Government & Policy

Apple chief defies government demands to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino terrorists, creating a backdoor into the system’s software.

Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology says the feds should do more than just suggest safeguards.

The healthcare economist and 20-year HIMSS attendee says the patient component of healthcare is finally coming of age.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Tuesday passed the bipartisan Improving Health Information Technology Act with a vote of 22-0.  The bill addresses electronic health record usability and seeks to reduce burdens tied to documentation. It also calls for transparent ratings on EHR usability and security, calls out information blocking and gives the Department of Health of Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General the authority to establish deterrents. [Also: Senate panel to look into EHR usability] The legislation, which moves to the full Senate, also promises to convene existing data-sharing networks to develop a voluntary model framework and common agreement for the secure exchange of health information across existing networks. The bill also directs the Governmental Accountability Office to conduct a study of methods for securely matching patient records to the correct individual. “Our goal is to make our country's electronic health record system something that helps patients rather than something that doctors and hospitals dread so much that patients are not helped,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, in a statement. Alexander and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, led the effort. “Democrats and Republicans have been able to reach agreement on policies that will help empower patients and providers with more and better information to help drive treatment and improve health outcomes,” Murray added. Twitter: @HealthITNews

Republicans, blasting the proposal as overzealous when it comes to spending, have already shot down the 2017 budget.

The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed new rules on patient record disclosures to ensure substance use disorder patients can participate in new integrated healthcare models without risk of having their records shared inappropriately. The revisions on the Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records would also facilitate health information exchange and to address legitimate privacy concerns of patients seeking treatment for substance use, HHS said. [Also: eRx of controlled substances now legal in 50 states] “This proposal will help patients with substance use disorders fully participate and benefit from a healthcare delivery system that’s better, smarter and healthier, while protecting their privacy,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a statement. The proposal reflects the changing healthcare landscape, including the development of an electronic infrastructure that focuses on managing and exchanging patient data and an increased focus on performance measurement and quality improvement. The current rules, sometimes referred to as 'Part 2', were created in 1975 amid concerns that potential substance use disorder treatment information used in criminal prosecutions would deter individuals from seeking necessary treatment. It was last updated in 1987. Part 2 rules are more stringent than other federal protections, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, due to its targeted population. [Like Healthcare IT News on Facebook] “We're moving Medicare and the healthcare system as a whole toward new integrated care models that incentivize providers to coordinate and put the patient at the center of their care, and we're modernizing our rules to protect patients,” Burwell said. The public comment session on this proposal is open until 5 p.m. Eastern on April 11. Twitter: @JessiefDavis

The administration's 2016 year-end goal was to have 10 million people covered through the exchanges.

Hillary Clinton won a slim victory over Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucus on Monday while Tea Party Republican Ted Cruz upset boisterous billionaire Donald Trump to win the bulk of his party's delegates. Either way, the results were a bit of a surprise as both parties' frontrunners seemed much more vulnerable than thought. As American voters are weighing the differing proposals and positions of the top candidates this primary season, we thought we'd ask our audience of healthcare insiders who they think would be the best to lead the country from strictly a healthcare policy position. [Also: Candidates differ on healthcare as Iowa caucus begins.] Most Republicans are pitching different models to replace President Obama's signature Affordable Care Act. On the other hand, Clinton wants to strengthen it while self-proclaimed Socialist Bernie Sanders is fighting for a single-payer system. Answer the informal poll below to tell us where you stand. Twitter: @HenryPowderly

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator announced Monday that CMS would extend the deadline for commenting on quality reporting and certification of EHR products. CMS posted the extension notice on the Federal Register. As first outlined in the request for information, which was posted on the Federal Register on Dec. 31, 2015, CMS and ONC seek public comment on several items related to the certification of health information technology. [Also: CMS, ONC seek feedback on quality measures reporting] These include EHR products used for reporting to the EHR incentive programs and certain CMS quality reporting programs such as – but not limited to – the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and the Physician Quality Reporting System. CMS and ONC want industry perspective how often to require recertification, the number of clinical quality measures a certified health IT module should be required to certify and ways to improve testing of certified health IT modules.  [Like Healthcare IT News on Facebook] That feedback will help inform CMS and ONC about what factors may need to be considered for future rules relating to the reporting of quality measures under CMS programs. The two agencies note the request for information is part of the effort of CMS to streamline and reduce the burden around government requirements for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals and health IT developers. Twitter: @HealthITNews

While the Republican candidates mostly spar over how they will repeal Obamacare, Democrats say they would build on the existing reform.