Policy and Legislation

Stories on healthcare IT policy focus on subjects such as legislative developments impacting healthcare IT, regulations for the use of IT in the delivery of healthcare, guidelines for monitoring quality of care, and funding opportunities in healthcare IT. Policy stories often deal with the federal, state and local institutions responsible for regulating the healthcare IT industry.



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14.6 percent of docs are not eligible for MU, don't have an EHR
ONC launches Direct Project with pilots in Minn., R.I.
 

 
The Beacon Communities proved that organizations can advocate changes to how healthcare is paid for by working with payers and providers, while improving quality and safety at the same time. "These were the pillars of the Beacon Community activities, and they taught us," National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari, MD, said. "They showed what we needed to do."
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May 23, 2013
News
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has notified the Department of Defense that it will look for an electronic health record system available on the commercial market rather than develop its own based on the Department of Veterans Affairs VistA system. In his memo, Hagel said he based his decision on the results of a 30-day review of the Integrated Electronic Health Record program by a group of leading senior DoD officials.
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May 22, 2013
News
One month after six Republican Senators published a white paper calling for a new approach to the federal meaningful use incentive program, the HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association, has drafted a point-by-point response.
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May 21, 2013
News
Maine's HealthInfoNet, a nonprofit that operates the statewide health information exchange, announced that all acute care hospitals are now under contract to connect to the query-based HIE. HealthInfoNet has 34 of the 38 hospitals connected already and expects the remaining four hospitals to connect by the end of the year.
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May 21, 2013
News
The California eHealth Quality program is offering $1 million in grants for physicians, clinics and hospitals in rural California to add health information exchange technologies and meet federal meaningful use standards.
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May 21, 2013
News
There are buzz phrases, and then there are buzz phrases. And if there's one phrase that has permeated the healthcare sector more thoroughly than all the others, it's probably "accountable care." But what exactly does it mean? Or, more to the point for healthcare providers, how do you know when you're actually providing it?
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May 20, 2013
News
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is launching the Crowds Care for Cancer: Supporting Survivors Challenge in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute as part of the Investing in Innovation program, also known as i2.
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May 17, 2013
News
The New York eHealth Collaborative has announced the winners of its personal health record portal challenge, with the designs in turn expected to inform the PHR that NYeC will offer all New Yorkers in 2014. A Brooklyn-based health data and design startup called Mana Health won first prize and $15,000 for its PHR.
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May 17, 2013
News
Marilyn Tavenner's confirmation as official administrator of CMS immediately drew positive reactions from nearly every corner of the industry and government, as several healthcare stakeholders reacted to the 91-7 landslide Senate vote that took place late Wednesday. Tavenner is the first administrator in nine years to receive Senate confirmation.
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May 16, 2013
News
Nearly $1 billion in new Health Care Innovation Awards from the Department of Health & Human Services will fund applicants that have a high likelihood of driving healthcare system transformation and delivering better outcomes. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced this second round of funding May 15.
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May 16, 2013
News
Members of Congress are lauding a bipartisan bill that limits funding for an integrated electronic health record system between VA and DoD and requires aggressive progress updates from both agencies, which have, in recent months, come under fire for the dilatory pace at which they're moving forward with the iEHR.
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May 15, 2013
News
It's often been said that telehealth programs offer benefits to healthcare providers in both rural and urban settings. Vree Health is proving that point with two new contracts -- one in Big Sky Country, the other in the heavily populated Northeast.
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May 15, 2013
News
A comprehensive eBook, offering the tips and tools to help healthcare professionals on the path to MU and beyond.
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May 9, 2013
Resource
sites/default/files/resource-media/pdf/mu2_nowornever_interactive.pdf
Protect
Cloud-based Microsoft Exchange service features all the mission critical enterprise-class communication and collaboration capabilities of an in-house solution without the unpredictable costs and management headaches. With flexible customization options, healthcare organizations can seamlessly move to a cloud-based solution without compromising security or altering their current encryption approach.
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May 23, 2013
Resource
sites/default/files/resource-media/pdf/apptix_whitepaper_cloudreliabilitycost_0423_final.pdf
Protect
In this Webinar, we will address health BI challenges and discuss our end to end business analytics platform that transforms the data center, enables modern applications, unlocks insights on any data, and empowers people centric IT.
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May 15, 2013
Resource
Do Not Protect
http://www.medtechwebinars.com/registration/webinar/microsoft%E2%80%99s-role-health-analytics-epic-provider?affiliatedata=himsswebsite
Recent headlines have raised plenty of eyebrows with record setting big-dollar penalties levied against healthcare organizations due to HIPAA violations. Industry experts surmise that this unprecedented trend is the result of significant changes that have occurred recently to HIPAA regulations.
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May 14, 2013
Resource
Do Not Protect
http://www.medtechwebinars.com/registration/webinar/million-dollar-hipaa-penalties-healthcare?partnerref=website
In healthcare organizations today, it's all about getting the most from the technology you choose by providing versatility. One monitor mounted on a wall in a patient room, programmed at the back end with applications, cable and other features, can deliver a host of multimedia choices. These can range from TV, movies, music, Internet access, email and games to educational information, treatment tips and even meal menus - far from the days of simple in-room television.
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May 6, 2013
Resource
Do Not Protect
http://www.medtechwebinars.com/registration/webinar/embracing-mounted-av-technology-improve-patient-experience?affiliatedata=himsswebsite
The Office of the National Coordinator has specified the use of RxNorm as the medication and medication allergy vocabulary constraint within certified systems which enable Meaningful Use Stage 2 clinical information exchanges. Specifications for the electronic computation of clinical quality measures (CQM) leverage “eMeasures” and their associations to medication and medication allergy value sets to enable the programmatic computation of summary CQM reports for CMS submission.
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April 30, 2013
Resource
Do Not Protect
http://www.medtechwebinars.com/registration/webinar/use-rxnorm-within-information-exchange-and-clinical-quality-measures?affiliatedata=website
Health and Life Sciences (HLS) organizations are leveraging Microsoft Office as a clinically relevant platform that creates and optimizes a collaborative and securely connected healthcare ecosystem. With Microsoft’s commitment to enabling regulatory and mandated compliance our cloud services and solutions enable HLS organizations to reduce the costs of infrastructure, maintenance, and development; to eliminate complexity; and to increase productivity.
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April 9, 2013
Resource
Do Not Protect
http://www.medtechwebinars.com/registration/webinar/how-microsoft-office-clinically-relevant-health-communities?partnerref=himsswebsite
Cloud-based Microsoft Exchange service features all the mission critical enterprise-class communication and collaboration capabilities of an in-house solution without the unpredictable costs and management headaches. With flexible customization options, healthcare organizations can seamlessly move to a cloud-based solution without compromising security or altering their current encryption approach.
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April 2, 2013
Resource
sites/default/files/resource-media/pdf/apptix_whitepaper_cloudreliability_final.pdf
Protect
Considering becoming or joining an accountable care organization (ACO)? You're not alone.
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February 22, 2013
Resource
Do Not Protect
http://webinars.medtechmedia.com/registration/webinar/medicare-shared-savings-practical-entry-aco-world
Please join Paul Peabody, Chief Information Officer at Palomar Health, and Todd Plesko, Chief Executive Officer at EXTENSION, INC. for a free webinar to learn more about EHR-Extenders (EHR-e) and how these innovative clinical workflow technologies foster patient-centered care.
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January 15, 2013
Resource
Do Not Protect
http://webinars.medtechmedia.com/registration/webinar/ehr-extenders-mobilizing-information-clinical-systems-improve-care-delivery-and?partnerref=himsswebsite
This white paper focuses on how an EHR-Extender (EHR-e) can help hospitals leverage data trapped in the EHR and other clinical systems to establish better care team communication. The result of contextual critical alerts and texts are improved communication and enhanced workflows which makes patients, healthcare staff, administration, and regulators happy.
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January 2, 2013
Resource
sites/default/files/resource-media/pdf/extension_wp_beyond_the_ehr_final.2012.12.11.pdf
Protect
Healthcare providers nationwide have expressed concern regarding the impact of an ICD-10 migration. These organizations must navigate the ICD-10 transition process by recognizing that a successful migration requires sustained investment over time. This white paper explores four key phases enabling a risk balanced transition to ICD-10 that minimizes financial and operational impact. Key issues and recommended solutions are discussed, as well how specialized technology solutions can minimize risk and reduce manual efforts.
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November 27, 2012
Resource
sites/default/files/resource-media/pdf/keys-to-a-risk-balanced-approach-icd-10-a-provider-whitepaper.pdf
Protect
Although “pay-and-chase” methods are still commonplace, health plans can supplement their recovery efforts with pre-payment analytics.
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May 17, 2013
Blog
The FDA launched an impressive patient network website this month, after nearly four years of research, focus groups, usability testing and more.
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May 16, 2013
Blog
Last year, ONC issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather public input on a potential regulatory approach that would have spelled out “conditions for trusted exchange” (safeguards, technical, and business practice) through rulemaking, and establish a voluntary accreditation and certification process for validating organizations as being legitimate participants in the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN).
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May 7, 2013
Blog
ONC/CMS provides strong oversight of the meaningful use program by continuousy reexamining the quality of certified products and auditing hospitals and practices that have attested to meaningful use.
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May 1, 2013
Blog
If you’re an IT vendor who services healthcare clients, you’re no doubt well-acquainted with HIPAA compliance rules. And chances are that lately you’ve been hearing rumblings about the new HIPAA Omnibus rule.
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April 26, 2013
Blog
The American College of Physicians (ACP) Ethics, Professionalism, and Human Rights Committee, the ACP Council of Associates, and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Special Committee on Ethics and Professionalism spent eighteen months developing a policy statement on online medical professionalism.
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April 19, 2013
Blog
Six GOP Senators call for overview of Meaningful Use EHR incentive program was the tweet. It referenced a link which then referred to a report by Senators Thune, Alexander, Roberts, Burr, Coburn and Enzi.
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April 18, 2013
Blog
First off, I’m no legal expert, but recently I had an interesting conversation with the director of HIT at Texas Medical Association, which represents more than 47,000 physicians in the state. I scheduled the call because we wanted to learn more about the hurdles smaller, clinic-based physicians are encountering when trying to switch EHR vendors.
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April 16, 2013
Blog
In these politically polarized times, Americans expect Republicans and Democrats to disagree on every detail right down to what day of the week it is. This is especially true in the posturing hurly-burly of the House, where members can appeal to the few select priorities of a gerrymandered district to win re-election.
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April 9, 2013
Blog
I keep hearing that "There's no standards for that," or that "There's too many optional features in that data element." Sometimes these pronouncements come from people who should know better, and other times, it simply comes from folks who don't know that there are other places to look.
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April 2, 2013
Blog
A new term spreading (almost like fire) through the healthcare interoperability world is HL7 FHIR, pronounced as “fire.”
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March 27, 2013
Blog
The final question posed in the recent request for information posted by ONC reads as follows: What specific HHS policy changes would significantly increase standards based electronic exchange of laboratory results?
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March 19, 2013
Blog
In the year since the first NYeC gala, there have been revolutionary advancements in health IT throughout New York and across the nation. On Monday, October 15th, five champions of health IT will be highlighted at the second gala and award ceremony.
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September 28, 2012
Press Release
Sandlot Solutions, a leading healthcare information technology company, recently released The New Model of Health Information Exchanges: Using Data and Analytics to Improve Health Care Delivery, an industry report highlighting the evolution of health information exchange (HIE) and how advancements such as digital envelope technology drive new functionalities and capabilities. Fourth-generation HIEs extend beyond the simple exchange of patient records to the meaningful use of data for the delivery and coordination of care at the individual and community levels.
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September 27, 2012
Press Release
Aetna and Hunterdon HealthCare Partners have announced a new accountable care agreement that will improve the quality and cost of patient care, helping members and plan sponsors save money.
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July 19, 2012
Press Release
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will visit Houston to discuss how hospitals and health care providers are finding innovative ways to improve patient care.
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March 8, 2012
Press Release
Online publication will provide business and technology intelligence to small and medium sized physician group practices
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January 6, 2012
Press Release
Yardi announced today that it has acquired ALMSA Corporation, which provides electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medication administration record (eMAR) software and services for assisted living and long-term care communities.
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January 6, 2012
Press Release
RF Surgical, Inc., the leader in prevention and detection of retained surgical items (RSI), today announced a three year agreement with the Premier healthcare alliance, a leader in healthcare performance improvement. Under the terms of the agreement, the more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals, and 78,000 additional healthcare sites in the alliance, can select RF Surgical Detection Technology to prevent and detect RSIs from occurring in the operating room.
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November 9, 2011
Press Release
Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ: MRGE), a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced that HealthPartners, the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, has selected its iConnect vendor neutral archive to create a true enterprise-wide imaging strategy across all of its hospitals and clinics.
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November 1, 2011
Press Release
Liaison Technologies, a global provider of secure cloud-based integration and data management services and solutions, announced today a partner program for healthcare solution providers. The Liaison Healthcare Partner Program enables third parties to access and contribute to an integrated platform for patient information—all with an emphasis on trust and privacy, scalability and flexibility.
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October 18, 2011
Press Release
Jericho Systems Corporation, the pioneer in Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) technology, today reinforced its commitment to protecting the privacy rights of patients, healthcare providers, insurers, and other government agencies while securely sharing sensitive healthcare information.
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October 6, 2011
Press Release
Welch Allyn, a leading global provider of frontline medical products and solutions, today announced it has successfully completed the acquisition of TRIMLINE Medical Products Corporation, formerly a manufacturer of a full range of blood pressure cuffs, aneroid gauges and stethoscopes. Welch Allyn has fully integrated all blood pressure cuff manufacturing operations into its Skaneateles Falls, NY, and Tijuana, Mexico, facilities, giving the company a unique opportunity to better serve its customers by offering them the full spectrum of blood pressure management products—from mechanical gauges, to electronic devices, to disposable and reusable blood pressure cuffs.
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October 4, 2011
Press Release
PLC Systems Inc. (OTCBB: PLCSF), a company focused on innovative medical device technologies, today announced that it had signed an agreement with ACIST Medical Systems, Inc., a Bracco Group company, to distribute its innovative RenalGuard System™ in France and Germany.
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October 4, 2011
Press Release