Health IT stakeholders are applauding some elements of the newly released final “meaningful use” rules and raising concerns over others, Healthcare IT News reports (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 7/14).
Background
Yesterday, federal officials released the final rule defining how health care providers can demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records to qualify for federal incentive payments made available through the 2009 federal economic stimulus package.
The final rule for the first stage of the incentive program stipulates that physicians must meet 15 core objectives and hospitals must meet 14. In addition, doctors and hospitals must comply with five additional objectives out of a “menu” of 10 options (Lillis, The Hill, 7/13).
Officials also released the final rule describing the required standards and certification criteria for EHR technology (AHA News, 7/13).
The rules were finalized following a three-month public comment period during which HHS received more than 2,000 recommendations about the regulations (Mearian, ComputerWorld, 7/14).
Praise for Rules
On Tuesday, Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said the new rules will help the U.S. health care system improve care, reduce costs and curb medical errors (Lillis [1], “Healthwatch,” The Hill, 7/13).
William Jessee, president and CEO of the Medical Group Management Association, said his organization was pleased that the final meaningful use rule reflects some changes that MGMA sought in earlier proposals. He said the final rule incorporates MGMA’s recommendations for scaled-back requirements on electronic prescribing, administrative transactions, computerized physician order entry and other criteria (Healthcare IT News, 7/14).
Steven Findlay, a policy expert with Consumers Union, said the final rule “strikes the balance that was needed.” He added that the requirements “give doctors the financial support to promote electronic records adoption without undue burdens. But they also hold doctors accountable for actually improving care and the health status of their patients” (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/13).
Ralph Brindis, president of the American College of Cardiology, said the changes “will make it easier for physicians to comply and encourages practices to begin implementation” (The Hill, 7/13).
Lingering Issues
The American Hospital Association had numerous concerns with the final meaningful use rule. In a statement, the group said the rule could:
Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, said he supported the meaningful use rule but also echoed some of AHA’s concerns about individual hospitals operating in multicampus systems. He said “it is essential that Congress clarifies the definition of an eligible hospital to put all hospitals on a level playing field for the distribution of incentive payments” (Adams, CQ HealthBeat, 7/13).
Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) and Chair of the panel’s Subcommittee on Health Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) praised the overall rule but also expressed concern about hospitals in multicampus systems.
Stark said he would hold a subcommittee hearing next Tuesday to evaluate how Congress could address the multicampus issue (Lillis [2], “Healthwatch,” The Hill, 7/13).
Steven Stack, board member of the American Medical Association, in a statement said he is unsure whether most physicians will be able to benefit from the first stage of the incentive program. He said, “Physicians recognize the potential for health IT and want to adopt new technologies, but costly [EHR] systems are out of reach for many physicians” (CQ HealthBeat, 7/13).
AMA said it is withholding final judgment while it continues to examine the regulation (AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/13).
Many Organizations Continue To Review Regulations
The Markle Foundation, the Center for American Progress and Brookings Institution’s Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform issued a joint statement backing health IT adoption incentives. The groups said they are continuing to review the rule in detail.
Leaders of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society said they expect to release an initial reaction to the rule sometime Wednesday and create an in-depth analysis soon after.
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives also said it is actively reviewing the meaningful use rule (Healthcare IT News, 7/14).
Source: iHealthBeat
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