The North Carolina Health Information Exchange, also known as NC HealthConnex, is a digital tool that gives providers a holistic view of their clients’ medical records, including allergies, diagnoses, medications, and more. All providers who accept state-based insurance plans within the state of North Carolina are required to enroll in the NC HealthConnex.
Because SimplePractice is an approved EHR vendor with NC HealthConnex, our platform supports a streamlined process that helps North Carolina providers exchange required health information and remain compliant with state regulations.
Note: Connection with NC HealthConnex is available only on the Essential and Plus plans.
In this guide, we’ll answer the following:
- Who is required to connect to NC HealthConnex?
- How do I connect with NC HealthConnex?
- How do I enable information sharing for my clients?
- How do I know if information sharing is enabled for a client?
- What if I'm not seeing the HIE setting in my client's insurance information?
- I don’t file claims in SimplePractice. Can I still use this feature?
Note: See the North Carolina Department of Information Technology website for more information on NC HealthConnex.
Who is required to connect to NC HealthConnex?
All healthcare providers within North Carolina who receive state reimbursement for health care services are required to connect with NC HealthConnex. This includes providers that work with payers such as Medicaid, NC Health Choice, and State Health Plan. For Blue Cross Blue Shield clients, this depends on the client's specific policy. We recommend calling the payer directly to confirm.
How do I connect with NC HealthConnex?
To connect with NC HealthConnex, complete the NC HIEA Full Participation Agreement.
When NC HealthConnex is ready to finalize your approval, one of their representatives will send you the NC HealthConnex Roll-On Connection Scoping Checklist to be completed by you and our team. When you receive the checklist, please submit a help request so we can assist further.
Note: When reaching out to our team, you don’t have to include the blank Scoping Checklist provided by NC HealthConnex. We’ll provide you with a copy that includes the information required from SimplePractice.
How do I enable information sharing for my clients?
You can enable information sharing for your clients from the Billing and Insurance tab of their profile. To do this:
- Navigate to the client’s Overview page > Edit > Billing and Insurance
- Scroll to Insurance info
- Click Edit next to their insurance payer(s)
- Under Health information exchange, select Send information
- Check the box next to I agree
- Choose Continue
- Click Save
Note: Information sharing is managed at the individual client level and must be enabled separately for each client.
How do I know if information sharing is enabled for a client?
You can check whether information sharing is enabled for a client in 2 places:
- your Clients list, and
- the Billing and Insurance page of a client's profile
From the Clients list
- From your calendar, click Clients from the left navigation menu
- Use the filters to search for the client
- If information sharing is enabled for them, you'll see the HIE tag next to the client's name
From a client’s Billing and Insurance page
- Navigate to the client's Overview page > Edit > Billing and Insurance
- Scroll to Insurance info
- Click Edit next to their insurance payer(s)
- If Send information is checked under Health information exchange, then this is enabled for that client and payer
What if I'm not seeing the HIE setting in my client's insurance information?
When you add a participating payer to your client’s Insurance info, the Health information exchange field will auto-populate:
If you don't see the HIE option in your client's Insurance Info section, either the feature isn’t enabled for your account or it isn’t set up for that specific insurance payer.
If the HIE option appears for other insurance payers but not this one, contact our Customer Success team with the payer ID.
I don’t file claims in SimplePractice. Can I still use this feature?
To ensure a copy is created and sent to the HIE each time a claim is filed, claims must be submitted through SimplePractice. This confirms that all HIE information sharing requirements are met.
If you file claims outside of SimplePractice, we recommend contacting NC HealthConnex directly to confirm alternative connection options, including their Clinical portal access method. To learn more, visit NC HealthConnex's How to Connect page.