Section 438.242 - Health information systems(a)General rule. The State must ensure, through its contracts that each MCO, PIHP, and PAHP maintains a health information system that collects, analyzes, integrates, and reports data and can achieve the objectives of this part. The systems must provide information on areas including, but not limited to, utilization, claims, grievances and appeals, and disenrollments for other than loss of Medicaid eligibility.(b)Basic elements of a health information system. The State must require, at a minimum, that each MCO, PIHP, and PAHP comply with the following: (1) Section 6504(a) of the Affordable Care Act, which requires that State claims processing and retrieval systems are able to collect data elements necessary to enable the mechanized claims processing and information retrieval systems in operation by the State to meet the requirements of section 1903(r)(1)(F) of the Act.(2) Collect data on enrollee and provider characteristics as specified by the State, and on all services furnished to enrollees through an encounter data system or other methods as may be specified by the State.(3) Ensure that data received from providers is accurate and complete by- (i) Verifying the accuracy and timeliness of reported data, including data from network providers the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP is compensating on the basis of capitation payments.(ii) Screening the data for completeness, logic, and consistency.(iii) Collecting data from providers in standardized formats to the extent feasible and appropriate, including secure information exchanges and technologies utilized for State Medicaid quality improvement and care coordination efforts.(4) Make all collected data available to the State and upon request to CMS.(5) Subject to paragraph (b)(8) of this section, implement and maintain a Patient Access Application Programming Interface (API) required in § 431.60 of this chapter as if such requirements applied directly to the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP and: (i) Include all encounter data, including encounter data from any network providers the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP is compensating based on capitation payments and adjudicated claims and encounter data from any subcontractors.(ii) Exclude covered outpatient drugs as defined in section 1927(k)(2) of the Act.(iii) Report metrics specified in § 431.60(f) of this chapter at the plan level. (6) Implement, by January 1, 2021, and maintain a publicly accessible standards-based API described in § 431.70, which must include all information specified in § 438.10(h)(1) and (2) of this chapter.(7) By the rating period beginning on or after January 1, 2027, comply with §§ 431.61(a), (b)(1) and (4) through (6), and (b)(7)(ii) and (iii) and 431.80(b) of this chapter as if such requirements applied directly to the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP(8) By the rating period beginning on or after January 1, 2026, comply with § 431.80(a) of this chapter as if such requirements applied directly to the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP according to the decision timeframes in § 438.210(d) .(9) The following timeframes apply to paragraph (b)(5) of this section: (i) Except for the requirements in § 431.60(b)(5), (g), and (h) of this chapter, comply with the requirements of § 431.60 of this chapter by January 1, 2021.(ii) Comply with the requirements in § 431.60(b)(5) and (g) of this chapter by the rating period beginning on or after January 1, 2026.(iii) Beginning in 2026, by March 31 following any year the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP operates, comply with the reporting requirements in § 431.60(h) of this chapter for the previous calendar year's data, in the form of aggregated, de-identified metrics, at the plan level.(c)Enrollee encounter data. Contracts between a State and a MCO, PIHP, or PAHP must provide for: (1) Collection and maintenance of sufficient enrollee encounter data to identify the provider who delivers any item(s) or service(s) to enrollees.(2) Submission of enrollee encounter data to the State at a frequency and level of detail to be specified by CMS and the State, based on program administration, oversight, and program integrity needs.(3) Submission of all enrollee encounter data, including allowed amount and paid amount, that the State is required to report to CMS under § 438.818 . (4) Specifications for submitting encounter data to the State in standardized ASC X12N 837 and NCPDP formats, and the ASC X12N 835 format as appropriate.(d)State review and validation of encounter data. The State must review and validate that the encounter data collected, maintained, and submitted to the State by the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP, meets the requirements of this section. The State must have procedures and quality assurance protocols to ensure that enrollee encounter data submitted under paragraph (c) of this section is a complete and accurate representation of the services provided to the enrollees under the contract between the State and the MCO, PIHP, or PAHP.(e)Applicability date. This section applies to the rating period for contracts with MCOs, PIHPs, PAHPs, and PCCM entities beginning on or after July 1, 2017. Until that applicability date, states are required to continue to comply with §438.242 contained in the 42 CFR parts 430 to 481, edition revised as of October 1, 2015. 81 FR 27853 , May 6, 2016, as amended at 85 FR 25635 , May 1, 2020; 85 FR 72841 , Nov. 13, 2020 81 FR 27852 , 5/6/2016; 85 FR 25635 6/30/2020; 85 FR 72841 , 12/14/2020; 89 FR 8981 , 4/8/2024