ONC Releases HTI-2 Proposed Rule 

On July 10, HHS, through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), released the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability (HTI-2) proposed rule for public comment. The rule builds on previous interoperability rules to improve transparency and support the access, exchange, and use of electronic health information through new and revised standards and certification criteria in the ONC Health IT Certification Program.

In coordination with CMS, the rule would establish two sets of new certification criteria for health plans and other health IT developers to support technical requirements in the Interoperability and Prior Authorization proposed rule. The proposed rule would also update and establish new exceptions related to information blocking and establish a new real-time prescription benefit criterion. Federal Government Affairs is working with impacted business areas across the enterprise to review the proposed rule and develop comments by the mid-September deadline.