Washington Debrief: House Committee to Hold Health IT Hearings

•          An HIE Policy Matrix, that contains a number of privacy policies and procedures for HIE;
•          A guide meant to assist providers in understanding and implementing HIE using DIRECT protocols, called the HIE DIRECT Guide;
•          A spreadsheet, called the ROI Calculator, which helps determine possible costs and savings associated with implementing electronic health record systems and health information exchanges;
•          A list of HIPAA-related resources is also included in the Privacy and Security Overview and Resource List
•          Finally, a document that covers the first steps in forming or joining an HIE, was compiled in a guide titled, “Health Information Exchange – First Considerations.”

Bill Would Expand MU Incentives to Rural Health ClinicsIn a bill re-introduced last week, two lawmakers from the Heartland want to extend EHR Incentive Payments to Rural Health Clinics.  Representatives Aaron Schock (R-IL) and Bruce Braley (D-IA) argue that Rural Health Clinic Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R. 986) would level the playing field for the federally-designated health clinics located in rural and underserved areas of the country.  “Electronic medical records help prevent medical errors, improve patient care, and reduce healthcare costs,” Rep. Braley said in a statement.  “But rural health clinics can’t qualify for existing federal incentives to implement the technology.  That just doesn’t make sense.”  According to the bill’s authors, H.R. 986 is completely budget-neutral, since it simply expands eligibility for the existing Medicare grant program and doesn’t expand the size of the program itself.

Edited by Gabriel Perna