Still Need to Connect with the Health Information Exchange – NC HealthConnex?
The Deadline is Around the Corner
What’s Health Connex? NC HealthConnex is North Carolina’s statewide health information exchange. It currently contains records for over 8 million North Carolina patients and allows providers to securely review and share important patient health information.
Who needs to connect? If you see patients that are covered by NC Medicaid, NC Health Choice, or the NC State Employees’ Health Plan, you must connect to NC HealthConnex and send clinical information for those covered patients.
What’s the deadline to connect? The law was passed in 2015, with an implementation date originally June 1, 2021. On May 27, 2021, Governor Cooper signed a bill extending the deadline to January 1, 2023. The agreement can be accessed here: https://hiea.nc.gov/nc-hiea-full-participation-agreement/download. Following the passage of the 2022 budget, there will be no penalty for providers who do not connect by the January 1 deadline.
How do I connect? There are a couple of options. Your EHR software vendor may be able to assist in the process, but you should start soon. Connecting to NC HealthConnex can take up 12 months, depending on your EHR software. As well, working through your software vendor can be expensive, so be sure you know implementation fees and ongoing expenses upfront. There is more information on the NC HealthConnex website at https://hiea.nc.gov/providers/how-connect .
What’s the first step? The first thing you need to do is access and complete the participation agreement. Email the completed participation agreement to hiea@nc.gov. You will be connected to the HIE technical team who will help you through the process.
Are there resources to help us? Smartlink Health, a NC-based health technology company uses an advanced integration platform that does not require interactions with your EHR. If you are interested in working with Smartlink Health, please contact Smartlink at support@smartlinkhealth.com or send them a message at https://www.smartlinkhealth.com/about/contact-us/ to learn more.
Tangible Health is another option that can connect you with HIE. To contact Tangible, go to https://www.tangible.com/contact-us/ and send a message indicating you are a NC Dental Society member and interested in HIE connectivity.
