Episodes

Unlocking Value in US Health Care

January 9, 2025 |19:36

Many people think of “value” as a simple equation: quality divided by costs. But not every policy scheme with “value” in its name delivers what the label implies. A health economist helps us update our value vocabulary to understand what’s really happening in the health economy.

Equity Means Everybody

December 23, 2024 |13:19

Health equity has long been a principle of quality health care. But health equity has faced resistance in 2024, including at the ballot box. What does that mean for health equity in 2025 and beyond? 
An expert panel discussion at the NCQA Health Innovation Summit in November 2024 provides predictions and advice.

Getting Clear About Behavioral Health

December 5, 2024 |19:21

Behavioral health is a big topic with many implications for quality. But how should people who care about quality think about behavioral health? In this conversation, we clarify key factors and challenges.

Nine Insights Into Interoperability

November 26, 2024 |16:00

Lots of people talk about data interoperability. 

But for people who don’t work in IT, the discussions can be hard to follow.

In this episode of Quality Matters, four experts from outside NCQA make this technical topic seem both urgent and relatable.

Hospital President: Health Equity Verifies Quality

October 31, 2024 |20:17

When you’re a Nigerian immigrant who went from being a safety-net hospital patient to hospital president, how do you think about health equity? We get answers to that question from Tosan Boyo, President of Sutter Health East Bay Market, in California. Tosan previews his keynote remarks on health equity at the NCQA Health Innovation 2024.

Women in Quality

October 16, 2024 |15:22

Many women work in health care quality. What does it take to lead and thrive at the field's highest levels? This episode of Quality Matters previews a panel discussion that answers those questions. We hear from panelists and the moderator of the Women in Quality event at NCQA’s Health Innovation Summit 2024.

A Win for Value-Based Care in OB-GYN

October 3, 2024 |15:47

Value-based care is common in primary care but remains rare in specialties such as obstetrics. A program that has won a NCQA Health Innovation Award might change that: the Elevance Health Obstetrics Practice Consultants program. We learn about the program from its director, Dr. Tiffany Inglis.

When Exchanging (and Trusting) Data Grows Up

September 18, 2024 |17:38

Health Information Exchanges and Qualified Health Information Networks are vital to building better health care. But these concepts are new to many people in health care We’ll learn about data exchange from one of the field’s leaders, Laura McCrary, President and CEO of KONZA National Network.

The New Rules of Data Sharing

September 5, 2024 |15:00

Federal officials recently announced new rules for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). That’s big news for data interoperability. It also elevates the exchange of HEDIS quality data to an eminent position. Two NCQA experts explain what it all means.

The Move to Digital Quality Measurement

August 22, 2024 |23:11

Digital quality measurement promises better measures with less burden. But how do we get to that better future? Rebecca Jacobson, a physician-informaticist and CEO of Astrata, thinks about that a lot. She shares what she has learned about incentives, the real vs. expected pace of change, plus the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats she sees in many firms’ digital strategies.

The US Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health

August 8, 2024 |18:05

How do we move beyond “admiring” problems caused by social determinants of health, to truly addressing problems? The US Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Playbook offers a way. The lead author of that whole-of-government strategy joins us on Quality Matters.

Gender, Lawyers and the Law

July 25, 2024 |17:35

In the second episode of a two-part series titled, 'In Data We Trust,' LGBTQ advocates discuss why sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data matter and what happens when governments misuse SOGI data. Quality implications extend far beyond LGBTQ communities.

You Can’t Spell “Equity” Without “IT”

July 11, 2024 |18:41

In the first episode of a two-part series titled, 'In Data We Trust,' host Andy Reynolds and Tam Ward, Senior Vice President of Business Strategy and Operations at Oscar Health, discuss the intersection of technology and health care to improve care equity, especially in underserved communities.

One State’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Better Behavioral Healthcare

June 27, 2024 |24:00

Join us for an insightful conversation with North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kody Kinsley, as he shares how growing up without health insurance influences his drive to improve health care access and affordability in his home state.

An Unconventional Path to Health Equity

June 13, 2024 |27:17

There can be no quality without equity. But how do we get there? Our guest, University of Chicago Professor Marshall Chin, has unorthodox ideas about how to achieve health equity. His solutions might surprise you.