Government & Policy

The development of standards through the lab will help ONC further develop interoperability standards, official says.

The Healthcare Leadership Council has identified six healthcare reforms that should be implemented by the White House, Congress and the healthcare industry to reform healthcare; it was announced last week at a Capitol Hill briefing and in a report highlighting the changes. For starters, nationwide health information interoperability in the private sector should be achieved by December 31, 2018, the group said. The group also targeted the Food and Drug Administration, saying reforms that focus on reducing administrative burdens placed on the organization should be enacted so the FDA can better bring innovative treatments and technology to patients. [Also: Hollywood Presbyterian gives in to hackers] “These steps aren’t revolutionary, but they're transformative,” said HLC President Mary R. Grealy, in a statement. “Innovation is too often put on the backburner when we discuss healthcare policy, but it’s critical to elevating health system value and to address quality and cost challenges." The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also needs to improve the Enhanced Medication Therapy Management Model to reach its goal of improving patient health and should implement best practices for Medicare, insurers and healthcare providers to improve care for the chronically ill, the group said. The federal government should reform outdated physician self-referral and anti-kickback statutes and expand Medicare payment waiver policies to protect against fraud and abuse, while improving care coordination. Cybersecurity also needs focus, the group said, pointing to Congress and the states to standardize privacy laws and increase access to patient data. The recommendations are compiled from the HLC's National Dialogue for Healthcare Innovation initiative – a collaboration of patient advocacy leaders, drug company representatives, patient advocacy leaders, patient groups and other industry experts that convened over the course of a few months. David Barrett, CEO of Lahey Clinic and Bill Hawkins, chairman and CEO of Medtronic, co-chaired the group. [Like Healthcare IT News on Facebook] “There's a widespread understanding that, for all of our healthcare system’s considerable strengths, we need to make strides in providing high-quality care at sustainable costs," Susan DeVore, president and CEO of Premier, Inc. and HLC chair, said in a statement. "The six steps on which we have reached agreement will move us significantly in that direction." HLC has begun meetings with congressional leaders about the recommendations and will continue the conversations in the coming weeks. The compiled recommendations were produced by a partnership with NORC, the independent public policy research organization at the University of Chicago. Twitter: @JessiefDavis

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