Incentives to refrain from information blocking — the deliberate interference with electronic health information — have been proposed by HHS.
Except where required by law or regulatory exception, the new rules on such information blocking would include, for example, penalizing participants and providers in an accountable care organization by excluding them from an ACO for at least one year if they are found to have interfered with health record information sharing.
The proposals follow an already established program to penalize health information technology developers and other IT providers for such information blocking.
More details on the plans can be found here. The proposals will go forward Jan. 2 after a 60-day public comment period.