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Insurers launch huge health-records info exchange

By WTOP Staff

JUDY LIN
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Two California insurers announced Tuesday that they are partnering for an ambitious project to establish one of the nation’s largest health-information exchanges, an effort they hope will reduce duplication and improve patient outcomes.

The not-for-profit Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross, a subsidiary of private insurance giant WellPoint, announced that they are starting the California Integrated Data Exchange, medical-sharing portal with information about 9 million plan members.

The health plans will provide $80 million in seed money for the first three years of the information exchange, known as Cal INDEX. It will launch at the end of the year and adhere to state and federal privacy laws.

The announcement was welcomed by California state officials and advocates for health technology after a federally funded effort to modernize health information known as Cal eConnect fell apart.

But a consumer advocate questioned the governance and oversight of a privately funded effort. “We’d really like to see robust consumer participation,” said Betsy Imholz of Consumers Union, which is based in San Francisco.

Cal INDEX is designed to share patient records electronically among providers, including doctors and hospitals, in real time. The hope is for emergency room doctors to be able to pull up a patient’s medical records to review existing conditions and medications.

Using the information exchange, someone who moves or changes health plans won’t have to worry about rounding up their medical records when they see a new doctor. That could save time and money on duplicate tests and treatments.

The exchange will operate as a nonprofit with a five-member board, which will have a hospital, doctor, health plan, public sector and consumer representative.

Anthem and Blue Shield executives said they hope to build on past lessons and said their exchange offers unrivaled scale, financial sustainability and value. Patients will eventually be able to see their own records.

“Why is everybody on Facebook for their social networking? Because everyone else is on Facebook,” said Paul Markovich, president of Blue Shield, in a call with reporters Tuesday. “Why would a provider want to sign up for Cal INDEX? Because that’s where the data is.”

In 2009, the federal government allocated $548 million in stimulus funding to encourage the development of health information exchanges for sharing patient data. There are now about 300 public and private exchanges nationwide.

Markovich and Mark Morgan, president of Anthem, said they will use the industry’s leading providers and learn from successful models such as the New York e-Health Collaborative and Indiana Health Information Exchange.

“This is going to be closely watched by everybody in health care,” said Jennifer Covich Bordenick, chief executive officer of eHealth Initiative, a national nonprofit coalition to improve health care through information technology. “It’s a really ambitious initiative.”

Bordenick said the success of Cal INDEX will depend on providers’ willingness to share clinical information, such as a patient’s blood pressure or cholesterol, to complement claims data provided by Anthem and Blue Shield.

“That’s the information that can really help a patient real time, not so much a doctor being able to review all the claims to the insurance company,” she said.

California has about 30 health information exchanges and many have already expressed interest in Cal INDEX, said Rim Cothren, executive director of the California Association of Health Information Exchanges. The exchange will need to be supported by subscription fees from providers and insurers once the seed money runs out.

“We’re thrilled that they’re bringing their claims data to the table. None of our other HIEs that I’m aware of have claims data. They focus exclusively on treatment data,” said Pamela Lane, a deputy secretary at the California Health and Human Services Agency. “And I think that has tremendous potential and presents tremendous challenges.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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