Patient Access

CMS recently introduced new interoperability mandates for health plans that must be implemented by July 1, 2021. This rule is designed to make health information more easily available to patients by implementing new industry standards like HL7 FHIR APIs and by deterring information blocking. The CMS Interoperability and Patient Access final rule in... cludes policies that impact a variety of stakeholders. Recognizing that hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals, and critical access hospitals, are on the front lines of the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS is extending the implementation timeline for the admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) notification Conditions of Participation (CoPs) by an additional six months to be effective May 1, 2021 (date the final rule was published in the Federal Register). CMS also finalized the Patient Access API and Provider Directory API policies for Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicaid, and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) effective January 1, 2021. CMS will exercise enforcement discretion for a period of six months in connection with these two API provisions. Therefore, as a result of COVID-19, and to provide additional flexibility to payers, CMS will not enforce the new requirements under 42 CFR Parts 422, 431, 438, and 457 until July 1, 2021. Finally, CMS finalized the Patient Access API for Qualified Health Plan (QHP) issuers on the individual market Federally-Facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) beginning with plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2021. CMS will not enforce the new requirements under 45 CFR Part 156 until July 1, 2021. Other policies contained in the final rule will be implemented and enforced on schedule. As part of the Trump Administrations MyHealthEData initiative, the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule (CMS-9115-F) is focused on driving interoperability and patient access to health information by liberating patient data using CMS authority to regulate certain health plan issuers on the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs). ...Read More