Author: Provider Services, DMA, 919-855-4050
Per Session Law (S.L.) 2015-241, as amended by S.L. 2017-57, North Carolina providers who are reimbursed by the state for providing health care services under N.C. Medicaid and N.C. Health Choice programs must join NC HealthConnex, the state-designated Health Information Exchange.
As of June 1, 2018, hospitals, mid-level physicians and nurse practitioners who currently have an electronic health record system are to be connected to NC HealthConnex to continue to receive payments for N.C. Medicaid and Health Choice services. By June 1, 2019, all other Medicaid and state-funded providers must be connected, including the State Health Plan, Program for All Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) and state grants.
The NC Health Information Exchange Authority (HIEA), the N.C. Department of Information Technology agency that manages NC HealthConnex, will host “How to Connect” webinars on the last Monday of each month at noon to educate providers affected by this law, describe the technical and onboarding requirements, and answer questions about the legal Participation Agreement that governs the data connection. In the meantime, providers can learn more at nchealthconnex.gov/how-connect.
To register for the next webinar at noon on Monday, Jan. 29, and to learn more about NC HealthConnex, visit nchealthconnex.gov
NC HealthConnex links disparate systems and existing North Carolina HIE networks together to deliver a holistic view of a patient’s record. It currently houses 3.9 million unique patient records, allowing providers to access their patients’ comprehensive records across multiple providers, and review consolidated lists of items including labs, diagnoses, allergies and medications.
Providers with questions can contact the NC HIEA staff at 919-754-6912 or hiea@nc.gov.