“As COVID-19 infections soar to 3 million cases across the U.S. and the death toll crosses the 130,000 mark, Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and a senior member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, is already looking ahead.”
“The proliferation of this deadly pandemic, she said at Fortune’s digital Brainstorm Health conference on Tuesday, has highlighted disparities and issues in the health care industry that need to be addressed. But, she added, it has also pushed the U.S. system to finally take action to do just that.”
“Two of those major issues brought to the forefront by COVID-19 include data accessibility and telemedicine.”
“’Data to me is integral to everything we’re doing here, and the United States’ handling of data is not as robust as it should be,’ said Verma who oversees programs that provide health care to more than 130 million Americans and sets safety and quality standards within the health care system.”
“Americans should be able to easily access their health data on their phones, she said, pointing to those stranded on cruise ships during the early days of the coronavirus crisis who were unable to gain access to their medical records.”
“Beyond personal data, real-time data and reporting from hospitals also need to be improved to aid in the immediate reallocation of protective personal equipment and medical devices to the emergency centers most in need…” Read the full article here.
Source: Medicare chief Seema Verma reflects on lessons learned from the COVID-19 front lines – By Nicole Goodkind, July 7, 2020. Fortune.
