Indeed, at HIMSS Ms. Verma said that “for those of you that still subscribe to the outdated idea that you can deny patients’ access to their health records, I encourage you, in the strongest way, to change course and accept that those practices will come to an end.”
CMS currently does not have a specific timeline for all the aspects of the MyHealthEData initiative, but Ms. Verma did note that the agency already is working with vendors on one aspect: Blue Button 2.0, a developer-friendly, standards-based developer tool that will allow the creation of apps to connect Medicare claims data to programs that can help create context and make informed medical decisions easier.
In 2019, new EHR requirements will follow that will require data to be shareable in a more standardized manner.
“Through the MyHealthEData initiative, this administration is focused on putting patients first, truly first, by empowering them to make cost and quality decisions, and giving them the information they need to prevent disease and improve their health,” Ms. Verma said.