Chief Medical Officer discusses impact of proposed changes with industry leaders.
BOWIE, Md. – June 10, 2010 – MedAssurant Inc. announced today that Cary Sennett, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer at MedAssurant presented, “The Effect of Health Care Reform on the Importance and Implications of Quality Outcomes Reporting,” during the America’s Health Insurance Plans’ (AHIP) Institute 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dr. Sennett, a well-known expert in area of quality and quality measurement, spoke from his perspective not only as Chief Medical Officer at MedAssurant, but based on his prior experience as NCQA's Executive Vice President where he oversaw the development and expansion of the HEDIS® standards and as Vice-Chair and a long-time member of the Executive Committee of the AMA-Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI). In his presentation, he provided a view on outcomes reporting, past and present, particularly addressing the impact and importance of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act on quality outcomes reporting going forward.
“While it has accelerated change, healthcare reform is not a revolution, but an evolution,” said Dr. Sennett. “It is the next step in the transformation of our healthcare system, and it is driven by forces that rely profoundly upon measurement of the system’s performance.”
PPACA sends a strong and unambiguous signal that quality will be a central driver of that evolution. “Both patient protection, and especially affordability, will demand that entities at all levels of the healthcare system be able to demonstrate that they are delivering and improving value. This will only intensify the focus on quality measurement and improvement,” he added.
In addition, Dr. Sennett points out that PPACA provides significant funding for new quality measures, so the number and complexity of reporting requirements is likely to increase substantially. That will require that health plans and all types of providers invest not only in significantly enhanced information systems to support that reporting, but also in programs that will enable them to improve the healthcare processes that those measures assess. The link between demonstrated performance and economic success which began more than a decade ago, will move from the the periphery to the center of healthcare requiring health care institutions at all levels to be prepared for that change.
About AHIP Institute 2010
AHIP Institute 2010 featured leading business, health care and political speakers in keynote, workshop, concurrent and breakfast sessions to provide insight at both a global and day-to-day level. Each year, thousands of healthcare professionals from around the country and beyond attend AHIP Institute to be part of dynamic discussions about healthcare and the healthcare system.
About MedAssurant Inc.
MedAssurant Inc. is a leading technology-enabled healthcare solutions provider focused on the importance of healthcare data and its ability to drive dramatic, objective improvement in clinical and quality outcomes, care management and financial performance throughout the healthcare community. Proprietary healthcare datasets, aggregation, and analysis capabilities, combined with a national infrastructure of leading-edge technology, clinical prowess, and deep human resources empowers MedAssurant’s advanced generation of healthcare assessment and improvement through highly informed solutions. Driven by a mission to improve today’s healthcare landscape, the employees of MedAssurant proudly apply care, ingenuity, and dedication to delivering a new approach to healthcare touching more than 100 million Americans – one driven by data and insight – one resulting in meaningful action. Please visit www.medassurant.com for more information.
Media Contacts:
Russo Partners, LLC, on behalf of MedAssurant Inc.
Chantal Beaudry
Phone: 212-845-4272
chantal.beaudry@russopartnersllc.com
MedAssurant Inc.
John Schultz
4321 Collington Road
Bowie, Maryland 20716
Phone: 301-809-4000
jschultz@medassurant.com