Home and Community-Based Services - Connecticut’s Investment under the American Rescue Plan Act

FAQs

• Data
  • Can you give examples of what data a homecare provider would be providing to CONNIE?
    Answer:

    The foundation for any data sharing is understanding the organization’s list of patients. Providing a patient panel will be a key data point needed for connecting to Connie. The patient panel is the list of people to whom you provide services under DSS programs. We are still developing the use case for this program but are keeping in mind the breadth of what could be easily shared by organizations participating in this program.

  • How does the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) system integrate with Connie?
    Answer:

    Connie and Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) are not integrated. Each system serves a different purpose. EVV is a technology used to verify that home or community-based service visits occur. The purpose of EVV is to ensure that services are delivered to people needing those services and that providers only bill for services rendered. Connie is a health information exchange that allows health care providers and patients to appropriately access and securely share a patient’s vital medical information electronically improving the speed, quality, safety, and cost of patient care.

  • What are some examples of the type of information a non-medical provide might upload? What might be the frequency of pushing information? And, if we send someone to the hospital will we immediately need to do something? We are trying to understand the actual interaction.
    Answer:

    The most important information from any participating organization is a patient list. We are still developing the use case for this program, which will determine additional data needs.  

  • Is there a copy of the Data Sharing Agreement available for review?
    Answer:

    Yes. Just email heidi.wilson@conniect.org for a copy.

• Hardware Requirements
  • Are there specific computer requirements for Connie, and will there be a recurring cost to the provider?
    Answer:

    There are no specific computer requirements to participate in Connie. Currently, there are also no participating fees. However, we do anticipate that organizations that are connected to Connie will have to pay a Participation Fee at some time in the future. The State of Connecticut’s Office of Health Strategy will set that fee structure. At this time, we do not know if or how that fee structure will impact this program.

• Participation
  • As a non-medical provider in the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE), Patient Care Attendant (PCA) specific, is Connie appropriate for those types of agencies? Does this include all non-medical home care providers who provide homemaker, companion and PCA Services?
    Answer:

    The short answer is yes, although non-medical providers will have a different experience with accessing data for the people they serve in Connie. Connie and the Department of Social Services (DSS) are working to develop appropriate use cases for the broader HCBS provider community so that they can contribute to providing whole-person health. Different provider types will have different access to patient data within Connie depending on (a) whether they or their business associates are a HIPAA covered entity; and (b) whether they are required to collect patient consent before sharing or accessing patient records. Some organizations may only receive certain data elements deemed appropriate for their specialty, while others may have access to patient health data with whom they have a treatment relationship. For example, with consent, a non-medical provider could receive alerts if a person served is admitted to in-person care or receive referrals from medical providers. All providers should consult their legal representatives regarding patient consent requirements for their organization.

  • If a health care provider does not have Electronic Health Records (EHR) and does not plan to implement them, are they exempt?
    Answer: Any home or community-based services provider in the state of Connecticut, including those who do not use Electronic Heath Records, are eligible to participate in this program.
  • If we exclude a certain provider type in our organization at this stage for internal capacity reasons, will there be an opportunity for that provider to join later?
    Answer: Yes.
  • In the case of Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) have the Access Agencies also subscribed to data sharing agreements with CONNIE?
    Answer: All Access Agencies have subscribed and data sharing agreements with CONNIE.
  • Is this meant for non-medical homecare service providers to enroll in as well?
    Answer: Yes.
  • Who should be involved in this program?
    Answer:

    Any home or community-based services provider in the state of Connecticut is eligible to participate in this program.

• Privacy
  • Is individual consent required for each person to participate in Connie?
    Answer: Every organization has a unique situation when it comes to the applicable state and federal laws around patient consent. Please contact your legal representative to discuss your organization’s need for patient consent when connecting to a Health Information Exchange.   
  • How will people served know their information is being input into Connie to opt out if they're not ok with it?
    Answer: Connie can provide an organization with a Communication’s Toolkit, which includes suggested messages, notices of privacy practices language, and brochures about Connie. These tools can be customized to fit your practice.
  • Will we need to have written permission from the people served to release their info? Like what we have in our Aging and Disability Services (ADS) industry?
    Answer:

    Every organization has a unique situation when it comes to the applicable state and federal laws around patient consent. Please contact your legal representative to discuss your organization’s need for patient consent when connecting to a Health Information Exchange. 

• Process
  • How is Connie notified when a person’s provider changes?
    Answer:

    The foundation for any Health Information Exchange is a patient roster from participating organizations. This roster must be updated at least every 90 days. Some organizations can provide the roster in real time, meaning every time a patient is admitted to their facility. Connie uses these rosters to establish the patients care team, and identify which providers have a treating relationship with the patient.

  • How will information from the access agencies and the providers intersect on a specific patient that is in the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE)? There will be overlap. How will this be handled?
    Answer:

    Connie gathers information from various providers on a single patient and links the data sources together using a Master Patient Index. Providers that have a treatment relationship with the patient are then able to see information about that patient from the patient’s other providers.

• Program
  • How does home health fit into this exchange system?
    Answer: Connie and the Department of Social Services (DSS) are working to develop appropriate use cases for the broader HCBS community so that providers can contribute to providing whole-person health. Different provider types have different access to patient data within Connie depending on (a) whether they are a HIPAA covered entity or their business associate; and (b) and whether they are required to collect patient consent before sharing or accessing patient records. Some organizations may only receive certain data elements deemed appropriate, while others may have access to patient health data with whom they have a treatment relationship. For example, Home Health provider could receive alerts if a person served is admitted to in-person care or receive referrals from medical providers. All providers should consult their legal representatives regarding patient consent requirements for their organization.
  • If you offer unique services and you are a direct care provider, does this system work as a network of offered services or will this be considered as advertising?
    Answer: Connie does not share or advertise the services of different organizations, but rather shares the data different organizations have about the same patient in order to have a more whole person view.
  • We are a home health agency under Yale New Haven Health Systems. We have a separate Medicaid ID, so we need to sign up separately, correct?
    Answer: Yes. However, your parent company’s data sharing agreement will likely apply to your agency as well. Speak to your legal department. If they confirm, reach out to Connie to be counted under the parent organization data sharing agreement.
  • What if your patient gets all their medical care thru the VA? Will Connie work with the VA?
    Answer: Connie is not yet connected to the VA, but we are looking to connect with the VA over the next year.
  • What will the options be for non-medical home care agencies that do not have electronic health records.
    Answer: We are still developing the use case for this program. Nevertheless, we recognize that many participating organizations will not have electronic health records or an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. At minimum, connecting to Connie only requires a list of current patients, with key demographic data, in a .csv formatted file.