Benefits await health insurers encouraging use of health information technology

Health insurers that play a role in ensuring their provider networks successfully implement and use health information technology will receive several benefits, according to the white paper, "Meaningful Use for Health Plans: Five Things to Consider," by CSC Jordan Battani. These include limiting the business risk that is sure to occur if providers are snowed under by the challenges of HIT adoption. In addition, payers will be able to promote providers' financial stability by helping them to gain access to incentive payments while reducing Medicare reimbursement penalties, says Battani. Payers also will be able to take advantage of the improvements that HIT and meaningful use will generate in terms of existing cost and quality control programs. Insurers also could enjoy a side benefit of better positioning themselves to fulfill any network certification requirements that may be developed by Medicare and other government programs. Finally, payers will be able to "demonstrate commitment to developing and promoting high quality provider networks that are enabled by HIT and use it effectively to important constituencies of purchasers and consumers," she says. White paper