The economic stimulus
package has stirred more questions than provided answers for healthcare
organizations seeking to capture the touted $2M per hospital and/or $44k per
physician of incentive payments.
Healthcare is in large part
a science; although management and alignment strategies with physicians are
more of an art. The ARRA waived the $19B of funding in front of these concrete
thinkers and moved on to the Iraq/Afganistan War on Terror, the American automobile
industry, education reform and a score of other top priorities of the new Obama
Administration. In its wake, planners are trying to plan, financials folks are
trying to calculate, Boards are trying to adapt strategies, executives are trying
to keep their heads above water and CIOs are rightfully at the table and
involved in the discussion. But, the government has left us with questions to
ponder: what is a “meaningful user” and will our “certified HIT system” be on
the approved list.
And, along with ARRA, the lesser-discussed topic of HITECH looms with its February 17, 2010 deadline. The most sweeping changes to security and privacy since the original adoption to HIPAA, these, too, have left organizations scrambling for answers while deadlines loom. Simply, perfunctory annual audits under HIPAA are now being dusted off, updated and voted on by Boards to meet new criteria and uncertain regulatory oversight. Related to this is the May 1, 2009 implementation of the FTC’s Red Flag Rules—HIPPA for creditors is a common term used to describe these regulations. A creditor is anyone that does not accept payment at the time of service. The time to check-in on your overall Information Governance efforts is right now.
By:
Kevin Burchill, Esq
Director, Beacon Partners
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