At the Forefront of Healthcare Transformation 

ILHITREC
INTERCHANGE
NEWSLETTER

November 2021
After the Medicaid PI Program;
what’s next? An overview. 
As the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program sunsets, providers should understand the role of CEHRT in addressing CMS and ONC regulations. ILHITREC Clinical Informaticists, Kerri Lanum and Lauren Wiseman examine recent rules and provide insight and strategies to meet the conditions of participation in Medicare/Medicaid. Here is a link to the recording.
For a copy of the presentation click here.


Information Blocking Resources for EPs
Healthcare providers are required to respond to legitimate requests to exchange or provide electronic health information. Requests could come from a patient, another provider, health plan or public health agency needing information for clinical purposes. The Information Blocking Final Rule defines information blocking as any practice that is likely to interfere, discourage or prevent access or sharing of patient information. 

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has prepared multiple resources, including webinars, fact sheets and FAQs. This rule went into effect April 5, 2021 and proposed penalties are expected soon. 

Please visit: https://www.healthit.gov/curesrule/resources to view this valuable information specifically for clinicians. 
How to Update your Direct Contact Information in NPPES to comply with the CMS Rule
As a reminder, providers need to update their Direct address in NPPES per the CMS Interoperability & Patient Access Final Rule, which calls for a centralized directory of provider electronic addresses for data exchange. The improved exchange of patient health information helps to deliver the right care at the right time. Check out the  link for instructions to update your Direct address.
 
Please contact ILHITREC for assistance with updating your Direct address. We would be happy to help!

Important Information 
on the 
Security Risk Analysis Objective 
for 2021 Medicaid PI Attestation 
The Security Risk Analysis (SRA) Objective Requirements:

  • SRA must be uploaded into the documents section in eMIPP under the SRA category in a pdf format only.
  • SRA should still cover the entire year retrospectively from the beginning of the year to the point of analysis and prospectively from the point of analysis to the end of the year.
  • Providers have the option to wait to upload their SRA by the end of the year if they choose to and still attest by the deadline.
  • Please read the choices carefully as shown below in the screenshot of whether you need to attest Yes or No.
  • Yes = If you answer Yes, then the SRA must be uploaded with the attestation.
  • No = The SRA must be uploaded prior to the December 31st, 2021 deadline. 
  • Providers can receive payment before their SRA is uploaded if they meet all other program requirements.
  • If the SRA is not uploaded by 12/31/2021 it will result in an automatic audit of payment.

Upgrades to your browser
may be required
Microsoft is ending support for the Internet Explorer (IE) 11 browser in June 2022. As a result, this browser won’t be up to date with the latest security updates. Due to these security concerns, as of October 13, 2021 users won’t be able to access the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website, qpp.cms.gov using the IE 11 browser. This change in support by Microsoft can also affect other websites you may be visiting that are part of CMS or also other websites you may be using not part of CMS. If you are having problems accessing these websites it is recommended to use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
About Support Provided by ILHITREC
The Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (ILHITREC), under contract with the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services (HFS), is providing education, outreach, EHR, and Meaningful Use support to Medicaid providers for the Promoting Interoperability Program. Contact us at info@ILHITREC.org.