Rancor, some clarity mark the week

Mary Stevens, Editor

In less than a week, the U.S. House and Senate passed healthcare reform legislation. Obama signed the first part of the legislation. Seven minutes later, by some accounts, more than a dozen state AGs filed suit to stop it. Then, the Senate parliamentarian agreed to a couple of Republican challenges that sent the law back to the House for a re-vote. It was re-approved in both houses…and the rancor continues.

In quieter corners, healthcare stakeholders are attempting to unravel the consequences of this legislation. The Healthcare Financial Management Association, for example, has put a price on the healthcare reform bills--both the version originally proposed by the Senate and the House Reconciliation Act.

The Reconciliation Act costs $940 billion, compared to the initial cost of the Senate's version of reform, which came in at $871 billion. The Reconciliation Act also increases by one million the number of citizens who will now have health insurance coverage. And no matter what the final cost actually is, it will take an army of health IT pros to help our healthcare systems absorb one million more potential patients.

Some clarity also is emerging as effected parties sort through some of the federal measures that are already on the books. Taking aim at one murky issue related to meaningful use—CPOE and e-prescribing controlled substances—the Office of the Federal Register this week unveiled an Interim Final Rule with Request for Comments from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Justice on electronic prescribing of controlled substances. The IFR specifies the rules that healthcare providers will need to follow in order to electronically prescribe controlled substances in accordance with the law. ONC, CMS, AHRQ and other HHS staff have worked closely with DEA to develop the policies in the IFR, which is expected to be published in the Federal Register next week and will include a 60-day comment period.

ONC also is calling for providers to use higher-level principles or recommendations when selecting and applying a patient consent model for electronic health information exchange, according to a whitepaper developed by George Washington University under contract with ONC. Other policy-oriented whitepapers will follow, according to the ONC.

No matter what happens with the massive healthcare reform efforts, hospitals are putting unified communication plans are in place to reduce costs, increase productivity and improve decision making—and they are more likely to have prepared a business case or strategic plan for unified communications than their counterparts in ambulatory and long-term care facilities, according to a tracking poll from CDW. Unified communications is the convergence of enterprise voice, video and data services and software applications to achieve greater collaboration among individuals or groups and improve business processes.

Washington D.C. could use some of that collaboration and unified communication, but it's reassuring to know hospitals are working toward better communication, and thus, improved healthcare.

Mary Stevens, Editor
mstevens@trimedmedia.com