BREAKING NEWS: Healthcare Stimulus Package

We all new that with the new political regime coming into place that there would be sizable changes in the health care industry.  However, I’m not sure if anyone was prepared for massive alterations that would be proposed so soon in the beginning.  Aftern reviewing the new HITECH Act, I was both pleasantly surprised and dismayed at the new Houst Stimulus bill.  With a proposed $20 billion dollars to be distributed for economic and clinical health, this would be one of the largest health care centric bills that has come through Washington in some time.  First, here are the positives that the bill entails:

• ONCHIT budget to increase 3x to $250 million dollars for 2009, this is up from the $61 million spent in 2008.
• HITSP and NeHC become key advising entities to ONCHIT, HITSP on standards and NeHC on HIT policy.
• National Institute of Standards & Technology to take a leadership role in testing standards and implementation specifications.
• Substantial amount of writing on privacy, particulary consumer notification process should their health information be compromised.
• Bill also instructs ONC chief to appoint a CPO, a Chief Privacy Officer.
• $300 million on RHIOs.
• An extension program for HIT.

Now for the controversy.  The Bill has included the term ‘Certified EHR’, and states:

“The National Coordinator, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall develop a program (either directly or by contract) for the voluntary certification of health information technology as being in compliance with applicable certification criteria adopted under this subtitle…’

What does this mean?  Simply said this would mean that any reimbursements, payments and anything coming out of the $20 billion will only be supplied when a ‘certified’ EHR has been utilized.  This would result in a slowdown in innovation.  Anytime the Government places funding prerequisites like this it forces the industry to follow unnecessary guidelines as opposed to moving forward with developing new technology to enhance the medical market.

To battle this portion of the Bill, make sure to contact your local representative ASAP.