General Summary of the Bill

The "Patient Matching And Transparency in Certified Health IT Act of 2025," or the "MATCH IT Act of 2025," aims to enhance the accuracy of patient identification within the healthcare system. It proposes amendments to the Public Health Service Act, focusing on creating standards and protocols for more precise patient matching in medical records. The bill mandates the development of a uniform definition for patient match rates and the adoption of a standardized data set to support better patient information matching among healthcare providers, technology developers, and health information networks. The bill also intends to introduce incentives through the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for entities achieving high patient match rates. Central to the bill's objectives are improving interoperability and reducing the errors and costs associated with patient misidentification.

Summary of Significant Issues

One notable issue is the absence of specific details regarding the budget and financial plans needed to implement these standards and protocols. Without clear financial guidelines, there could be unmanaged expenses impacting healthcare financial planning. The bill's requirement for achieving a patient match rate of 99.9 percent also raises concerns about feasibility, potentially placing undue pressure on healthcare providers. Additionally, the consultation process lacks clarity on who qualifies as "relevant stakeholders," potentially leading to selective bias. Another point of concern is the establishment of a voluntary bonus measure, which may pressure providers to manipulate data to remain competitive. The bill's contradiction in not requiring entities to meet the high match rate also creates legal ambiguity.

Impact on the Public Broadly

Broadly, this bill intends to increase patient safety and privacy by ensuring that medical records are accurately matched to the correct individuals. By reducing errors, the bill could lower healthcare costs associated with repeated tests and misidentified patients. However, if not properly funded or implemented, it could result in financial strain on healthcare providers, potentially impacting the quality of care received by patients.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For healthcare providers and technology vendors, the bill mandates collaboration and coordination to meet new data standards, which could require significant updates to current systems and processes. Smaller healthcare entities might struggle to comply with the stringent patient match rate requirement, potentially affecting their operations and competitiveness negatively. Conversely, larger organizations may be better positioned to leverage their resources to meet the standards, gaining a competitive edge. Patients stand to benefit from improved safety and service quality, but they might indirectly experience the negative impacts if financial and operational strains on medical facilities lead to higher healthcare costs or reduced service accessibility.

The Patient Matching And Transparency in Certified Health IT Act of 2025, or MATCH IT Act of 2025, does not explicitly allocate any funding or specify appropriations for its implementation. However, the act does reference some potential financial implications and related issues, as discussed below.

Financial References and Their Implications

The bill highlights the financial burden that inaccurate patient matching can place on the healthcare system. It cites specific statistics:

• The average cost of repeated medical care due to duplicate records amounts to $1,950 per patient inpatient stay, and more than $1,700 per emergency department visit.
• Moreover, 35% of all denied claims stem from inaccurate patient identification, imposing a cost of approximately $2.5 million on the average hospital and more than $6.7 billion on the U.S. healthcare system annually.

These figures underscore the significant financial impact of patient misidentification. Addressing these inefficiencies could potentially save healthcare providers and the broader system a substantial amount. However, the bill does not detail how these financial savings will be directly realized or reinvested into the implementation of the proposed matching protocols and standards.

Relationship to Identified Issues

1. Lack of Budget or Financial Estimates: One of the issues is the absence of specific budget details or financial strategies for the execution of new standards. The act acknowledges the existing costs associated with patient misidentification but falls short of outlining a financial plan to address these costs. This gap could pose challenges for healthcare entities in terms of resource allocation and financial planning, as highlighted in Section 3.

2. Ambitious Implementation Goals: The bill sets ambitious targets, such as a 99.9% match rate, which may incur additional costs for healthcare entities striving to meet these standards. Without financial support or incentives, these goals could lead to inequities, as some providers might struggle to afford the necessary technological upgrades to comply with the new standards, as noted in Section 3023.

3. Voluntary Bonus Measure Concerns: There is a proposal for a voluntary bonus measure within the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program. Although this introduces a potential financial incentive for providers achieving a high patient match rate, the incentive structure might compel providers to manipulate data if they fear losing out on financial benefits, thereby raising ethical concerns.

4. Potential for Inequitable Financial Burden: The bill does not include mechanisms to ensure equitable financial distribution across different types of healthcare entities. Smaller providers, in particular, might find it financially challenging to comply with new requirements, potentially creating disparities in healthcare delivery and patient safety.

In summary, while the MATCH IT Act aims to reduce significant costs associated with patient misidentification by introducing robust patient matching protocols, it lacks concrete financial provisions or assessments related to the implementation of these protocols. Addressing these gaps will be essential to ensure equitable and effective improvements in patient matching across the healthcare system.