After 20-year effort, Tom Leary of HIMSS is optimistic for removal of ban on patient identification strategy

 Tom Leary is senior vice president of Government Relations for HIMSS.

Photo: Susan Morse/Healthcare Finance News

LAS VEGAS – After more than 20 years of working toward the creation of a national patient identifier, Tom Leary, senior vice president of Government Relations for HIMSS, is very optimistic about the chances for success this year, he told those attending a Global Public Policy breakfast during HIMSS21 here.

In July, for the first time, the House of Representatives passed an appropriations bill that does not include the patient identifier ban, called Section 510.

"Every year, there has been a provision since 1999 to prevent it," Leary said.

The Section 510 ban has been in place due to patient privacy reasons.

But patient safety, and interoperability, can be better served if each patient has an identification number, according to Leary.

For the last two years, the House has passed a provision to get rid of the ban. Again in 2020, the House voted to overturn the unique identifier ban.

But the appropriations bill has passed the House with the ban intact. 

Until July. The challenge is now in the Senate, which must make a decision on appropriations before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, Leary said.

Leary said he is hopeful the Senate will remove the ban on the Department of Health and Human Services participating in the development of a National Patient Identification Strategy. HIMSS and the Patient ID Now Coalition are asking to remove that ban, so HHS can fully engage in strategy development, that could include a specific identifier, an algorithm, or use bio markers.

"I'm very optimistic," Leary said. "We've got a strong coalition of voices. We've got strong momentum in the House to finally remove the barrier to patient safety and interoperability." 

WHY THIS MATTERS

Passage of the appropriations bill in the Senate would mean the Department of Health and Human Services could get involved in a national strategy to create unique patient identifiers.

Overturning the ban would allow patients to be identified by a number, which would ensure that medical records are connected to the appropriate person, and not another individual named John Smith.

For instance, it would help in the identification of patients getting two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Leary said.

THE LARGER TREND

After HIPAA passed in 1996, unique provider identifiers and unique medical device identifiers came into being. 

What's needed is a unique identifier for the patient.

A coalition of 40 healthcare organizations, including cofounder HIMSS, the parent company of Healthcare Finance News, are part of Patient ID Now to promote a national strategy toward patient identification.

Attention is now turning toward patient input.

"We need to reignite the voice of the patient," Leary said.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com