Healthcare organizations today are tasked with adhering to a dense network of federal and state regulations, each layer adding to the complexity of staying compliant. For organizations operating across multiple states, this challenge is magnified by varying state regulations around patient data access, security, and interoperability. ASTP/ONC (Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Health Coordinator) certification offers a powerful solution to these challenges. By meeting comprehensive federal standards, ASTP/ONC certification simultaneously addresses many overlapping state requirements, creating a streamlined compliance pathway that healthcare organizations should prioritize. For multi-state organizations, ASTP/ONC certification serves as a unified framework, reducing the burden of regional compliance management, enhancing operational efficiency, and allowing teams to focus on delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
How ASTP/ONC Certification Meets Multi-State Compliance Needs
ASTP/ONC certification is grounded in critical federal regulations like the 21st Century Cures Act, the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule, and HTI-1/HTI-2, all of which push for improved patient access, secure interoperability, and data security. Through compliance requirements like FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) APIs and USCDI (United States Core Data for Interoperability), ASTP/ONC certification ensures healthcare systems are equipped for seamless data sharing, consistent privacy protections, and robust security measures. As a result, ASTP/ONC certification becomes particularly valuable given its compliance alignment with a number of state regulations. For multi-state organizations, this alignment is essential because it reduces the need for custom, state-specific compliance solutions. Furthermore, healthcare organizations can avoid costly duplications in their compliance processes and focus on maintaining a cohesive approach across regions.
Addressing Key State Regulations with ASTP/ONC Certification
California, New York, and Texas each have distinct healthcare data requirements that reflect their unique legislative priorities. Here’s specifically how ASTP/ONC standards, driven by federal mandates, align with these specific state regulations:
California – CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
California’s CCPA primarily regulates the handling of personal data by large, consumer-facing tech companies, but it has also made an impact on healthcare organizations. Although HIPAA-protected information is exempt from CCPA, certain types of data collected by HIPAA-regulated entities can still fall under CCPA’s scope, creating regulatory gray areas. This is because not all patient data collected by healthcare organizations is classified as protected information under HIPAA; data can be deemed de-identified (age group, treatment date range) if it has been stripped of the 18 specific identifiers outlined by the regulation. In these instances, healthcare organizations may find themselves needing to meet CCPA data protection standards instead. Moreover, this regulatory ambiguity has introduced potential legal risks for healthcare organizations who operate in California or serve California residents.
ASTP/ONC certification supports healthcare organizations in addressing some of these complexities by aligning with CCPA’s privacy expectations through requirements mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act and the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule. These federal mandates require ASTP/ONC-certified systems to incorporate strong privacy and security protocols, such as OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, to enable secure, verified access to patient data. By achieving ASTP/ONC certification, healthcare organizations can navigate both CCPA-related expectations and federal privacy standards more smoothly, reducing compliance complexities and mitigating potential risks associated with uncertain regulatory boundaries.
New York – SHIN-NY (Statewide Health Information Network for New York)
New York’s SHIN-NY regulation emphasizes statewide interoperability through its health information exchange (HIE) network, requiring healthcare organizations to share patient data efficiently and securely. SHIN-NY mandates that organizations facilitate standardized data exchange to ensure that patient information is accessible across different organizations and regions. ASTP/ONC certification requirements, rooted in the 21st Century Cures Act and HTI-1/HTI-2, directly support these interoperability goals. Under finalized federal mandates, ASTP/ONC requires certified systems to implement FHIR APIs for seamless data exchange, making it easier for healthcare organizations to integrate with SHIN-NY’s HIE. Additionally, the USCDI standard, which specifies essential data elements like demographics, clinical notes, and lab results, ensures consistent and accessible patient data, supporting SHIN-NY’s goals. By achieving ASTP/ONC certification, multi-state healthcare organizations in New York streamline their compliance efforts with SHIN-NY, avoiding the need for customized state-specific interoperability solutions.
Texas – Texas HIE Standards
Texas’s HIE standards promote interoperability and secure, patient-centered data exchange across the state’s healthcare network, enabling continuity of care across organizations. Texas’s HIE standards prioritize interoperability by requiring secure data-sharing protocols that align with ASTP/ONC certification requirements under the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule. This federal mandate emphasizes secure, patient-authorized data access, which is addressed through the SMART on FHIR framework required by ASTP/ONC certification. SMART on FHIR allows patients to access and authorize third-party applications to retrieve their health data securely, fulfilling Texas’s focus on patient-centered, secure data sharing. Through ASTP/ONC certification, healthcare organizations in Texas achieve streamlined compliance with HIE standards, meeting both federal and state requirements for patient access and interoperability without the need for additional technical configurations.
Operational Benefits of ASTP/ONC Certification for Multi-State Organizations
ASTP/ONC certification offers significant operational and cost-saving benefits for multi-state organizations. By centralizing federal and state compliance requirements, ASTP/ONC certification eliminates the need for duplicative systems and complex, state-specific compliance solutions, reducing administrative and technical costs. Instead, healthcare organizations can reallocate resources from bespoke state-centric compliance overhead to operational improvements .
Moreover, ASTP/ONC certification provides consistency across different states, reducing the risk of compliance gaps and potential fines. A standardized approach to data security, patient access, and interoperability helps healthcare organizations manage their operations cohesively, making it easier for compliance and IT teams to maintain uniform practices across the organization. The streamlined internal processes fostered by ASTP/ONC certification save both time, money and resources, allowing organizations to focus on quality improvement rather than constantly navigating varied state requirements.
Future-Proofing Compliance for Regulatory Adaptability
As healthcare regulations continue to evolve, ASTP/ONC certification also offers an adaptable compliance solution that helps healthcare organizations stay agile. Federal mandates like the 21st Century Cures Act and the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule are designed to adapt to future regulatory changes, which means ASTP/ONC-certified systems are better positioned to incorporate new standards as they emerge. For multi-state organizations, this adaptability is crucial, enabling organizations to respond proactively to new state or federal requirements, minimizing costly overhauls.
By prioritizing ASTP/ONC certification, healthcare organizations are investing in a compliance strategy that prepares them for future developments in privacy, security, and interoperability standards. This proactive stance not only saves resources but also ensures that organizations are ready to adapt without disrupting care or investing in extensive system upgrades.
Building Patient Trust and Competitive Advantage
For multi-state healthcare organizations, ASTP/ONC certification additionally serves as a competitive differentiator, building patient trust through enhanced data security and accessibility. Patients today are increasingly aware of their data privacy rights and expect secure, convenient access to their health information. ASTP/ONC certification helps healthcare organizations meet these expectations by ensuring that data is managed in compliance with both federal and state mandates. This commitment to security and transparency strengthens patient loyalty and positions the organization as a trusted entity across regions.
With an ASTP/ONC-certified system, healthcare organizations can assure patients and stakeholders that their data handling practices adhere to the highest standards. In a crowded market, this level of compliance creates a competitive advantage, as patients feel more confident entrusting their sensitive health information to a healthcare organization that demonstrates a commitment to security, accessibility, and regulatory compliance.
Conclusion: The Drummond Difference in ASTP/ONC Certification
Achieving ASTP/ONC certification is not just a regulatory requirement—it’s a strategic advantage for multi-state healthcare organizations. It simplifies the complexities of navigating overlapping federal and state mandates, enhances operational efficiency, and positions organizations as leaders in secure, patient-centered care. Drummond’s comprehensive and expert-guided ASTP/ONC certification process ensures that healthcare organizations achieve compliance with confidence. As a trusted leader in healthcare compliance, Drummond combines deep regulatory expertise with a commitment to client success, supporting organizations in implementing interoperable systems that meet the highest standards of privacy, security, and accessibility.
With Drummond, healthcare organizations are equipped to future-proof their compliance strategies, reduce operational burdens, and build patient trust—ultimately enabling them to deliver better care and achieve their mission in an increasingly interconnected healthcare ecosystem. Make ASTP/ONC certification your priority today, and partner with Drummond to navigate the path to compliance with unparalleled assurance.