Michael Barabe

The meeting agenda focused on several key areas. Initial discussions included an overview and roll call, followed by an update on the legislative session. The primary discussion involved an in-depth analysis of hospital expenditures, focusing on current data and potential policy options. Furthermore, the Board planned to review the Analytic Support Initiative concerning interactive data visualization and analytic strategy, and concluding with reflections reported out from the Advisory Committee.

The meeting objectives included recapping the January meeting, reviewing the 2021 Performance results for WSCMS Measures, conducting a Community Check Up, and discussing potential changes to the 2024 WSCMS. Key discussions revolved around the release of the 17th WHA Community Checkup, noting lackluster quality compared nationally, and analyzing the impact of primary care attribution and area deprivation on health outcomes. The committee also discussed potential changes to the Washington State Common Measure Set (WSCMS) for 2024, including proposals for retiring or updating several HEDIS measures and expanding race and ethnicity stratification. Furthermore, they considered adding the HIV Viral Suppression Measure to the WSCMS and planned for a biannual evaluation workgroup.

The meeting focused on finalizing the Statewide Common Measure Set (WSCMS) following a biennial review. Key discussions included the adoption of core and supplemental measure sets, addressing public and committee concerns regarding reporting on small denominators, and clarifying reporting standards for specific HEDIS measures like Cervical Cancer Screening (CCS-E). The committee voted to adopt the measure sets, which will be updated for Measurement Year 2026. Furthermore, the committee decided to move the HIV-AD measure from recommended for removal to monitoring. Interest was expressed in learning more about the Patient Centered Contraceptive Care-Survey (PCCC-RS) measure from its developers. The committee also planned for 2026 discussions, including revisiting patient experience and hospital performance measures, exploring problematic data collection, and discussing the development of a committee charter.

The meeting objectives included recapping the May 2024 PMCC meeting, reviewing final updates for NCQA HEDIS measures for 2025, and discussing two ad hoc workgroups. Key updates for 2025 NCQA HEDIS measures included the addition of three new electronic clinical data system (ECDS) measures, the retirement of the Antidepressant Medication Management measure from the Washington State Common Measure Set (WSCMS), and continued transition toward ECDS-only reporting. The Rural Health Ad Hoc Workgroup plans to convene to align WSCMS measures with rural health provider needs. The Health Equity Ad Hoc Workgroup recommended a narrow approach focusing on incorporating equity components into the current WSCMS and reviewing current data sources for health equity analysis. The Primary Care Measures Ad Hoc Workgroup presented adopted core and alternative measure sets, developed in light of the evolving Primary Care Transformation Model and participation in the CMMI Making Care Primary initiative.

The joint meeting included welcoming remarks and the introduction of new members and staff for both the Health Care Stakeholders Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Data Issues. A significant agenda item involved presenting an updated attendance policy for the advisory committees, which requires regular attendance and incorporates attendance metrics into the respective committee charters. Updates were provided on the Health Care Cost Transparency Board (Cost Board) meetings from January 30, 2025, and March 5, 2025. Discussions regarding process improvement focused on enhancing the advisory committees' capacity, providing more focused topics, optimizing data use in relation to the Cost Board's mission, ensuring timely distribution of meeting materials, and better aligning committee schedules with the advisory role.