How To Get Health Data Infrastructure Right For This Moment Of Medicaid Transformation

Abstract

Today, 82.8 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid, a dramatic 16 percent increase from before the pandemic. We are at an inflection point in which our Medicaid systems must build the health data infrastructure needed to reach ambitious improvement goals. Potentially billions of dollars in health care costs can be saved through better care coordination and whole-person care supported by real, working health data infrastructure. Putting health data to work has been proven to reduce redundant and unnecessary medical care, to reduce Medicaid fraud and abuse, to reduce rehospitalization rates, and to help us understand and start to reduce health disparities. Likewise, millions of lives can be improved by health care systems that use data to act in a more caring, more collaborative, and more just manner. With accurate information on a patient’s demographics, language, health experience, and other social determinants of health, our health care systems can improve health and build trust.