Prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), few people anticipated employer-provided health care would disappear as a major player in the United State healthcare arena. However, ACA adoption and has put more than 169 million employees at risk for losing their workplace coverage. Several studies indicate employer-based coverage will decline rapidly over the next decade as the traditional US system is displaced by the healthcare exchange system. While consumers grapple with finding affordable coverage options and providers adjust to the new norms, there is another wrinkle in the mix. In January, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced the agency's push toward value-based and alternative reimbursement models. HHS expects 90% of Medicare payments to be directly tied to quality measures by 2018. It is imperative that hospitals, urgent care clinics and frontline providers align their …show more content…
There are distinct advantage to embracing Health IT. Fully integrated EHRs enable rapid adaptation away from a volume-based care delivery model toward an alternative quality-based model. Tracking and improving quality of care with key performance indicators is essential to meet HHS and consumer expectation. Providers and clinicians participating in the CMS Shared Savings Program will find access to clinical intelligence enables efficient reporting and performance monitoring. Enhanced IT that supports consumers, payers and providers via analytical tools and resources relieves financial and human capital burdens. Data collection and distribution empowers collaboration and coordination of care, regardless of where a patient receives treatment. End-to-end seamless integration connects facilitates faster registration, efficient referrals and consultations, results sharing and patient