# Member education materials template

Recommendation
Tailor the template below to meet your needs before publishing on your website or in member communications.

> ## Payer-to-Payer data exchange: you're in control of how your health data follows you
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has introduced a new requirement called the Payer-to-Payer data exchange, which helps your health data follow you safely when you switch health plans or have more than one plan at the same time. Your health plan partners with 1upHealth to facilitate this data exchange.
## What's new?
When you change health insurance plans, your new plan can securely receive your recent health information from your previous plan - but only if you choose to share it. This process, called the Payer-to-Payer API, helps your important medical data follow you safely and easily between plans.
## You're in control
You control whether we request your health care data from your previous insurer or exchange data with your concurrent insurers through the API and can opt-in at any time. Your data is not shared through the API automatically so you decide when and if API data sharing is allowed.
By default, you are opted out of this data exchange. No data is shared without your action. If you choose to opt-in you provide information about your previous health plan to start the exchange. Once you opt-in your new plan can request your last five years of health data from your previous plan.
If you have two or more insurers, we will exchange your data with your other insurers at least every three months to ensure we can work with them to align your coverage as best as possible.
If you give us information about your last insurer, we will ask them for your data. This means that you will continue to have access to those records in the same place as your new records.
## Why it matters
Opting into data sharing has several potential benefits including
- improved completeness of your medical records if you change insurance carriers,
- reduction in care disruptions,
- faster approvals for treatments,
- better coordination between plans.

Even if you opt-in, your data will not be shared with insurers that you are not enrolled with. This API data exchange will only be used to receive data from your previous insurer, exchange data with your concurrent insurer, and send data to your future insurer (as appropriate).
## Your privacy and security
Your health care data is protected by privacy and security measures. All data exchange uses secure, standardized technology (FHIR) and happens only between insurers directly involved in your coverage.
If you opt-in to having your data shared with other insurers through the API, you can opt-out at any time.
## Support and troubleshooting
If you have questions or run into any issues with the opt-in or opt-out process, please contact your health plan member support.