ONC Head Touts Interoperability Wins, Poses AI Questions

February 23

Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, touted the Biden administration’s progress on implementing regulations mandating the interoperability of health care systems and price transparency during a Feb. 22 Health Affairs event. He also described himself as an “AI optimist,” but emphasized the administration’s position that artificial intelligence tools must not exacerbate or worsen health inequities.

With increasing interoperability and EHR adoption, Tripathi said, the Biden administration expects that providers, health plans and public health officials will be able to make smarter decisions using population health data. They will also have to meet standards set by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to comply with quality measures used by CMS, among other organizations, Tripathi said. He also said that a focus on health equity is a key consideration in recent regulations governing AI.

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Peter Johnson

Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.