2018 State HIT Connect Summit

The 21st Century Cures Act lays out new requirements meant to enhance and increase interoperability.  States can play a significant role in helping to expand interoperability within their jurisdictions, since they have access to funding and can create a business case for expanded interoperability. The Office of the National Coordinator can help provide guidance on how to best partner with a single state health information exchange, govern a network of networks, or partner with a Qualified Health Information Network to reach those interoperability goals.

As the HITECH Act ends in 2021 and states begin considering how to maintain or build new Health Information Exchange architecture, a broader role for Health Information Exchanges emerges as states begin to consider how to re-use these investments to improve coordination of care and case management for Medicaid patients, as well as meet the new directives contained in the 21st Century Cures Act.