5 things you should know about Universal Healthcare coverage and the Impact on Informatics.

5. Indigent care, write offs and grants will be severely limited. “Charity care”, community clinics and community hospitals will need to become leaner and more efficient as they compete with other hospitals now accessible by their patient base. Translates to improved Electronic Health Records, improved front end processes and streamlined reimbursement processes for these organizations.

4. Most reimbursement levels will follow Universal coverage rules. But there may also be additional compensation for Preventive Medicine procedures, decrease patient wait times and other government metrics. Translates to a need for improved links between Electronic Health Records and claims submission.

3. New federal standards and centralized payer centers will reduce or eliminate state level programs. Translates to new EDI requirements and interfaces.

2. Benefits eligibility will be tied to Universal Patient Identifiers which means requiring accurate, reportable demographic information in order to obtain government reimbursement. Translates to improved eligibility verification at point of care.

1. The need for Private Medical Insurance (PMI) will rise similar to the model. Translates to new contracts, EDI and the need to keep multiple insurance payer tables within Hospital Information Systems.