Membership  |  HIMSS Public Policy

Welcome to HIMSS' Health IT Policy Update, bringing you the latest news on Congressional, federal, and state health IT legislative and regulatory activities from HIMSS' Government Relations office. We welcome your feedback. If you're reading this complimentary newsletter online or receiving it as a forward, please subscribe.

Concerns for the SGR Fix in the Senate
Senate is to address concerns over Permanent SGR Replacement when they return from Spring recess.
 
Congress Continues to Work on Telemedicine Legislation
Congress is moving fast to finally address longstanding telehealth deficiencies.  

Supreme Court Rules on Medicaid Pricing Issue
This past Tuesday, March 31st the United States Supreme Court ruled that healthcare providers cannot sue states claiming that they were underpaid for services provided.

The Institute Provides an Overview of Health IT on Capitol Hill
On Wednesday, April 1st some of the nation’s leading organizations in the Health Information Technology industry (HIMSS, CHIME and American Telemedicine Association) came together in the HIMSS Foundation’s Institute for e-Health Policy’s latest Congressional briefing entitled “HIT 101: PolicyIssues and Opportunities to Transform Healthcare” .

HIMSS Formally Submits Comments on ONC on Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap
In an April 3rd letter to the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC), HIMSS submitted its final comments in response to ONC’s Connecting Health Care for the Nation: A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap.

Register for upcoming HIMSS Webinar on Meaningful Use Stage 3
On Wednesday, April 8, join HIMSS for a third webinar in a series on Meaningful Use Stage 3 from 12pm – 1pm CT. HIMSS Subject Matter Expert Mary P. Griskewicz, MS, FHIMSS, will provide detailed information on Meaningful Use Stage 3 Patient Engagement: An Executive Overview of the Proposed Rule.

A New Sentinel Event Alert Examines Safe Use of Health Information Technology
It builds on Sentinel Event Alert, Issue 42, issued in 2008, which focused on safely implementing health information and converging technologies.

Chief Nursing Officer Sought
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is looking for a Chief Nursing Officer.

MONAHRQ® Software Expanded to Facilitate Improved Reporting
MONAHRQ® is software developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Health IT help provided for CMS innovation Grantees
On Thursday April 2nd, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced today the availability of online tools and resources designed to help states participating in the State Innovation Models initiative improve health care quality and lower costs.

Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network Kicks Off at White House
The Network is comprised of more than 2,800 payers, providers, business leaders, and consumers and was created in an effort to speed health care delivery reform through value-based payments.

House Votes to Permanently Replace the Medicare SGR
H.R.2 would replace the SGR with a bicameral, bipartisan agreement that is essentially the same as was agreed to in December 2013.

ICD-10 Implementation Deadline Survives another Attack
Freshman Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL) introduced the amendment Wednesday this week to further delay the nationwide implementation of ICD-10 by two years.

15 interoperability geeks to watch
Joyce Sensmeier, RN, vice president of informatics for HIMSS, is named one of the 15 interoperability geeks to watch!

RENEW YOUR HIMSS MEMBERSHIP

Login to the Member Center today to renew online or email membersupport@himss.org if you need an invoice sent via email. Renew at the Regular Membership level ($160) for the opportunity to invite a colleague to join HIMSS complimentary for one year (colleague must be new to HIMSS). For more details click here.

Health IT Policy Update is a weekly online newsletter published by HIMSS.

Copyright© 2015 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission. Contact HIMSS Publications at 33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603–5616; nvitucci@himss.org

For information on Health IT Policy Update:
Rich Hodge
Senior Director, Congressional Affairs
HIMSS North America
rhodge@himss.org, 703-562-8847

Advertising inquiries:
HIMSS Media Solutions

The inclusion of an organization name, product or service in this publication should not be construed as a HIMSS endorsement of such organization, product or service, nor is the failure to include an organization name, product or service to be construed as disapproval.