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Edition
Four (2/24/09)
  
Money to Boost EHR
Initiatives Nationwide: Stimulus
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 2/23/09
Most of the federal funding for health care information
technology initiatives under the $787 billion American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will come from two
main sources. The much larger of the two I.T.
boosts—estimated at $17.2 billion—will come
from I.T. provider adoption incentive programs under
Medicare and Medicaid. The smaller—yet still
sizable—source of funding will come from a direct
appropriation by Congress of $2 billion to the Office of
the National Coordinator at HHS. It is to be used for an
assortment of grants, loans, and demonstration programs.
6 Governors May Reject Portions of Stimulus
The New York Times, subscription needed 2/22/09
A handful of Republican governors say they may reject
portions of the federal stimulus money, raising
objections from lawmakers, mayors, and other critics that
they are placing political ideology before the interest
of constituents who need help and budgets with huge
deficits. Republican governors from Alaska, Idaho,
Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas have
indicated that they might reject portions of the federal
stimulus money because they might not want to meet the
requirements that accompany the funds or use federal
funds to expand programs, such as Medicaid.
At Meeting, Governors Share Plans for Stimulus Funds
The Washington Post, 2/20/09
The nation's governors, battered by plunging tax revenue
and growing budget deficits in their states, converged on
Washington yesterday and outlined their plans to spend
billions of federal dollars coming their way from
President Obama's economic stimulus legislation. The
governors said the money will be only a down payment
toward fixing the country's crumbling infrastructure,
with some predicting that the economies in their states
will worsen.
Stimulus Relief
is a State of Mind
HealthLeaders Media, 2/20/09
The mere fact that the $787 billion stimulus package was
signed into law will give some health care CEOs the
confidence to move forward on some of their strategic
priorities that have been on hold since the economy
collapsed this past fall. Of course, those organizations
will likely be the ones that have cash reserves, can
access the credit markets, and have a strong operating
margin. The remaining hospitals may decide to wait until
all the details of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act are hashed out.
GPO Publishes Official Stimulus Law
Health Data Management, 2/20/09
The Government Printing Office has published the authentic version of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was the
economic stimulus bill signed by President Obama on Feb.
17. This is the final version the government will use as
it implements provisions of the law, including the Health
Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health
Act (HITECH Act).
Will CCHIT have Competition Due to Stimulus Law? Part
2
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 2/20/09
There will be some major changes in the way the federal
government oversees its health information technology
program apart from the whopping increase in funding for I.T.
system acquisition, according to the 300-plus pages of
health I.T.-related language in the 785-page American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The massive
stimulus bill does not specifically name another Bush
administration era I.T. body, the not-for-profit CCHIT.
However, the new law does say that the national
coordinator, in consultation with the director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology,
“shall keep or recognize a program or programs for
the voluntary certification of health information
technology as being in compliance with applicable
certification criteria under this” law.
A Big Stimulus Boost for Electronic Health Records
Technology Review, 2/20/09
Physicians and information specialists across the country
are feverishly figuring out how to best prepare for the
impending availability of $19 billion designated for
health care I.T. spending in the stimulus bill. Broadly
deploying EHRs will require special support for small
private practices across the country. These physicians
provide up to 80 percent of the nation's health care, but
fewer than 20 percent of them are currently using EHRs.
In a letter sent to the White House and to Congress last
week, a number of physicians and health care
administrators from across the country urged the
incorporation of community-level guidance into the bill,
which included two successful examples of community-based
deployments: New York's primary-care information project
and the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative.
Will AHIC Successor NeHC Survive Stimulus Reqs?
Part 1
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 2/19/09
The new law appears to undo at least one of the last
efforts of the Bush/Leavitt I.T. program—the
attempted privatization of the key national HIT policy
advisory board, the American Health Information Community.
Instead, the law creates a national HIT Policy Committee,
a government-controlled organization that will operate,
as AHIC did, under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The HIT Policy Committee will make policy recommendations
to the national coordinator. The HIT Standards Committee
is to adopt an initial set of standards, implementation
specifications, and I.T. system certification criteria by
December 31, 2009. This initial set is to be forwarded to
the national coordinator for approval.
Security
Challenges of Electronic Medical Records
Computerworld, 2/19/09
Under his recently unveiled fiscal stimulus plan,
President Obama seeks to invest up to $20 Billion in
federal funds to achieve widespread deployment of EMRs. A
principal reason for his initiative is to improve our
nation's health care system by reducing long term costs
and increasing effectiveness of our health outlays. So
what exactly is an EMR and what does this new direction
mean for security and privacy professionals?
Kansas Governor Seen as Top Choice in Health Post
The New York Times, subscription needed 2/19/09
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas is emerging as President
Obama's top choice for secretary of health and human
services, advisers said. Should she be nominated,
Sebelius would bring eight years of experience as her
state's insurance commissioner as well as six years as a
governor running a state Medicaid program. But with
President Obama about to begin a drive to expand health
coverage, her strongest asset may be her record of
navigating partisan politics as a Democrat in one of the
country's most Republican states.
Stimulus Bill Dramatically Modifies HIPAA Rules
Wisconsin Technology Network, 2/18/09
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains
surprising modifications to HIPAA's Privacy and Security
Rules. These changes will likely require every business
associate agreement to be modified. The Act also, for the
first time, requires business associates to comply
directly with many of HIPAA's rules and subjects business
associates to HIPAA’s civil and criminal penalties.
The Act increases the penalties for various HIPAA
violations and dramatically expands other remedial
actions. The changes are significant to all covered
entities, but are most challenging for business
associates, who now face a host of new requirements.
Economic Stimulus Package to Offset Costly EHR
Implementation
HealthLeaders, 2/17/09
Health care providers looking for assistance with the
adoption of EHRs may be in for a pleasant surprise,
according to the Health Information Technology (HIT)
Extension Program included in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. Title XIII of the Act focuses on HIT
and quality, with $19 billion in grants and loans set
aside for infrastructure and incentive payments under
Medicare and Medicaid for providers who adopt certified
EHR technology. The grants and loans include $17 billion
slated for incentives, with $2 billion allotted to jump-start
health I.T. adoption.
'Dear Mr. President,' Regarding EHRs
Government Health IT, 2/17/09
Letters from 21 health information technology leaders to
the President Obama portray a road map for building an
electronic health care system which rewards productivity,
retains knowledge, and supports effectiveness of care.
Obama Team Has Billions to Spend, but Few Ready to Do It
The New York Times, subscription needed 2/17/09
President Obama blasted through all sorts of speed
records pushing a $787 billion economic plan through
Congress, arguing it was too urgent to wait. But even
after signing it into law, he faces another problem:
virtually no one is in place at his cabinet departments
to actually spend a lot of the money. Three cabinet jobs
remain unfilled, only 2 of the 15 cabinet departments
have deputy secretaries confirmed, and the vast majority
of lower-level political jobs remain vacant.
National eHealth Collaborative Sounds Off on
Stimulus Plan
Insurance Networking News, 2/17/09
With the economy weighing heavily on the brows of
insurers across the United States and abroad, all eyes
are turned to how the government will facilitate
compliance with this broad-reaching legislation. The
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will pave the way
for many changes, one of which will be the status of
eHealth initiatives, such as the wide-scale adoption of
electronic health records.
Report: U.S.
Healthcare Could Save Billions
Health Management Technology, 2/09
A report from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions
asserts that over the span of a decade, broad policy
changes coupled with increased health I.T. adoption could
save the U.S. more than $530 billion in health care costs.
The consulting firm proposes $220 billion in new spending
initially over three years on e-prescribing and
electronic medical records adoption, as well as assisting
primary care physicians to improve coordination of
patient care. Americans spent $2.2 trillion on health
care in 2007, accounting for 16.2 percent of the total U.S.
gross domestic product. Deloitte issued the report less
than a week before President Obama was sworn into office.
Pennsylvania Governor
Rendell Praises Stimulus’ Health I.T. Funding
Modern Healthcare, subscription needed 2/23/09
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell lauded the federal
government’s personal and financial commitment to
health information technology, calling it
“extraordinarily important to the country” and
linking its potential to save lives and money to overall
health care reform. Last year, hospital-acquired
infections cost medical providers and the Keystone State
itself $3.5 billion and more than 2,500 lives, Rendell
said. Information technology “is going to be helpful
in reducing that and helping us prevent hospital-acquired
infections,” Rendell added.
Tennessee Governor Believes He Isn't a Candidate for
Obama's Health Secretary
The Tennessean, 2/23/09
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said he doesn't expect to be
nominated to be secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services. Bredesen said he has no meetings
scheduled to talk about the job with Obama administration
officials. His name began appearing on lists of possible
candidates for the job after President Obama's first
choice, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of
South Dakota, withdrew.
New
Massachusetts eHealth Subsidiary will Fund Expansion
Boston Globe, 2/19/09
The Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, a nonprofit that
has played a leading role in implementing electronic
health records, is creating a for-profit subsidiary as it
expands its business helping doctors and hospitals adopt
the new technology. The move comes as Massachusetts
prepares to implement the electronic health systems
beyond a three-community pilot project, which the
collaborative ran over the past few years. The new entity
is already working for commercial customers including
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and its physician
group.
Analysis:
Stimulus Law Spends on Health Care Today to Save for
Tomorrow
HealthLeaders News, 2/18/09
The good news for health care providers is that the $787
billion stimulus bill that President Obama signed into
law yesterday includes an additional $87 billion for
state Medicaid programs. Given Medicaid's dismal
reimbursements, however, that's also the bad news.
Medicaid supplemental funding does have one very large
string attached. States can only use the supplemental
money if they do not cut their Medicaid programs. The
National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 43
states face budget shortfalls this year, and AARP reports
that several states have considered cutting their
Medicaid expenditures this year to account for budget
shortfalls.
Web Site Gives
Data Critiquing Oklahoma Hospitals
NewsOK, 2/17/09
The Oklahoma Hospital Association launched a Web site
giving patient quality and safety information for 80
Oklahoma hospitals. The site also will help hospitals learn
best practices for improving care.
Electronic
Medical Records Might Benefit Dallas I.T. Firms
Dallas Morning News, 2/17/09
Electronic medical records have been talked about for at
least a decade, and now a mammoth infusion of federal
cash may soon bring digital records into the mainstream.
The trend represents a huge opportunity for Dallas-area
tech companies that say medical care could be drastically
improved. But some experts question whether the
investment will pay off.
A Warning Shot in the
Health Care Fight
Los Angeles Times, 2/24/09
When President Obama included money in his economic
stimulus plan to help people identify the most cost-effective
medical care, he set off one of the sharpest, and most
unexpected, political fights of his young administration.
The "comparative-effectiveness" issue was
supposed to help lay the groundwork for the broader
reform effort. But it became a lightning rod for
conservative commentators who labeled it a step toward
socialized medicine.
Recession
Complicates Health Care Recruiting
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 2/23/09
The nursing shortage across the nation is deepening, and
now experts say the recession is undercutting the power
of institutions to attack it. The economic downturn is
drying up money which hospitals and nursing schools were
spending to recruit and attract people to the profession.
This means health institutions may remain understaffed
longer than expected.
Teaching Old
Docs New e-Health Tricks Proves Difficult: Younger
Physicians Are More Likely to Gravitate to Automated
Systems
Computerworld, 2/9/09
Before the rollout an all-electronic health records (EHR)
system about a year ago, only about half of the doctors
and nurses in West Virginia's state hospitals were
familiar with medical computer systems. So when
technology rolled in, staffers pushed back. EHR systems
are expected to streamline health care workflow, improve
the quality of care, and cut costs, according to experts.
But medical facilities could also find themselves at
loggerheads with some of their own staffers, which are
far more familiar with pen and paper than a keyboard or
tablet PC.
From the Editor:
Where Angels Fear to Tread?
Health Management Technology, 2/09
Less than 48 hours ago, President-elect Obama announced
his bold "new" vision for health care:
Electronic health records for every American within five
years. Already, I’ve received dozens of e-mail
invites to attend seminars or interview executives to
learn "how" he plans to achieve his lofty goals.
Did I miss something? I don’t recall hearing a
"plan"—just a list of priorities. At the
moment, how he will perform this miracle is anyone’s
guess, but that doesn’t stop the barkers from
selling tickets to the show.
ICD-10: No Need
to Panic — No Reason to Procrastinate
Health Management Technology, 2/09
After hovering outside the door for years, ICD-10 has
suddenly appeared like an unwelcome guest and ensconced
itself in your waiting room. On Jan. 15, 2009, the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a
final rule setting Oct. 1, 2013, as the deadline for ICD-10
implementation. Simultaneously, it announced a final
ruling to adopt the X12 standard Version 5010 for HIPAA-covered
electronic transactions, which includes claims,
remittance advice, and eligibility inquires and referral
authorizations, along with prescriptions (Version D.0),
which is due to take effect almost two years earlier on
Jan. 1, 2012. By allocating a reasonable level of
resources over a reasonable period of time, providers can
avoid a crisis situation and increase the likelihood of a
smooth transition.
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