ONC Offers Resources to Help With State Innovation Models Initiative

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has announced the availability of online tools and resources designed to help states participating in the State Innovation Models initiative.

In December, the federal government announced that it was doling out $665 million in Affordable Care Act-based funding across 28 states, three territories, and the District of Columbia to spur the implementation of new care models. The State Innovation Models initiative is an effort to get states to implement care models that will improve quality and accessibility of care, while lowering the cost.

Over half of states (34 states and 3 territories, and the District of Columbia), representing nearly two-thirds of the population are participating in the initiative. As part of an agreement with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which funds the State Innovation Models initiative, ONC has developed tools and resources to help leverage existing health IT infrastructure and tools being used by state Medicaid systems and health care providers.

These include resources that can help states and healthcare providers use health IT tools to manage an individual’s care for both their primary care and behavioral health needs, ensuring the individual is getting the right care, at the right time, and at the right place, according to an announcement. Many of these tools and resources, accessible at www.HealthIT.gov, will also be available to states that are not participating in the State Innovation Models initiative.

“These online resources are part of an overall effort to advance of goals of better care, smarter spending, and, ultimately, healthier people,” Karen DeSalvo, M.D., National Coordinator for health IT, said in a statement. “We are focused on supporting states and partners in developing innovative ways to pay for healthcare, providing tools and resources to support change, and making more information available to consumer and patients to enable them to make the right decisions—at the right time—to improve health and care.”