The ACCESS Interoperability Playbook
A practical guide to HIE connectivity, care coordination, and FHIR reporting for CMS ACCESS Model participants.
The ACCESS Model rewards outcomes. But outcomes can't be measured (or paid) without complete, auditable clinical data. This guide explains how the Health IT requirements work, why interoperability is foundational to compliance, and what you need to have in place before your patients are aligned.
ACCESS includes three interoperability requirements
The ACCESS Model introduces three Health IT requirements. The challenge isn't any single one. It's making them work as a system.
Standardized APIs
FHIR-based APIs supporting patient and population services.
HIE Connectivity
Bidirectional exchange across the geographies where you deliver care.
CMS Reporting
FHIR-based submission of outcomes and supporting clinical data.
HIE connectivity is the bridge that makes the APIs and reporting work together.
Four sections. Everything you need to know.
01. The Rise of Value-Based Care
How outcome-aligned payment models led to ACCESS, and what the shift means for how participants prove results.
02. The Three HIT Requirements
A clear explanation of what CMS requires for standardized APIs, HIE connectivity, and FHIR-based reporting, including the details that are easy to miss.
03. The Compliance Checklist
Six concrete steps, organized by deadline, to help participants identify gaps and prioritize workstreams before key dates pass.
04. The Data Imperative
Why incomplete patient records are a compliance liability, not just a clinical one, and how auditable data is the foundation of every ACCESS payment.
“Cercanos was built on value-based care, so when CMS announced ACCESS, we knew it was a perfect fit. Metriport was the obvious partner to work with: HIE connectivity, network reciprocity, and the clinical depth that value-based care requires.”
Cercanos Care is a CMS ACCESS first-cohort participant serving Hispanic communities across cardiometabolic and behavioral health.
Designed for teams building ACCESS infrastructure
This guide was written for the people responsible for making ACCESS work in practice.Plan your path to compliance
✓ What does ACCESS require from an interoperability perspective?
✓ Do we need a national HIE connection?
✓ How does bidirectional exchange work under ACCESS?
✓ Can lab values come from an HIE?
✓ What data must be source-verifiable?
✓ What are the most common implementation gaps?
✓ How should digital health companies approach connectivity?
Download the ACCESS Interoperability Playbook
Get a practical guide to:
✓ ACCESS Health IT requirements
✓ HIE connectivity strategies
✓ Care coordination obligations
✓ FHIR reporting requirements
✓ Compliance planning
Focused on the interoperability challenges behind ACCESS
The ACCESS Model depends on complete, auditable patient data and reliable care coordination workflows. Metriport provides a single FHIR-native API for accessing and exchanging clinical data across national and regional networks, helping organizations support outcomes measurement, care coordination, and CMS reporting requirements.
This guide is intended to support organizational readiness planning for the CMS ACCESS Model. It does not constitute legal, regulatory, or compliance advice. Organizations should review the official CMS ACCESS Model documentation and consult internal compliance stakeholders as appropriate.