Morning Headlines 12/1/16

21st Century Cures seeks multiple health IT policy improvements

The 21st Century Cures Act passed a House vote and will now move to the Senate for consideration. The bill includes provisions calling for the reduction of documentation requirements associated with EHRs, a change that would allow scribes to document in lieu of providers, and a simplification of meaningful use requirements.

U.S. Senate passes law to bring Project ECHO model to rural health care

The Senate unanimously passes a bill requiring HHS and GAO to analyze the University of New Mexico’s Project ECHO pilot program and report on opportunities to expand the program nationally. Project ECHO uses telehealth to expand access to specialists to patients in rural areas.

OptumRx and CVS Pharmacy Partner to Expand Consumer Choice, Reduce Costs and Improve Health Outcomes

CVS Pharmacy partners with OptumRx, a free-standing UnitedHealth Group pharmacy care services business. The partnership will bring OptumRx’s patient engagement solutions to CVS patients and will create a single platform where the two businesses will co-develop new solutions.