Source: Chief Healthcare Executive
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has yet to introduce penalties for those refusing to share health data. The Cures Act technically allows the health department to issue fines of up to $1 million, but the agency still has to define a system of penalties. Federal officials say information blocking is happening. Since April 2021, 571 claims of possible information blocking have been reported, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) says. According to the agency’s data, 472 of those complaints, or 82%, involve healthcare providers. Most of the complaints have been issued by patients (352), or by third parties representing patients (84). Providers have filed 67 complaints about denials of access to information. Dodd says it’s clear some healthcare organizations are blocking the sharing of information. When asked about information blocking, Dodd says, “It exists. It’s a problem. It’s real.”