Florida has been working to connect healthcare providers to one another by creating a place where they can share patient-information electronically. As Florida works to get its Electronic Medical Record database off the ground, Lynn Hatter reports the state is struggling with how much access it should give to health insurance companies.
Right now, health plans can participate in the state’s Health Insurance Exchange, but they can’t go in and pull down patient records. Allen Byington is with the Big Bend Regional Health Network.
“The insurer should have access to the clinical data relevant to a specific claim, but not to open, broad access to the entire clinical record.”
The physician groups say insurers shouldn’t have access to a patient’s entire medical history, and only be limited to information relevant to the claim. Insurers say they need greater access to make sure doctors are actually doing what they say they are. The company building Florida’s electronic medical record system says the question of how much access to give insurers is part of a national conversation.
