BACKGROUND:
Health plans are natural partners for immunization registries. Many immunization programs are not aware of the value of working with health plans or how to market registries to them. In addition, many health plans are unfamiliar with the benefits incurred through exchanging data with a registry.

OBJECTIVE:
Every Child By Two (ECBT) seeks to increase the number of health plans exchanging data with registries. To achieve this goal ECBT has implemented a number of initiatives.

METHOD:
-ECBT hosted a meeting to determine what registries and health plans need to begin exchanging data. This meeting hosted representatives from the nation’s largest health plans.
-ECBT and AIRA created the Managed Care
Organization/Immunization Registry Data Exchange Advisory Committee, which created "Partnering with Health Plans: A Practical Guide" to provide registry managers with a better understanding of health plans and instructions to market their registry.
-A survey of registry managers was conducted to assess current registry data sharing activities.
-ECBT will convene eight meetings to facilitate immunization data exchange between eight different health plans and registries.

RESULT:
-Data from registry survey will be discussed during this presentation.
-Findings and lessons learned from health plan meetings will be provided.

CONCLUSION:
Registries are in need of immunization data and health plans can provide registries with large numbers of records for commercial and Medicaid-covered children. Registry personnel should market their registries to health plans.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
-Educate participants about the structure of health plans.
-Provide examples of mutually beneficial data sharing collaborations.
-Increase marketing skills of program and registry managers.
-Provide information on current registry data sharing activities.
-Provide examples of pro-data sharing interpretations of HIPAA to share with health plan personnel and legal staff to develop data sharing agreements with health plans.
-Provide practical tools to assist immunization and registry managers when assessing their needs and assets.