California Health Care Providers Embrace Major Expansion of Health Information Exchange as January Deadline Approaches for Signing the State’s First-Ever Data Sharing Agreement
CalHHS opened a new online portal this week that allows providers to sign on to California’s Data Sharing Agreement, which hospitals, physician organizations, health plans, laboratories, and other health care entities are required to sign by January 31, 2023.
The Data Sharing Agreement is the first step in the state’s Data Exchange Framework, which was developed over the last year to advance health equity and promote the safe, effective, and timely sharing of health information among California’s health and human services systems.
SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) announced the launch today of a new Signing Portal that will allow health care providers, plans, and other health entities across the state to sign on to California’s first-ever Health and Human Services Data Sharing Agreement ahead of a state-mandated deadline on January 31, 2023.
The Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) is the first step in the state’s recently adopted California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework, which seeks to promote health equity and expand access to whole-person care by accelerating and expanding the exchange of health information among health care entities, government agencies, and social service programs beginning in 2024. The Data Exchange Framework was finalized in July after a year of input from hundreds of experts and stakeholders.
“The California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework helps us to deliver on our vision of a Healthy California for All, where health and human services providers are able to work together as a team to address the holistic needs of those they serve with the real-time exchange of data and information.” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. “This seamless exchange of data is essential to advancing quality and equity. When providers commit to this framework, they are also renewing their commitment to advance quality and equity. This is why I am calling on California’s health care providers to sign onto this Data Exchange Framework, as required by law, to help our state advance our bold goals for transforming care, expanding coverage and improving connections between health and social services.”
A demonstration of the new CalHHS DSA Signature Portal was presented to hundreds of stakeholders and required signatories last week during a live public webinar, preparing participants with the training needed to sign the DSA. That webinar was recorded and is available HERE. Additionally, to ensure all signatories have the education, training, and resources needed to sign the DSA by the January 31, 2023 deadline, the DxF is awarding Educational Initiative Grants that will provide funding for associations to provide educational activities about the Data Exchange Framework to signatories across the state. In 2023, CalHHS will also award Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) Onboarding Grants and Technical Assistance (TA) Grants that will provide funding to support signatories’ implementation activities. These grants are supported by $50 million that California Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature have dedicated to support the adoption and market implementation of the DxF.
You can find the webinar recording here and a DxF Grants fact sheet here.
“Signing the Data Sharing Agreement is a critical next step toward full implementation of the Data Exchange Framework by January 2024,” said John Ohanian, Chief Data Officer at CalHHS’ Center for Data Insights and Innovation. “It’s time to ensure every Californian, no matter where they live, can trust that their doctors, pharmacies, emergency rooms, and social and human services providers can safely and securely access critical patient information — no matter where it is stored — to provide safe, effective, whole-person care.”
Many of the state’s largest health care providers and health equity advocates have announced their support of the Data Sharing Agreement—and are actively encouraging their members to sign it. A 2021 bill signed by the Governor, AB 133, requires the following health care entities to execute the final agreement by January 31, 2023:
- General acute care hospitals
- Physician organizations and medical groups
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Health service plans and disability insurers
- Medi-Cal managed care plans
- Clinical laboratories
- Acute psychiatric hospitals
What Others Are Saying:
“The Data Exchange Framework sets the stage for better healthcare in California by ensuring physician practices have access to the information they need to provide high-quality care,” said Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., President, California Medical Association. “The California Medical Association strongly encourages our members to sign the Data Sharing Agreement as we pave the path towards healthier lives for all Californians. We also look forward to working with the State of California to ensure that small and safety net practices receive the resources they need to participate fully in data exchange.”
“The California Primary Care Association (CPCA) supports the Data Exchange Framework, which is leading the safe, secure, and timely exchange of health information, as well as social services information, so that the necessary information is available to providers of care at the point of care,” said Francisco J. Silva, Esq., President & Chief Executive Officer, California Primary Care Association. “We encourage community health centers to meet the mandate and become a participant of the Framework by signing the Data Sharing Agreement by the state’s deadline of January 31, 2023. We look forward to supporting our member health centers through the implementation of the DxF throughout 2023 and beyond.”
“California’s health care system can be overwhelmingly fragmented, putting the burden on consumers to navigate complex systems and transport their own personal information such as medications, allergies or languages spoken from the doctor’s office to the pharmacy, to specialists and social services agencies. This leaves people frustrated, confused—or worse, without the care they need,” said Kiran Savage-Sangwan, Executive Director, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network. “California’s new Data Sharing Agreement will help change that, giving patients access to their own health information and confidence their data will follow them from one provider to the next. We strongly support the state’s efforts to build a secure, statewide network of health information exchange—and we look forward to working with providers to ensure this new system promotes health equity for all Californians.”
“The California Data Exchange Framework is a significant achievement toward improving health outcomes, ensuring health equity and affordability for every Californian,” said Paul Markovich, President & CEO, Blue Shield of California. “As a mission-driven nonprofit health plan, we are deeply committed to creating a seamless consumer experience by bringing health care into the digital age with comprehensive, real-time, usable, and secure health information. The Data Sharing Agreement is a major step forward in achieving this goal.”
“To address longstanding inequities and achieve the state’s transformative health goals for all Californians, every provider and health-related service organization must have timely access to the critical information they need to provide care and support to individuals,” said Erica Galvez, Chief Executive Officer, Manifest MedEx. “The DxF represents a huge win for Californians – it’s the structure that will knit together our currently fragmented system and enable secure exchange of health information throughout the state. Manifest MedEx is honored and delighted to be part of the DxF and we encourage all providers, plans, hospitals, counties, and communities across the state to join the DxF today.”
“MedPOINT Management is proud of its Client, BELLA VISTA MEDICAL GROUP, IPA, led by Rahul Dhawan, M.D. Dr. Dhawan participated in the State’s Advisory Committee and is excited to become an early adopter participant in the Data Exchange Framework,” said Aaron Goodale, VP of Health Information Technology for MedPOINT.
Health care providers and other participating entities can take the first step toward signing the Data Sharing Agreement by accessing the Signing Portal.
To learn more about how the Data Exchange Framework can help improve health care for all Californians, visit www.CADataExchange.org to download materials, join a live webinar, and sign up for updates.
More information on the California Health and Human Services Data Exchange Framework is available here:
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