CMS' Call for Interoperability: Livanta Innovates Solutions with Bellese Technologies

On October 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rolled out new requirements for healthcare providers in the FY 2021 Final Rule (CMS-1735-F). With this new requirement, CMS is holding healthcare providers to a new standard for submitting medical records in an electronic format to Beneficiary and Family Centered Care-Quality Improvement Organizations (BFCC-QIOs). Previously, the process of medical record transmission to BFCC-QIOs was labor-intensive, requiring many providers to spend hours printing and faxing hundreds of pages of documentation. The Final Rule, which applies to thousands of healthcare providers across the United States, is intended to align existing medical record submission procedures with CMS policies promoting the use of electronic health records and burden reduction.

To advance the cause of interoperability and to offer convenience and flexibility for providers in complying with the new Final Rule, Livanta worked around the clock to build a solution. Central to this solution was a technology known as Direct Secure Messaging (DSM). DSM is an industry standard that allows for the secure, electronic transmission of medical records and documentation.

With research starting in early 2020, Livanta had a leg-up in making DSM a reality. Livanta’s Information Technology and Communications teams collaborated with provider organizations in New York and Michigan to pilot the new solution throughout the summer. The pilot showed promise and resulted in the rapid launch of DSM for providers in all Livanta's BFCC-QIO regions to meet the October 1, 2020 implementation deadline.

The rollout of DSM could not have been possible without the support of CMS and collaboration with the CMS Information Systems Group (ISG) and Medicare contractors such as Bellese Technologies. The teamwork, dedication, and professionalism of these organizations, coupled with their flexibility and an overwhelming spirit of innovation allowed for the development and implementation of DSM in record time - all with no downtime or disruption to BFCC-QIO medical record reviews. This collaborative product realization sprint demonstrates the first-rate capabilities of all the organizations involved.

During the rapid launch, however, Livanta found that only a limited number of providers could use DSM while others were not able to adopt it readily. To address these limitations as the deadline loomed, Livanta’s development team worked with Bellese to implement an alternative solution that could complement DSM and transfer data electronically into the appropriate government systems. This alternative solution, an electronic file transfer portal, is known as the e-LiFT portal. This web-based system allows providers to electronically upload medical documentation to Livanta quickly, easily, and securely, with the click of a button. The results have been astonishing, as evidenced by the number of actual medical record transmissions received via e-LiFT.

"With the e-LiFT portal, the transmission happens right away and it saves a lot of time."
Pamela Cabatu, Health Information Management Director

According to Pamela Cabatu, Health Information Management Director at a skilled nursing facility in Hawaii, using the portal is preferred over sending medical records by fax, especially due to the BFCC-QIO's time-sensitive medical record requests. "Our fax machines cannot handle the volume of paper we fax to the QIO. In the past, we’d have to fax documents in increments or batches - sometimes up to four batches for one medical record. With the e-LiFT portal, the transmission happens right away and it saves a lot of time.”

e-LiFT is overwhelmingly the method of choice for the electronic transfer of medical records to Livanta. Instead of spending time trying to determine if "all the pages went through," provider organizations are reporting satisfaction with the ease of submission and the relief of the burden of traditional faxing. In concert with DSM, e-LiFT is realizing interoperability, reducing provider burden, and achieving system-wide quality improvement.

With its innovations, partnerships, and collaborative relationships with the healthcare provider community, Livanta is advancing the goals of CMS’s interoperability. Such initiatives reduce costly mistakes by eliminating or reducing human error, removing labor-intensive tasks, and increasing the speed of the appeals process. Livanta remains committed to customer service excellence and technical innovations that will improve processes that ultimately improve the lives of Medicare beneficiaries and protect the Medicare trust fund.

Files can now be transmitted quickly and easily to Livanta, benefitting patients who rely on timely medical record reviews when they appeal their hospital discharge or the termination of Medicare-covered services. Rapid turnaround from the BFCC-QIO is paramount.