Happenings
API Experts: Bridging Technology Gaps
Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, area cornerstone of modern software development, enabling more efficient, scalable, and innovative solutions. In late 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) tapped Palmetto GBA’s Systems and Support Division to lead a pilot project to create APIs for its Healthcare Integrated General Ledger Accounting System (HIGLAS).
HIGLAS standardizes and centralizes federal financial accounting functions for all CMS programs, ensuring accurate, reliable and timely financial accounting and reporting. The pilot project's main goal is to make it easier and safer for other systems to interact with HIGLAS. In simple terms, it aims to better connect and integrate financial data from several CMS programs, streamline operations and help people make better decisions by providing them with real-time data.
The Palmetto GBA team includes developers and analysts from the Government Programs eCommerce Department, including Vishnu Boochireddy, Ray Dailey, Carol Harper, Reetu Joshi, Marco Robledo, Danian Taylor and Derek Roberts. Throughout the life of the pilot project, this team has effectively collaborated with CMS, information technology contractors and other Medicare administrative contractors.
Palmetto GBA is fortunate to have this team of skilled developers with in-depth knowledge and a broad range of expertise in developing APIs for legacy computer systems and applications that rely on older software, hardware and computer programming languages. Having these essential skills makes Palmetto GBA’s team a great resource for information technology infrastructure modernization projects.
What is an API?
An API is a set of rules and standards, created with code, that defines how data is transferred between different software applications. The API serves as a bridge, making it easier for programs to work together and share information without needing to know the internal workings of each program.
They can also improve efficiency, scalability, flexibility, innovation and security. For accounting systems, like CMS’s HIGLAS, they can streamline processes, improve accuracy and provide a clearer and more comprehensive view of financial data.
The work of developing APIs is a detailed, multi-phase process. As experts on HIGLAS, Palmetto GBA’s Finance and Accounting team identified needs and parameters for each API. Then they worked with application developers and business systems analysts in the eCommerce Department during the process to plan, develop and test the APIs to ensure they work correctly.
APIs in Action
To date, the pilot project has produced 14 APIs and several are at work on Palmetto GBA’s eServices provider portal delivering real-time financial data to providers. Several other APIs enable efficient and accurate accounts receivable data updates and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of data queries in Palmetto GBA’s internal data management system. These include real-time accounts receivable data retrieval in HIGLAS at the summary, detail and transaction level, as well as for individual accounts receivable activities.
APIs developed in the pilot project have significantly improved the speed and precision of data queries and accounts receivable updates. This has led to faster response times and greater accuracy for users, which is especially beneficial during audit seasons. The ability to provide real-time financial data and detailed audit trails gives Palmetto GBA a competitive edge. This demonstrates how technology and teamwork can drive substantial improvements in operational efficiency and effectiveness.
