Vermont Health Information Exchange Receives Outcomes-Based Certification from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

The VITL-operated health information exchange is one of the first in the country to achieve this certification.

VITL is excited to announce that the Vermont Health Information Exchange has been certified as a module of the Vermont Medicaid Enterprise as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Outcomes-Based Certification Program. Vermont is one of the first states to receive this certification for its health information exchange. Certification allows Vermont to receive enhanced federal funding to support ongoing Vermont Health Information Exchange operations in service of Vermonters and our health care community. Preparing for and achieving this certification required a strong partnership of the teams from the State’s Agency of Human Services and VITL, supported by the State’s Health Information Exchange Steering Committee.

“Every day, health care providers and public health professionals use the data in the Vermont Health Information Exchange to help care for Vermonters. CMS’ Outcomes-Based Certification recognizes the impact of VITL’s partnership with the State of Vermont’s Agency of Human Services and Health Information Steering Committee and our shared commitment to delivering health data that makes a measurable difference in healthcare delivery, health reform, and public health,” said Beth Anderson, President and CEO of VITL.

CMS began offering Outcomes-Based Certification for the Medicaid Enterprise in 2019, representing a shift from more traditional CMS programs that supported technology-focused investments and systems implementation, to a program that is focused on investing in the outcomes effected by those systems. In 2021, CMS expanded its Outcomes-Based Certification program to enable the inclusion of health information exchanges (HIEs). At that time, the State of Vermont’s Agency of Human Services worked with the State’s Health Information Exchange Steering Committee and VITL to develop and propose the outcome measures that represent the impact of Vermont Health Information Exchange services on Vermont’s Medicaid operations and beneficiaries. Information about CMS Certification is available at:  https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/data-systems/certification/streamlined-modular-certification/index.html.