VA, Defense Department Open Access To Joint Information Exchange

Modern Healthcare: Defense Department, VA Launch Health Information Exchange
The Defense Department and the Veterans Affairs Department have launched a joint health information exchange designed to make it easier for the agencies to exchange patient data with one another, as well as with community providers. The DOD, VA and the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization program office—the office that oversees the ongoing EHR implementations at both agencies—opened access to the HIE this past weekend. Providers from the agencies and private-sector providers treating their patients will be able to use the HIE to request access to health records of shared patients. (Cohen, 4/21)

Modern Healthcare: HHS To Exercise Enforcement Discretion Over Interop Rules
HHS on Tuesday unveiled plans to delay enforcement of two recently released rules on interoperability and data blocking. The CMS said it will give providers an additional six months to comply with rules to improve data sharing. Meanwhile, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is giving vendors an additional three months to comply with its health IT certification program. (Cohen, 4/21)

Kaiser Health News: Coronavirus Fuels Explosive Growth In Telehealth ― And Concern About Fraud
On March 17, Medicare chief Seema Verma stepped to the podium at a White House coronavirus briefing and unveiled a “historic action” to promote virtual medical care, or telehealth. Verma temporarily lifted a variety of federal restrictions on the use of the service, which had been limited to rural areas. She praised telehealth, saying it could handle routine care for an older patient with diabetes without risking a visit to a medical office. (Schulte, 4/22)