ECMC president & CEO joins state panel developing recommendations for reducing health care administrative costs

The New York State Department of Financial Services and the New York State Department of Health announced recently that Erie County Medical Center Corp. President and CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., Ph.D., was appointed to the 25-member health care administrative simplification workgroup. Quatroche joins health care industry stakeholders and others on the workgroup from across New York.

According to the announcement from DFS and DOH, the “workgroup (will) study and evaluate methods to reduce health care administrative costs and complexities through standardization, simplification and technology.”

Quatroche said, “I was honored to be asked to serve on this committee created as a result of the governor’s budget initiatives to ensure health care dollars continue to be focused on patient care and not unnecessary administrative processes designed to keep dollars from providers. Ultimately, it is my hope patients will benefit by reducing unnecessary prior authorizations, improving access to care, and ensuring health care dollars are invested to improve their care.”

The workgroup will issue a report to the superintendent of DFS, the commissioner of health, and the New York State Legislature in October 2021.

Areas to be examined by the workgroup include:

• Claims submission and attachments
• Preauthorization practices
• Provider credentialing
• Insurance eligibility verification
• Access to electronic medical records