Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC)

Under the 21st Century Cures Act information blocking requirements and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) (the Information Blocking Rules), certain actors, such as healthcare providers and certain electronic health record developers (Actors), are prohibited from engaging in information blocking of electronic health information (EHI). Information blocking is defined, in part, as a practice that “[e]xcept as required by law or covered by an exception [to the information blocking regulations], is likely to interfere with access, exchange, or use of electronic health information.”[1] Put simply, the Information Blocking Rules generally prohibit any act or omission by an Actor that interferes with the access, exchange, or use of EHI, subject to enumerated exclusions and exceptions. Continue Reading Navigating Permissive State Laws in Light of the Federal Information Blocking Rules