Federal News
FCC Launches Consumer Help Center
The consumer portal at http://fcc.gov/consumers will allow consumers to learn about different issues in telecommunications, make it easy for consumers to find out what’s going on at the FCC, get tips for making the best choices in purchasing communications devices and services, have their voices heard by filing comments on issues that interest them, and file a complaint when there are problems. [Read article]
CMS Says 'Meaningful Use' Stage 2 Will Make Optional Measures Mandatory
A lot of people were disappointed that the recently released standards for meaningful use of EMRs only covered Stage 1 of the program--2011-12--leaving them without much of a roadmap to plan for compliance in later years. [Read article]
CMS Will Start Incentive Payments
CMS will begin to make meaningful use incentive payments to eligible physicians and hospitals as early as May 2011. To begin receiving payments, healthcare providers must verify that they have demonstrated for 90 days meaningful use of certified electronic health records. [Read article]
Multi-Hospital Systems, Rural Providers Feel Slighted In 'Meaningful Use' Rule
Criticisms from multi-site health systems that the stipulation that they be counted as a single entity for the purpose of calculating incentive payments was unfair to them. Rural providers also expressed concern that they may not be able to avoid penalties for not achieving meaningful use of EMRs by 2015. [Read article]
Provisions in Health Care Reform Law Lay Out Role of Primary Care, Family Physicians
As guidelines and regulations are developed in the health care system, many health policy experts note that actual implementation of the law will not work without the ability to bend the health care cost curve. And that cannot be accomplished without a greater emphasis on prevention and primary care, making these two components essential to the ultimate success of health care reform. [Read article]
Americans Still Confused About Health Reform
Will the new health-reform legislation mean higher taxes for the middle class? Will panels decide what care very sick, older people should receive? Not sure? Join the crowd. [Read article]
HHS Announces Availability of $51 Million in Resources for States to Build New Competitive Health Insurance Marketplace
HHS announced two key steps in the process of partnering with states and other stakeholders to begin establishing health insurance Exchanges. The availability of up to $1 million in grants per state to help states begin work to establish Exchanges and published a request for comment calling for public input as HHS develops standards for the Exchanges. [Read article]
Google Pitches Wave For Health Records
Wave's auditable multi-user collaboration turns out to be well-suited for health records, as long as patients don't mind a bit less privacy. [Read article]
