American Recovery and Reinvestment Act news and information

Hospitals and office-based physicians not yet using an electronic health-record system can get some free help from the federal government on what to expect when contracting to buy EHR software or services.
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Eight out of 10 eligible hospitals and 58% of eligible physicians and other medical professionals have received payments totaling $15.5 billion under the federal electronic health record incentive payment program, according to the latest CMS data.
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The sailing term is luffing. When a boat points too close to the wind, its sails flap with little power and its forward progress slows.
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Now that a majority of healthcare providers have installed electronic health-record systems, the federal government is inching closer to adopting a regulatory and patient-safety framework for computerized healthcare devices.
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The University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center has notified 537 patients of a security breach involving their medical records after an unencrypted flash drive went missing.
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The CVS drugstore chain is getting out of the business of using its data from patient prescription drug records to mail prescription refill notices to customers on behalf of pharmaceutical manufacturers, citing as a reason for the policy change a more stringent provision of the omnibus privacy rule...
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Dr. Steven Stack, American Medical Association board chairman, gave a spirited defense of physicians and a sharp, but balanced critique of electronic health-record systems at a federal “listening” session Friday on EHRs and their potential for use in billing fraud.
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About one in 20 participants in the federally funded electronic health-record incentive payment program can expect to be audited for compliance with meaningful use and other program criteria, a federal official said Monday.
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HHS and the Federal Communications Commission have formed a joint advisory panel to improve patient safety and promote innovation in health information technology.
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The controversy over the appropriate use of health information technology systems to streamline workflow while not fraudulently increasing healthcare claims will get a public airing early next month.
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