Importance of Information-Sharing & Technology Highlighted in Omnibus Bill

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kelly Broadway, 202-808-8853
kbroadway@health-innovation.org

Importance of Information-Sharing & Technology Highlighted in Omnibus Bill

Washington, D.C. – The Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) commends lawmakers for including priorities and revisions requested by HIA in the end-of-year spending bill, including expanding access to telehealth services and improving our public health system.

Several changes made to the PREVENT Pandemics Act included in the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2023 recognize the need to use state-based systems, ensure experts from states are in the room while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to modernize public health data, and guarantees trust and privacy for individuals. A successful partnership building off what already works between the private sector, state and local officials, and the CDC is crucial to improving public health surveillance information.

"HIA looks forward to building off the successful changes to the PREVENT Pandemics Act to ensure the CDC implements a robust, trustworthy, public health information infrastructure that relies upon the private sector experts working at the state and local levels," said Joel White, Executive Director, HIA. “We will work with the 118th Congress to ensure appropriate oversight of the CDC and to move our public health system away from outdated technology.”

HIA has been actively engaged in efforts to expand telehealth access and is pleased lawmakers included a two-year extension allowing patients to continue using health savings accounts to pay for telehealth services and extended access to telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries through 2024. Our calls for delaying the requirement for in-person visits for mental health services through telehealth were also answered and, as such, will help those struggling to access or continue to access much-needed care.

“Making telehealth available across employer plans will help more Americans get access to telehealth going forward, and we look forward to collaborating with lawmakers to advance that policy next year,” said Brett Meeks, Vice President, HIA.

CDC’s Focus is on Control, Not What Works for the American People

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kelly Broadway, 202-808-8853
kbroadway@health-innovation.org

CDC’s Focus is on Control, Not What Works for the American People

Washington, D.C. – Recent comments by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky supporting the Improving DATA in Public Health Act highlight the agency’s refreshing acknowledgment that more must be done to improve how public health data is gathered, shared and used. While the Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) strongly supports strengthening the system, the CDC should not be rewarded for its self-described failure with a broad new authority to mandate any data it wants from anyone it wants. No federal agency should have the sweeping data collection authority outlined in the Improving DATA in Public Health Act.

The CDC has repeatedly proven that it is incapable of handling a national database run by public health bureaucrats. A report released today by the U.S. House Subcommittee on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic includes similar acknowledgment by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and that it had “identified numerous longstanding challenges in the federal government’s management of public health data,” including the lack of common data standards and interoperability among varying public health data systems, and “the complete lack of a public health IT infrastructure.” The bungling of COVID-19 data is the perfect example of the CDC’s failure to properly collect, use, and share consistent and clear public health data to protect Americans.

Instead of giving the CDC more power and more money – it has already received more than $1 billion in funding to improve data collection – Congress should pass legislation increasing oversight of the CDC.

HIA supports the following:

• Build on what works at the state and local levels instead of creating untested, unknown federal databases

• Avoid pouring yet more federal dollars into the CDC that duplicate work

• Reduce unnecessary and burdensome red tape on state and local public health entities as well as providers responding to pandemics on the ground that offer no value to patients or taxpayers

Everyone agrees, the CDC needs serious reforms. Unfortunately, doubling down with more resources and more control is not the answer. HIA will work with policymakers to improve public health data by making sure consistent actionable data is available when it is needed by front-line health workers, patients, and public health entities.

Still Time for Congress to Enact Meaningful Health Legislation

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kelly Broadway, 202-808-8853
kbroadway@health-innovation.org

Still Time for Congress to Enact Meaningful Health Legislation

Washington, D.C. – The Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) is urging Congress to act on several key issues to improve healthcare access and delivery before the year ends. In a letter sent to congressional leaders this morning, HIA is asking lawmakers to:

• Permanently extend telehealth flexibilities

• Digitize and streamline prior authorization processes

• Create a commission to protect health privacy

• Modernize the public health system and improve accountability for public health agencies

“The country has learned many painful lessons over the past two years. Congress would commit legislative malpractice by not acting on important reforms to modernize our health system before they adjourn for the year,” said Joel White, Executive Director of the Health Innovation Alliance. “As we move into the dangerous flu season, our public health system still lacks critical tools to respond to it, rising COVID and RSV cases. During this time, we must improve access to information and remote care for both patients and providers.”

HIA is specifically asking lawmakers to permanently allow patients to continue using health savings accounts to pay for telehealth services (including joining a letter with more than 350 other organizations) and for telehealth services covered under Medicare to remain available. If Congress cannot agree on making telehealth flexibilities permanent, HIA asks for them to be continued through at least the end of 2024.

As a long-time proponent of expanding the use of electronic prior authorization, HIA is calling on Congress to pass legislation implementing a standards-based, real-time approach, ensuring patients can get care faster while relieving providers from burdensome, paper-based tasks.

Additionally, lawmakers should take steps to create a Privacy Commission to provide recommendations on modernizing the use of health data and privacy laws to ensure patient privacy and trust while balancing doctors’ needs to have information at their fingertips to provide care.

HIA is also calling for Congress to pass legislation increasing oversight of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including HIA’s edits to the PREVENT Pandemics Act, ensuring that the CDC is not using funds to duplicate work or creating policies and regulations requiring unnecessary or burdensome reporting on state and local public health entities. Rather, the CDC should focus on ensuring data is available when it is needed by front-line health workers, patients, and public health entities.

“The future of healthcare is tied to the availability of data and the advancement of technology. Lawmakers must ensure that legislation and regulations keep pace or patients will pay a steep price,” said White.

Click here to read HIA’s letter.

HIA Weighs-In on MACRA

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kelly Broadway, 202-808-8853
kbroadway@health-innovation.org

HIA Weighs-In on MACRA

Washington, D.C. – Today, HIA sent a letter to Representatives Bera, Bucshon, Schrier, Burgess, Blumenauer, Wenstrup, Schneider, and Miller-Meeks with comments on the state of Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

Our comments focused on:

• Advancing Interoperability and Innovation

• Streamlining Quality Measures and Reporting

• Increasing Provider Participation in Value-based Payment Models

• Long Term Funding

• Incentivizing Remote Care

Click here to read HIA’s letter.

Telehealth Extension Bill a Good Start, But Should be Permanent

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kelly Broadway, 202-808-8853
kbroadway@health-innovation.org

Telehealth Extension Bill a Good Start, But Should be Permanent

Washington, D.C. – The Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) issued the following statement on today’s passage of the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act in the U.S. House of Representatives:

“The Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) applauds lawmakers for embracing the nation’s desire to access care virtually and moving one step closer to making telehealth permanently available to Medicare beneficiaries regardless of their location.

We believe the bill is a good start for Medicare, but more must be done. The two-year extension of telehealth benefits the bill provides for patients is not enough. HIA strongly encourages lawmakers to take the final step to make these provisions permanent. Only by doing this will Congress create certainty that doctors, hospitals, and patients who invest their time and effort into telehealth will continue to be able to access virtual care into the future.”