HHS Extends Compliance Dates for Information Blocking and Health IT Certification Requirements in the 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule.
Through the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress defined information blocking and established penalties for those who engage in information blocking. In general, providers and entities (“actors”) can no longer engage in practices that interfere with the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information, unless an actor meets an exception established by the HHS Secretary.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) subsequently announced extending the compliance dates and timeframes when patients must be provided access to health care information in electronic medical records to April 5, 2021. Click here to read the HHS press release. The Cures Act states that clinical notes are included in the information that must not be blocked.
For a comprehensive overview of these rules (which apply to health care providers, health information networks or health information exchanges, and health IT developers of certified IT), including the exceptions and FAQ containing common questions, please visit the OpenNotes website here. Click here to download MGMA’s Information Blocking Toolkit for Medical Groups. Please note that this MGMA resource is for educational purposes only. As always, please consult with your legal and financial advisors to find out how this applies to you.