WEDI Workgroups Will Connect to Effect Change
at December’s WEDI-Con
Today’s healthcare landscape has become a tangled morass of requirements whose complexity makes it challenging for providers to reduce costs while ensuring necessary coverage and care for patients. The administration continues to struggle with how to change those requirements to improve areas that appear to be a burden for patients or providers, while not negatively impacting patient care, or eliminating administrative or clinical enhancements that are working and have improved the system.
As existing regulations, such as Certification of Compliance for Health Plans, continue to be re-evaluated, new rules are on the horizon. The long-awaited rule on attachments appears to be imminent, and prior authorization is becoming a major focus. As we look at possible implementation of new transactions, we also need continue to review and address barriers or obstacles that impede implementation and effective use of the mandated transactions that have already demonstrated benefits across administrative simplification and cost reduction.
Bringing together all the various stakeholders in the industry is key to addressing these obstacles and moving the needle of administrative simplification forward, as it is clear that providers and payers cannot effect change alone. Practice management system vendors must be involved to manage the administrative transactions, and marry that information with the needed clinical data moving forward. Clearinghouses and other vendors must expand beyond the traditional model of moving transactions to include new, varying data content and formats. We even need to bring our own perspectives as patients to the table to ensure that the ultimate goal – enhanced patient care – is kept at the forefront.
WEDI workgroups and subworkgroups bring together all these stakeholders to discuss new initiatives, education or best practices needed for overcoming barriers, and evaluation of ongoing industry changes to ensure all points of view are included. Participation in these groups brings more voices to the table, and ensures a more well-rounded outcome to our white papers, webinars, Policy Advisory Group (PAG) recommendations, and other initiatives.
WEDI participants can benefit by gathering information at sessions held at our periodic conferences and forums, such as the upcoming WEDI-Con this December in Reston, VA. This much-anticipated event will afford great opportunities for these workgroups and subworkgroups to meet face-to-face during onsite meetings so members can share insights and address challenges.
WEDI’s ultimate value lies in the participation of its members and the contributions that are made from all the differing points of view. Join us at the table and be a part of the conversation!
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Pamela A. Grosze
Member, WEDI Board of Directors
,
Vice President,
Senior Product Manager, PNC Bank
