Sharing behavioral health treatment records on a health information exchange (HIE) such as Hixny can bring great benefits for both patients and providers. A single, comprehensive medical record can give acute care and behavioral health practitioners a more complete view of their patient’s medical and behavioral health status.
According to the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH), electronic health record (EHR) interfaces to health information exchanges will increase the quantity and quality of data in the Statewide Health Information Network for New York (SHIN-NY) and make the exchanges more valuable for providers and patients at the point of care.
New York State Has Created an Incentive Program
To encourage providers to participate in health information exchanges, the NYS DOH established the Data Exchange Incentive Program (DEIP) to help offset the cost of connecting to the eight HIEs that serve New York state. The program was created with support from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase HIE adoption across the state.
One of those provider groups is behavioral health organizations. For this group, DEIP focuses on organizations that are licensed by the New York Office of Mental Health (OMH), Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), and are Medicaid-designated Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).
Providers who participate in the program and who complete two milestones by September 30, 2018, can collect reimbursements of $2,000 for signing to participate and $11,000 for each connection they make with an HIE. There are eight HIEs serving New York state, so a provider could receive up to $90,000 if it successfully connects with all health information exchanges.
The New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) is coordinating the rollout of the program and the payment of incentive funds for the DOH. Funds for the program are limited, and the payments will be made on a first-completed, first-paid basis.
Among the types of organizations that contribute data to HIEs are:
- Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
- Hospitals
- Public health departments
- Home care agencies
- Physicians
- Long-term care facilities
Eligibility for the Data Exchange Incentive Program
To be eligible for the Data Exchange Incentive Program, organizations must:
- Be OMH licensed, an OASAS provider/facility, or a designated HCBS provider
- Have at least one provider who accepts Medicaid payments, including fee-for-service, Medicaid Managed Care, or Health and Recovery Plans (HARP).
- Use an electronic health record (EHR) system that has been awarded ONC Health IT Certification. This certification means the system meets federal Health and Human Services guidelines for capabilities, functionality, and security. Eligible systems must meet certification standards for at least the following privacy and security criteria:- Auditable Events
– Audit Report(s)
– Amendments
– Automatic Log-off
– Emergency Access
– End-user device encryption
– Integrity
To become certified, EHRs must also meet standards for the following dependency criteria:
- Quality Management System
- Accessibility-Centered Design- The EHR must be able to send information electronically to a New York State Qualified Entity (QE) HIE in Consolidated-Clinical Document Architecture (C-CDA) or Continuity of Care Document (CCD) format.
– The provider must not already be connected to a QE and contributing data.
– The provider may not have received payment from any source for similar HIE activities.
– The provider must attest that it will contribute data to the HIE for at least one year.
What Information Must Be Shared?
To be eligible for the Data Exchange Incentive program, providers must contribute the following types of data to health information exchanges:
- Core elements, including encounters, demographics, procedures or services, individualized service plans, and diagnoses.
- Additional elements, including medications, lab results, and patient allergies.
Additional Resources
For more information about New York State’s Data Exchange Incentive Program, contact your local Qualified Entity. You can find your QE here.
Get more information on Meaningful Use Core Measures by downloading these guidelines from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
