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On September 26, 2016, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released guidance, entitled EHR Contracts Untangled, to help providers navigate the complexities of electronic health record (EHR) vendor contracting. The guidance breaks down important considerations for selecting EHR systems, and provides strategic pointers – including sample contract language…

The HHS Office of Civil Rights published a new FAQ response (OCR FAQ) detailing the agency’s position that generally information blocking will violate the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules if it affects a covered entity’s access to its own protected health information (PHI) or its ability to respond to requests for access to PHI from patients. This follows a series of similar policy documents from HHS over the past 18 months that focus on preventing business arrangements or practices that would be defined as information blocking, and thereby, frustrating the goal of interoperability. Specifically, according to the OCR FAQ:

  • An electronic health records (EHR) vendor or cloud provider’s actions to terminate a covered entity’s access to its own electronic PHI (ePHI) (e.g., in a payment dispute) would violate the HIPAA Privacy Rule because those actions would constitute an impermissible use of PHI.
  • An EHR vendor or cloud provider’s refusal to ensure the accessibility and usability of a covered entity’s ePHI upon demand by the covered entity or to return a covered entity’s ePHI upon termination of the agreement, in the form and format that is reasonable in light of the agreement, would violate the HIPAA Security Rule.
  • A business associate may not deny a covered entity access to the PHI the business associate maintains on behalf of the covered entity if necessary to provide individuals with access to their PHI under the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
  • A covered entity that agrees to terms within a business associate agreement (BAA) that would prevent the covered entity from ensuring the availability of its own PHI as required would not be in compliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.

OCR has increasingly ramped up its enforcement of violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules related to noncompliant BAAs, so the new OCR FAQ signals that information blocking provisions could be the source of future enforcement actions.Continue Reading Blocking Access to Health Information May Violate HIPAA

On July 19th, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”) released a report expressing concerns about major gaps in policies and oversight surrounding the access to, security, and privacy of health information held by certain mobile health (“mHealth”) technology companies and health social media.  While the report frames the…

Earlier this month, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released a report to Congress on the feasibility of creating tools to help providers compare and select certified health IT products. As part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), Congress required ONC to conduct a study to examine the feasibility of establishing mechanisms to assist providers in comparing and selecting certified EHR technology products. Congress suggested that ONC consider mechanisms like establishing a website of aggregated survey results that would allow meaningful EHR users to directly compare the functionality of certified health IT products. Congress also suggested compiling information from vendors of certified health IT products, and making that information publicly available in a standardized format.

In response to its Congressional directive, and drawing upon recommendations from the Certified Technology Comparison (CTC) Task Force, public input, and its own market analysis, ONC’s report focused on two subgroups of the health care community – providers and comparison tool developers – and identified specific problem areas in the comparison tool marketplace. Ultimately, the report proposed four mechanisms to improve the health IT comparison marketplace:Continue Reading The Rise of the One-Stop Shop? ONC Outlines Four Mechanisms to Help Providers Compare Certified Health IT Products

Congress set its sights on achieving the widespread exchange of health information through interoperable-certified electronic health records (“EHR”) by declaring it a national objective in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (“MACRA”). To accomplish this goal, MACRA directs the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to establish metrics in consultation with…

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”) began the month of March and the HIMSS Annual Conference with the announcement of an unexpected proposed rule, the Enhanced Oversight and Accountability Rule (the “Oversight Rule”). The Oversight Rule would expand ONC’s role in the ONC Health IT Certification Program (“Program”). Specifically, the Oversight Rule provides ONC with express powers to directly review health IT certified under the Program and employ review, suspension, and termination processes to address “non-conformities” found in certified health IT.  The ONC is seeking comment on key issues such as the scope of ONC’s proposed direct review authority, its processes for reviewing certified and uncertified health IT capabilities, and the agency’s potential overlap with the authority of other agencies.  All public comments will be due to ONC on or before May 1, 2016.

As stated in the ONC’s press release, the Oversight Rule focuses on three areas: Direct Review, Enhanced Oversight, and Greater Transparency and Accountability.Continue Reading The ONC Proposes the Direct Review of Certified Health IT in Oversight Rule

The federal government has spent billions to promote adoption and “meaningful use” of health information technology (HIT). There is growing government interest in ensuring that HIT is used to support patient care, but doing so requires electronic exchange of information. Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and States have taken action to identify and prevent “information blocking”—interference with the exchange or use of electronic health information—by health care providers, hospitals, technology developers, and service providers. And there likely will be more guidance, statutory and regulatory changes, and enforcement by federal agencies and states in the coming year.

Congress Requests Information and Takes Action

On December 21, 2014, Congress raised concerns about health information blocking, claiming that such activities “frustrate Congressional intent” under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, “devalue taxpayer investments,” and make HIT “less valuable and more burdensome” to hospitals and health care providers. Congress urged the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at HHS to certify only HIT that does not block health information exchange. Congress also requested ONC publish a detailed report on the scope of health information blocking and a strategy to address it, within 90 days.Continue Reading Health Information Blocking Leads to New Requirements and May Lead to Enforcement Actions

On April 10, ONC released its Report to Congress on Health Information Blocking (the “Report”).  Here is a brief summary of the report, the full text of which is available here.

ONC has stated that its views health information blocking as frustrating the goals of HITECH and the Meaningful Use initiative.  ONC defines information blocking as conduct which:

  1. Interferes with the ability of authorized persons or entities to exchange electronic health information; and
  2. is done knowingly with the intent to block information exchange; and
  3. is not justified by reasonable business, technological, or public policy reasons.

ONC recognizes that there may legitimate reasons why EHR systems are not interoperable.  The Report focuses on the non-legitimate reasons, and highlights the following behavior:

  1. Contract terms which restrict individuals’ access to their EHR;
  2. Charging prices or fees for data exchange, portability, and interfaces which make exchanging EHR cost prohibitive;
  3. Developing health IT in “non-standard” ways which may increase the costs of sharing health information (particularly when interoperability standards have been adopted);
  4. Developing health IT in ways which may “lock in” users or their data, leading to fraud, waste or abuse, or otherwise impede innovation in health information exchange.

The Report is careful to explain that ONC would weigh such practices against legitimate considerations whether they are technological, regulatory, or economic in nature.Continue Reading ONC Releases Report to Congress on Health Information Blocking

On March 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule (CMS Proposed Rule) detailing the policies it will introduce during Stage 3 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. In tandem with CMS’s publication, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) also published a proposed rule (ONC Proposed Rule) providing a new edition of health information technology (HIT) certification criteria. The proposed rules are intended to work together in streamlining the establishment of an interoperable nationwide health information infrastructure.
Continue Reading CMS and ONC Announce New Proposed Rules for Stage 3 of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and HIT Certification Criteria

Continuing to usher in a new wave of EHR technology changes, on September 11, 2014, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”) adopted the “2014 Edition Release 2” final rule, which provides alternative criteria and approaches for the voluntary certification of heath information technology. The final rule, effective October 14, 2014[1], introduces regulatory flexibilities and general improvements to the certification processes.

First, the rule adopts a new (albeit smaller) subset of optional EHR Certification Criteria. Of the 57 proposed certification criteria in the February 26, 2014 notice of proposed rulemaking, the final rule adopts only ten optional and two revised EHR Certification Criteria. The Certification Criteria changes include:Continue Reading ONC Announces New EHR Certification Criteria