Certified health software would track patients’ recommended cancer screenings

Federal health officials would require screening-tracking tools for health software certification. The requirement would cover software seeking or maintaining certification under the federal programs covered by this section. The tools would use only necessary patient data, explain its use, and let patients access, review, and request changes to their health information. Officials would have to set this requirement through rules open to public comment within five years after enactment.

The National Coordinator would establish national cancer screening rules that software can read. The rules would draw on federal screening recommendations and account for factors such as age, sex, and higher cancer risk. The rules would work with at least one of two named health data standards. The work would follow applicable privacy laws and would not permit unauthorized use, sharing, or identification of patients’ health information.

The Department of Health and Human Services would issue guidance encouraging health plans to use the screening technology. It would cover specified Medicaid plans and entities, Medicare Advantage plans, and qualifying health insurance marketplace plans. The guidance would encourage adoption rather than require health plans to adopt the tools. The department would issue the guidance within two years after enactment.