NASCIO Touts Medicaid IT Architecture Framework

According to a recent briefing by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), the Medicaid Information Technology Architecture (MITA) framework could help states decouple legacy systems and break down existing silos in statement. The briefing, “A Golden Opportunity for Medicaid IT Transformation: State CIOs and the MITA Framework,” says state adherence to the MITA 3.0 guidance set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is imperative for increasing the agility and interoperability of the state Medicaid enterprise.

The report says that “the backbone of achieving lower costs, better health outcomes, and system interoperability relies on an enterprise view.” NASCIO executive director Doug Robinson says there are substantial fiscal incentives for states to meet the seven standards and conditions for enhanced federal funding, but the benefit of state adherence to the principles of MITA will also be advantageous to citizens, federal government, and the vendor community.

 “Budgets are tight and Medicaid expansion is going to be a major concern for the states. State CIOs recognize there needs to be an enterprise approach that focuses on re-use and adaptability of emerging technologies to find potential savings,” Doug Robinson, NASCIO executive director said in a statement.