HealthPort, which touts itself as the nation's largest provider of release of information services and audit management and tracking technology, announced Monday that is the first Health Information Handler (HIH) to successfully transmit records via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) electronic submission of medical documentation (esMD) gateway for information exchange from healthcare providers.
As a participant, HealthPort will utilize its technology for the secure electronic transmittal of medical records via the CMS esMD gateway, in response to requests by recovery audit contractors (RACs) and other federal Medicare and Medicaid related audit requesters.
Officials noted that because the esMD process is new, and the stakes are high, HealthPort will conduct extensive "live" record testing with a few pilot facilities and a limited number of CMS contractors, expanding the lists gradually as the process is proven to be reliable and the contractors demonstrate the proper turnaround time for receipt and confirmation.
"As the authority on the compliant exchange of protected health information, we pride ourselves in delivering the most secure and flexible options for record request fulfillment to the healthcare community," said Steve Emery, director of product development at HealthPort. "Although there are alternative ways to manage this process, we support the efforts of CMS through our participation in the esMD gateway and we are prepared to discuss esMD connections with our customers once we analyze live record testing results."
Next month CMS plans to certify more HIHs to begin sending esMD transactions.