On March 9, 2020, CMS finalized the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule (CMS-9115-F), with the goal of improving access and removing barriers for patients to make informed healthcare decisions. Within the final rule are new Conditions of Participation (CoPs), which mandate that hospitals send electronic event notifications of a patient’s admission, discharge and/or transfer to primary care physicians, post-acute providers and other organizations. Hospitals, critical access hospitals and psychiatric hospitals are expected to comply within the next six months.
As noted in our recent press release, CarePort fully supports CMS’ expanded commitment to care coordination and streamlined post-discharge transitions. The inclusion of post-acute providers in this final rule is groundbreaking, as it signals the importance of post-acute providers in the care continuum and as part of the patient’s care team. Currently, post-acute providers, like primary care physicians, receive no notice when their patients are hospitalized. This rule ensures that all providers – post-acute providers and PCPs alike – are fully aware of a patient’s location within the continuum, and facilitates continuity of care to avoid unnecessary ED visits and readmissions, and to achieve timely and coordinated care.
CarePort’s customers are already incorporating event notifications in acute to post-acute transitions, transitional care management, ED optimization and other care coordination activities. CarePort currently has visibility into the admission, discharge and transfer events across a network of 1,000 hospitals in 43 states, and 40% of hospital discharges to post-acute providers in the U.S. flow through the CarePort platform every year.
Over the coming weeks, please check the blog for more insights into the final rule and how CarePort can help acute and post-acute providers comply with these new CoPs. We are also holding a webinar hosted by Ross Margulies and Jeremy Meisinger, associates from Foley Hoag, and Lissy Hu, CarePort’s CEO and founder, on Wednesday, April 22 at 1:00pm ET, where we’ll discuss the new rule, and provide suggestions on how providers can comply with the recently released mandate. Register here!
Learn more the Interoperability and Patient Access final rule here, and click here to contact CarePort for more information.
