With the temptation of 90 percent enhanced matching funds for health information exchange (HIE) connectivity looming over organizations, CMS and ONC recently announced a goal of connecting a broader variety of Medicaid providers than previously eligible. Now, long-term care, behavioral health, substance abuse treatment and other providers—especially those that have been slower to adopt HIE technology—will be able to implement HIEs—all pointing toward the ultimate goal of improving care and reducing costs.

With almost 1,000 U.S. hospitals planning HIE participation, 56 percent of those plan to do so within the next year. And nearly one-third of providers report improving care transitions as the impetus for future HIE participation. Data shows that in states where Medicaid access has been expanded, HIE participation veers toward population health.

For more information on this constantly changing space within healthcare delivery, review the HIMSS Analytics' Population Health Essentials brief.