Unite Us And Partners Come Together To Support Federal Regulators' Plan To Remove Barriers To Care

NEW YORK, May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unite Us, the enterprise technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social services nationwide, today announced its full support and comments for proposed changes to the federal rules that regulate information sharing in the health care industry. 

Late last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office of Civil Rights (OCR), announced proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The goal of these proposed changes is to remove barriers to coordinated care, and facilitate information sharing to connect people with the services they need. This month, Unite Us submitted formal comments in support of this rule change. The complete letter with recommendations, and the list of cross-sector partners who co-signed alongside Unite Us, can be found here.

Founded in 2013, Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and human service providers to address all determinants of health. Operating in over 40 states, Unite Us' intuitive platform enables health and social service organizations to coordinate and manage services for their clients, track referrals and outcomes, and securely share information to facilitate care coordination.

"We applaud HHS for recognizing and affirming the importance of whole-person care," said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, president and CEO of ChristianaCare. "The ability to share information between health care providers and social care providers is essential to being able to meet the complex health needs of the people we serve. These proposed changes, if finalized, will be an important step toward achieving value-based care and improving health for everyone," she adds.

Unite Us knows from its experience working with thousands of community-based organizations across the country, that too often regulatory hurdles limit information sharing between health care providers and social care organizations and negatively impact care delivery. This information sharing is not only vital to connect people with the social care they need, it also ensures that care can be delivered without the potentially painful experience of repeating their story to every new member of their care team. The OCR proposed rule will significantly reduce these barriers to care, and will do so in a way that respects the dignity and confidentiality of every individual.

"Through our work in the community, we see how information sharing between health and social care can be a barrier to getting people the services they need," said Dan Brillman, CEO and Co-founder of Unite Us. "I applaud HHS, and OCR, for recognizing the importance of coordinated care to improve health outcomes. These changes are particularly important given the significant increase in need for social services we have seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic."

The 21 partners who signed the statement include leading health systems, health information exchanges, governments, health plans, and community-based organizations, who joined Unite Us to support OCR's proposed rule change because they recognize the value of reducing barriers to coordinated care and helping people live healthier lives.

Trust and transparency are the cornerstones of the Unite Us Platform. Unite Us has implemented a robust, person-centric, and health equity-driven process.  Community partners, health systems, plans and governments across the country rely on Unite Us' secure and HIPAA-compliant platform to coordinate care. With robust protections and certifications aligned with industry-leading privacy and security frameworks such as HITRUST, Unite Us makes it possible for providers to improve the health of their clients and community while maintaining privacy and trust. Unite Us supports the proposed changes to the Privacy Rule because they will both protect client confidentiality and advance the information sharing necessary to address social determinants of health.

About Unite Us:

Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers. With Unite Us, providers across sectors can send and receive secure electronic referrals, track every person's total health journey, and report on tangible outcomes across a full range of services in a centralized, cohesive, and collaborative ecosystem. Unite Us' dedicated team builds authentic, lasting partnerships with local organizations to ensure their networks have a solid foundation, launch successfully, and continue to grow and thrive. This social infrastructure helps communities transform their ability to work together and measure impact at scale.

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