top of page

MANAGEMENT UPDATE.

EVEN SUPERIOR IDEAS NEED OVERSIGHT

The concept behind Idaho’s Health Data Exchange (IHDE), a nonprofit organization created by a state commission in 2008, unquestionably has had merit. It was established to make health data more widely available for physicians and insurance providers (including Medicaid).


Anyone who has ever gone to a physician and been confronted by the problems posed by incomplete records can see the logic. According to its website, “Physicians and their medical staff need your current and past health history to accurately diagnose and treat you. Each physician who treats you may have just a portion of your medical record. When providers access each other’s records through the IHDE, they have more complete health information and make informed decisions that ultimately lead to better care for their patients.



So far so good, but Exchange management problems have exposed it to independence, accountability and security issues, according to a new report by the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations (OPE). As Rakesh Mohan, director of OPE since 2002 told us, “The exchange was created by public officials for a public purpose with significant public funding, but little to no accountability mechanism in place.”


A few of the major issues exposed by the OPE Report:


  • “The state treated the exchange like a monopoly, even as the Department of Health and Welfare paid millions to expand the exchange’s capabilities. Health and Welfare used a sole source exemption to state procurement laws and did not go out to bid for multi-million-dollar contracts to develop and improve the exchange. The state's special relationship with the exchange initially led Health and Welfare to focus on the exchange's financial stability rather than deliverables in its most recent improvement contract.”


  • “The state’s informal mechanisms of accountability weakened over time as turnover left little overlap between the exchange and the state, particularly after consultants from out of state were brought in to manage the exchange in 2019. When Health and Welfare became concerned about the exchange’s new management team and tried to require more transparency, the relationship deteriorated. The exchange filed for bankruptcy after being sued by a subcontractor for withholding pass-through payments from the state.”


  • “Health and Welfare IT experts did not believe there was sufficient documentation that the exchange met security requirements. The exchange still has a small data access contract with the state, but stakeholders reported that federal efforts to standardize and broaden access to other private networks leave uncertainty about the exchange’s future.”


#StateandLocalGovernmentManagement #StateandPerformanceEvaluation #StateGovernmentManagement #StateandLocalGovernmentData #StateHealthData #IdahoHealthDataExchange #IdahoOfficeOfPerformanceEvaluations #B&GWeeklyManagementNews #StateGovernmentAccountability #StateGovernmentTransparency   #HealthDataExchangeManagement #HealthDataExchangePerformance #StateGovernmentContracting #DedicatedtoStateandLocalGovernment

MANAGEMENT UPDATE ARCHIVES.

FIGHTING SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT BACKLOGS

HOW TO IMPROVE GOVERNMENT COVERAGE

NASBO POSSIBLE STATE REVENUE ACTIONS FOR 2026

DISCLOSING SEVERE FINANCIAL DISTRESS

COUNTY DECISION MAKING BASED ON EVIDENCE

MEDICAID STATES PREPARE FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

HOW TO GET A LEGISLATOR TO LISTEN

WHY TEACHERS WORRY ABOUT RETIREMENT

Barrett and Greene, Dedicated to State and Local Government, State and Local Government Management, State and Local Management, State and Local Performance Audit, State and Local Government Human Resources, State and Local Government Performance Measurement, State and Local Performance Management, State and Local Government Performance, State and Local Government Budgeting, State and Local Government Data, Governor Executive Orders, State Medicaid Management, State Local Policy Implementation, City Government Management, County Government Management, State Equity and DEI Policy and Management, City Equity and DEI Policy and Management, City Government Performance, State and Local Data Governance, and State Local Government Generative AI Policy and Management, inspirational women, sponsors, Privacy

 

Barrett and Greene, Dedicated to State and Local Government, State and Local Government Management, State and Local Managemen

SIGN UP FOR SPECIAL NEWS JUST FOR YOU.

Get exclusive subscriber-only links to news and articles and the latest information on this website sent directly in your inbox.

Thanks for Subscribing. You'll now recieve updates directly to your inbox.

Copyright @ Barrett and Greene, Inc.  |  All rights reserved  |  Privacy 212-684-5687  |  greenebarrett@gmail.com

bottom of page