U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
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Congress is its own roadblock to interoperability
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has received a large number of comments on its draft interoperability road map. Some commenters have praised it; others have offered criticisms. Yet, we can't ignore that ONC is not alone at the interoperability drawing board. Both the CommonWell Health Alliance and Carequality, Healtheway's interoperability initiative, are forging ahead with their own initiatives. There also are the health information exchanges, with their different rules, operating models and governance structures.
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Consumers Asked To Verify Income, Other Information — Or Risk Losing Government Subsidies For Health Insurance
...About eight million people signed up for a health plan through the ACA exchanges. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 85 percent of them were eligible for financial aid, and the government is expected to deliver about $10 billion in subsidies during the first year. Healthcare analysts say some consumers will end up paying higher monthly premiums as a result of the verification process, while others may have to repay some or all of their subsidies if they are found to be ineligible...
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Consumers Frustrated By New Health Plans As They Find Their Doctors Are Not Included
Some consumers who bought insurance under President Barack Obama's health care law are experiencing buyer's remorse after realizing that their longtime doctors aren't accepting the new plans.
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Cyber Threats To Healthcare Systems, Medical Devices Rising
Compared to other industries, healthcare is particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks with the threats to health information continuing to mount as the industry moves to adopt electronic health records. Earlier this month, the FBI's Cyber Division issued a notice warning that healthcare systems and medical devices are at risk for increased cyber intrusions for financial gain.
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Data Sharing And Analytics: Changing HHS For The Better
In many states, IT planners in health and human services have sought ways to bridge the divide, gathering data from disparate sources across government to inform the public, drive better policy and improve social outcomes...
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Data Sharing, EHR Interoperability Keys To Improving Clinical Trials
As the complexity of clinical trials continues to grow, increased data sharing and interoperability will become more important, according to panelists participating at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday...
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Doctors And Hospitals Got At Least $3.5 Billion From Industry In Just Five Months
...Lawsuits in recent years revealed that doctors' relationships with industry can alter their prescribing practices and decision-making for the worse, and pharmaceutical companies have paid out billions of dollars in fines for fraudulent marketing practices...
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DoD And Tech Firms Face Daunting Health-IT Challenge
"The DoD's electronic health record program is a large and extremely complex undertaking. There are a number of different vendors, players, technologies, organizations and politics involved, resulting in tremendous barriers to overcome," said eHealth Initiative CEO Jennifer Covich Bordenick. "That doesn't mean it is impossible to execute DHMSM successfully -- but it will be a difficult feat."...
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DSS Achieves ONC-ACB Certification by Drummond Group, Inc. For Inpatient And Ambulatory Module EHR Certification
Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS), the leading provider of VistA-based software development and support, today announced its customizable vxVistA inpatient and ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) modules have been tested and certified under the Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) program through Drummond Group, Inc. (DGI) for the 2014 edition. As a result of the certification, hospitals using vxVistA inpatient and ambulatory modules to demonstrate meaningful use of technology are qualified to receive federal stimulus funds...
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Ebola Only A Plane Ride Away From USA
The growing Ebola outbreak in West Africa serves as a grim reminder that deadly viruses are only a plane ride away from the USA, health experts say. The outbreak is the largest and deadliest on record, with more than 670 deaths and more than 1,200 infections in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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EHNAC Applauds Health Care Industry Cybersecurity (HCIC) Task Force Report and Recommendations
The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), a non-profit standards development organization and accrediting body for organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data, today announced its support of the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity (HCIC) Task Force’s June 2 report to Congress titled Report on Improving Cybersecurity in the Health Care Industry and the recommendations therein. The Health Care Industry Cybersecurity (HCIC) Task Force was established by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in March 2016 per the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, Section 405(c). EHNAC applauds HHS and the expert panel of subject matter experts on the HCIC Task Force who contributed to develop these recommendations to strengthen the privacy and security of U.S. healthcare data...
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Federal Open Source Is Messy - And That's OK
Open source projects like the National Library of Medicine's Pillbox show potential of open innovation -- including competition with projects started elsewhere...
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Federal Prize Competition Seeks Innovative Ideas to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance
A federal prize competition launched today is calling for innovative ideas for rapid, point-of-care laboratory diagnostic tests to combat the development and spread of drug resistant bacteria, a rising public health threat. Antibiotic resistant bacteria cause at least 2 million infections and 23,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostic Challenge will award $20 million in prizes over all phases of the competition for new, innovative and novel laboratory diagnostic tests...
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Federal ‘Biosurveillance’ Plan Seeking Direct Access To Americans’ Private Medical Records
The federal government is piecing together a sweeping national “biosurveillance” system that will give bureaucrats near real-time access to Americans’ private medical information in the name of national security, according to Twila Brase, a public health nurse and co-founder of the Citizens Council for Health Freedom.
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Feds Investigating Two Dozen Potential Hacks Targeting Life-Saving Medical Devices
A senior official at the Department of Homeland Security tells Reuters that government experts are now investigating upwards of two dozen instances in which high-tech medical products may be prone to hackers...
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