CMS Releases Guidance on Interoperability Rule

As announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

“On March 9, 2020 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule that delivers on the Administration’s promise to put patients first, giving them access to their health information when they need it most and in a way they can best use it. Today [August 14], in accordance with Administrator Verma’s commitment to ensure that CMS’ state partners have the guidance that they need to ensure proper implementation of this landmark rule, CMS is releasing a letter to state health officers detailing how state Medicaid agencies should implement CMS Patient Access final rule in a manner consistent with existing guidance. There are many provisions in that regulation which affect Medicaid FFS, Medicaid Managed Care, and CHIP entities and this letter discusses those issues.

Additionally, this letter advises states they should be aware to the Office of National Coordinator’s 21st Century Cures Act final rule on information blocking.

• State Health Officials Letter on implementing the Patient Access and Interoperability Final Rule”