Introducing Cal INDEX, a new way to connect health records
August 31, 2015
California has a new, state-of-the-art system that gives your clients’ doctors a new way to exchange health information. It’s called Cal INDEX. It lets doctors, nurses and hospitals across California connect and see health records quickly and easily. It’s like sharing an index of each person’s health history. And by sharing records, doctors can offer better, safer, more efficient care.
Better communication, better care
People often need to see more than one doctor or specialist. With Cal INDEX, each doctor gets brought up to speed on all medical information in a flash. And with complete, up-to-date records in hand, doctors can know things like what medicines a person takes. This helps avoid dangerous drug interactions. It also lets doctors know what drugs a person is allergic to. Doctors can share test results, too.This helps avoid costly, duplicate testing.
But this health information exchange isn’t just about saving costs or saving time at the doctor’s office. It’s also about saving lives and giving our members the best care possible. When health information is easy to access in an emergency, it can be life-saving. So when one of our members must go to a participating hospital or emergency room, doctors there can get the health records they need in Cal INDEX right away.
Safe and secure
Our members are automatically included in Cal INDEX. So there’s nothing your clients need to do. Each person’s health history is kept safe and secure, using advanced security and encryption measures. Only providers who participate with Cal INDEX can see these records. Certain personal information, like Social Security numbers and financial information, is never included.
Members can opt out
Any members who want to opt out of allowing their health records to be shared through Cal INDEX can choose to do so. They simply visit calindex.org/opt-out or call 1-888-510-7142 to opt out. We will notify our members later this month to let them know about Cal INDEX and that it’s 100 percent optional. We will also notify our Employer groups in advance of the member communication.
Applies to California: Large Group, Small Group, Individual and Family (under 65)
