42 U.S.C. § 300jj–51 — Health information technology enrollment standards and protocols

(a) In general: (1) Standards and protocols: Within 180 days after March 23, 2010, the Secretary, working with the HIT Advisory Committee, must create standards and protocols that are secure and work together (interoperable). These help people enroll in federal and state health and human services programs the Secretary picks. (2) Methods: The Secretary must use whatever methods it decides are appropriate to help with enrollment. This must include telling people (and anyone they authorize) whether they're eligible and how their eligibility was verified. (b) Content: The standards and protocols for electronic enrollment must allow for (1) checking eligibility electronically against existing federal and state records — like vital records, employment history, other enrollment systems, and tax records — instead of requiring paper documents; (2) simpler electronic paperwork, turning documents digital, and checking eligibility automatically; (3) reusing stored eligibility information so eligible people don't lose their benefits by mistake; (4) letting people apply, recertify, and manage their eligibility online — from home, service locations, or other community places; (5) being able to expand the system to add new programs and rules, handle more volume, and apply the same streamlined process to other federal and state programs; (6) notifying people about their eligibility, recertification, and other needed updates — possibly by email or cell phone; and (7) any other features necessary to give eligible people a streamlined enrollment process. (c) Approval and notification: Once the HIT Advisory Committee approves a standard or protocol from part (a), the Secretary (1) must tell states about it, and (2) may require states or other groups to use that standard as a condition of getting federal health IT funding. (d) Grants for implementation of appropriate enrollment HIT: (1) In general: The Secretary must award grants to eligible entities to build new technology systems, or update existing ones, that use the enrollment standards from part (a) — called "appropriate HIT technology" here. (2) Eligible entities: To get this grant, an entity must (A) be a State, a part of a State, or a local government, and (B) submit an application that includes (i) a plan to adopt this enrollment technology, including expected cuts in maintenance costs, retiring old ("legacy") systems, and proof it's working with other entities nearby that may also get this grant, (ii) a promise to share the technology as described in paragraph (4), and (iii) whatever other information the Secretary asks for. (3) Sharing: (A) The Secretary must make sure the enrollment technology built with these grants is shared for free with other qualified states, parts of states, or other qualified entities. (B) The Secretary decides who counts as "qualified," considering the HIT Advisory Committee's advice.