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.

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.

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.