HHS asked to postpone information blocking compliance deadline

A coalition of organizations, including the AHA, today urged the Department of Health and Human Services to consider postponing for one year the Oct. 6 deadline for health care providers to begin sharing all electronic protected health information in a designated record set, as defined under HIPAA, to ensure they understand the requirements and have the technology to support them. HHS currently requires sharing only United States Core Data for Interoperability, but its final rule implementing 21st Century Cures Act provisions to prevent information blocking expanded the data sharing mandate. While the organizations are committed to facilitating patient access to their records, they said there remains no clear definition of electronic health information or technical infrastructure to support its secure exchange.

“Based upon feedback from our members that continues to build, it is evident that both healthcare providers, clinicians and vendors are not fully prepared for the October 6th deadline,” the coalition wrote. “Therefore, we are respectfully requesting that HHS consider both postponing for a period of one-year the information blocking compliance deadlines – including October 6th, as well using corrective action warning communications to providers/clinicians prior to imposing any monetary disincentives or beginning a formal investigation.”