HHS published two proposals to enhance interoperability, and both address the issue of information blocking, according to Anesthesia Business Consultants President and CEO Tony Mira.
What you should know about the two proposals:
1. CMS' Interoperability and Patient Access Proposed Rule details strategies for making patient data transferable in open, secure and standardized formats. This proposal involves:
- Requiring Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and Qualified Health Plans to roll out, test and monitor standardized application programming interfaces
- Making Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources the API development standard
- Requiring CMS program participants to ensure electronic data exchange as patients move between plan types
- Helping payers and providers in CMS programs take part in reliable exchange networks
- Revising the Conditions of Participation
2. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released a proposed rule called the 21st Century Cures Act: Interoperability, Information Blocking and the ONC Health IT Certification Program. The rule would:
- Define reasonable and necessary activities that don't constitute information blocking
- Penalize health information exchanges that violate the rule with a fine of up to $1 million
- Permit providers and healthcare IT companies to withhold electronic health data in seven circumstances
Click here to read more about the proposed rules.
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