Community information exchange (CIE)

What’s a CIE?

It’s an electronic tool that health care providers can use to:

• Help aid the coordination of and connection to necessary community resources.
• Identify and screen for health-related social needs, share data, and close referrals.
• Assist with data analytics of health-related services.

What’s required for this work?

Section 211 (113) of the 2022 supplemental budget (Senate Bill 5693) outlines the work that HCA must complete before issuing a request for proposals (RFP) or beginning the CIE project. This includes consulting with partners, which include the Health and Human Services (HHS) Enterprise Coalition, Accountable Communities of Health (ACHs), health care plans and providers, community-based organizations, medical associations, and others.

What’s happening now?

We are at the beginning stages of this work, which includes working with Tribes, other partners, and stakeholders. Together, we’re determining the state’s capability of having a statewide CIE by looking at:

• What CIE platforms already exist within Washington’s public and private health care systems.
• The ability to link CIE systems throughout the state, and financial impacts to the state, health care providers, and organizations that are using the statewide CIE.

What’s next?

The Health Care Authority (HCA) responded to a 2022 supplemental budget proviso by developing a landscape review and strategic options report for the CIE planning process. The intent of the landscape review was to gather feedback to identify the impacts, priorities, and risks of implementing a statewide CIE strategy. This feedback informed the strategic options for implementing a statewide CIE strategy.

The HHS Coalition selected responses to the strategic options for further discussion. These discussions began and will help the coalition determine the most effective way to request funding that supports a statewide CIE strategy.

• CIE landscape in Washington
• CIE strategic options report 
• CIE planning strategy update slide deck
• Legislative funding update (November 2023)

HHS Coalition partners

• HCA
• Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
• Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
• Department of Health (DOH)
• Washington Health Benefit Exchange (HBE)

CIE within the Medicaid Transformation Project (MTP)

HCA recently submitted Washington’s MTP waiver renewal application to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). MTP allows our state to create and continue to develop projects, activities, and services that improve Washington’s health care system.

As part of the MTP waiver renewal package, HCA and partners are proposing to implement a Community Hubs program. Community Hubs are electronic “centers” that connect Apple Health (Medicaid) enrollees to health-related social needs. Some examples of these needs include housing, employment, food, and transportation.

Community Hubs will use CIE technology and resource and referral processes to support the coordination of and connection to community resources and organizations.

Resources

• CIE webinar (August 2022)
• HCA's position on advancing CIE (March 2021)