomes, she added, and through complete access to their healthcare records, patient care can be more complete. Ultimately, she said, with every detail of a person’s health information in one place — and accessible to the patient — will kick start the digital health data revolution.
Likewise, another area of focus for CMS currently is payment reform, and holding providers responsible for high-quality care and outcomes spurs more innovation. Following her opening remarks, Verma answered a few questions from members of the media.
She also touched on information blocking and the sanctions that are likely to arise in the near term when patient data is help hostage. Everything currently being focused on will lead to more patient empowerment and providing patients access to their data to improve health outcomes, reduce costs and create opportunities for data flow and research, she said.
The following on-the-record conversation provides extra insight into the operational thinking of CMS and its administrator: