Electronic Health Records - Health Information Exchange

House Bill 395 (NCSL 2021-26)

Governor Roy Cooper signed House Bill 395 (now NCSL 2021-26) into law on May 27, 2021, to allow additional time for providers to connect to the state-designated health information exchange NC HealthConnex, among other things. NCSL 2021-26 provides for the allowance to “Extend the connection deadline for most providers of Medicaid and State-funded health care services, and affiliated entities, until Jan. 1, 2023 (currently Oct. 1, 2021).”

Providers are advised to review the latest HealthConnex updates here.

With this extension of time, the need for hardship extensions is absolved, as the extension granted through the hardship process is now matched by the extension granted through new legislation. Therefore, effective Aug. 1, 2021, NC Medicaid will no longer accept submissions of the NC DHHS HIE Hardship Extension Request Form. Visit the webpage below for more information.

The original plan was to have all providers who receive state funds (e.g., Medicaid, NC Health Choice, State Health Plan, etc.) for the provision of health care services to connect to NC HealthConnex by specific dates in 2018 and 2019 to continue to receive payments for services provided (NCSL 2015-241 as amended by NCSL 2017-57). Specifically:

• Hospitals, physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who provide Medicaid services and who have an electronic health record system must connect by June 1, 2018.
• All other providers of Medicaid and state-funded services must connect by June 1, 2019.