Congress Eyes Healthcare IT?
Legislation to support adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) and e-prescribing capabilities appears to have support in Congress, reports Modern Healthcare. But legislators have yet to introduce bills to foster or require adoption, as federal lawmaking efforts are focused in other areas of healthcare.
Congress has been working with the Center for Medicare Services to develop quality measures to support pay-for-performance incentives planned for Medicare. As well, the new White House budget proposed for the coming fiscal year contains cuts to Medicare and Medicaid programming. With these activities underway, federal regulations guiding EMRs may have to wait.
Related stories:
- Assessment of Medicare Pay-for-Performance Incentive
- Bill to Update Medicare Payment Schedule
- Congress Members Rally to Prevent Medicare Cuts
- California Order Supports Health Information Technology (HIT)
March 29, 2007 Related topics: Legal & legislative, New Technology & Innovation, Trends