PRx Blog

Health Reform Gets 'Meaningful"

The eagerly anticipated HITECH Act's final rule on "meaningful use" of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) was announced yesterday by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. It clarifies how doctors and hospitals can qualify for federal aid when they adopt EHRs.  At stake: Up to $27 billion in incentives over the next ten years - $44,000 max per clinician under Medicare and $63,750 per clinician from Medicaid. Hospitals also stand to receive millions from "meaningful" EHR implementations.

Lack of definition on meaningful use had stalled many EHR implementations, especially at smaller hospitals, while leaving vendors in a painful wait-and-see position. Last January, many vendors, healthcare organizations and physicians groups like the MGMA contributed their suggestions to a definition during the public comment period, hoping to influence a ruling that didn't position them out of the stimulus-fueled market.   

Yesterday's announcement outlined a definition by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on minimum requirements that providers must meet through their use of certified EHR technology to qualify for stimulus dollars. Listed are a "core" group of requirements - like e-prescribing - that must be met, plus an a la carte "menu" of procedures from which providers may choose. This approach is meant to have teeth, but also give providers flexibility to pursue their individual needs. While certainly lowering barriers to federal dollars (and market barriers to vendors), some point out that this also dilutes quality.  Many, however, are relieved – and thankful for the public comment period – as the initial “all or nothing” approach, as first outlined, meant that many organizations would likely have not even tried to qualify, fearing they couldn't possibly meet the stringent criteria needed to get funding.

In addition to the final rule on meaningful use, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (ONC) also issued a rule identifying the standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria for EHR technology. But, as ZDNet Healthcare points out, "the companies which will do the certifying have yet to be chosen, after which vendors will have to line up to assure customers of stimulus cash." Assuming their technology is certified, many healthcare IT vendors now have the opportunity to help physicians improve the various processes outlined in the a la carte menu.

Let the wild rumpus begin.

Posted by Doug Russell on July 14, 2010 at 11:54 AM