Government & Policy
One of the biggest challenges American hospitals face right now is adopting electronic medical records systems. It's costing tens of billions of dollars, eating up tons of staff time and it's especially tough for the country's 2,000 rural and small town hospitals.
The American Health Information Management Association's 2014 ICD-10 and Computer Assisted Coding Summit featured the latest industry reaction to the ICD-10 delay. It was one of frustration and disappointment.
With the maturing of the meaningful use incentive program, federal advisory groups are beginning to re-evaluate their roles and the best way to support providers moving forward. At the April 24 HIT Standards Committee meeting, federal officials announced changes in leadership along with proposals about how the organization might reconfigure itself.
In a letter to National Coordinator for Healthcare Information Technology Karen DeSalvo, MD, the Electronic Health Record Association argues that ONC's proposed Voluntary 2015 Edition Electronic Health Record Certification Criteria rule will cost too much, will disrupt progress and simply isn't "necessary or workable."
Serving notice that "covered entities and business associates must understand that mobile device security is their obligation," the HHS Office for Civil Rights has settled with two organizations for a combined $1,975,220 penalty after their unencrypted computers were stolen.
Jonathan Blum, principal deputy administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and advocate for ACOs, will be stepping down from his position on May 16. The announcement came by way of an internal email via CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.
The man with a bullish attachment to ACOs -- Jonathan Blum -- is stepping down from his position at CMS, announced Marilyn Tavenner today in an internal email.
If the U.S. is going to get a handle on healthcare spending, providers and healthcare organizations are going to have to get serious about accountable care organizations, says one expert.
The GAO recently called three government agencies to task over the Meaningful Use EHR Incentive Program, saying it lacked sorely needed strategy.
It should be no news to anyone: The Office for Civil Rights is poised to beef up, "ramp up" and shake up its HIPAA audit program.