How payers will embrace health IT in 2015

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In a post-Affordable Care Act world, technology poses a bit of a challenge for payers. But these challenges also bring opportunities for payers to embrace and adopt, according to a new IDC Health Insights report.

The report examines key predictions for payers in 2015, with specific emphasis on what channels payers plan to use when engaging consumers.

"Payers are particularly challenged in 2015 to select and implement new processes and related analytical tools to better assess their operational performance, overall effectiveness, and understand their multifaceted consumer populations," Deanne Primozic Kasim, research director, Payer Health IT Strategies, IDC Health Insights, said in a statement.

This year, payers will form more mutually beneficial relationships with providers--ones that support value-based reimbursement (VBR) payment models, noted IDC. When it comes to moving away from a fee-for-service model to VBR, it's important for insurers and providers to team up. That's why Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin joined forces with Aurora Health Care and its Aurora Accountable Care Network and agreed upon a shared-risk program.

IDC also predicted that payers will be more prone to cyberattacks in 2015. To ward off such threats, payers need to invest in multi-pronged security strategies and other IT-related investments.

Payers will continue to adopt more of a population health management approach to care management programs, noted IDC. That's why, in order to start playing a more central role in population health management, payers must consider the provider contracting process as a partnership, FierceHealthPayer previously reported.

As 2015 continues, payers will develop non-insurance lines of business and invest in innovative health IT systems that address consumer-related issues. Finally, payers will continue to establish private health insurance exchanges supported by many of the aforementioned health IT systems.

For more:
- here's the statement

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