House Committee calls for halt to EHR incentives, Mostashari responds
CHICAGO--The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger (R-CA), and Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts (R-PA) have called on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to immediately suspend the distribution of incentive payments related to the EHR program.
During the CMIO Leadership Forum in Chicago today, Farzard Mostashari, MD, the National Coordinator for Health IT, noted that the period before a presidential election is known in Washington, D.C., as "the silly season." He also pointed out that the democratic process requires a legislative bill that must pass a vote in the House, the Senate and get signed by the President.
According to a committee press release, the "House policymakers on healthcare are concerned that HHS is squandering taxpayer dollars by asking little of providers in return for incentive payments. Recent reports revealed that the EHR program may be leading to higher Medicare spending and greater inefficiencies while doing little, if anything, to improve health outcomes."
The members urged Sebelius to halt the incentive payments and delay penalties for providers who choose not to integrate health IT into their practice until the agency increases what is expected of Meaningful Users and has a clear plan and expectation for interoperability.
Outlining their concerns, the members wrote, “It is critical that your agency do everything possible to advance interoperability and meaningful use of HIT, not just in name only… More than four and a half years and two final Meaningful Use rules later, it is safe to say that we are no closer to interoperability in spite of the nearly $10 billion spent. With the bar for Meaningful Use set so low and with a focus instead on trying to pad participation rates, these challenges are predictable. Incentive payments, particularly those funded by the Medicare trust funds and taxpayers, should be given to providers who are truly ‘meaningful users’ of EHR.”
Mostashari added to the group of health IT executives in Chicago that their responsibility is to reinforce the positive patient outcomes that can result from utilizing varied health IT systems. "Hospitals have invested billions of dollars, and many providers have already begun to realize those incentives," he added.
To view the complete letter, click here.
During the CMIO Leadership Forum in Chicago today, Farzard Mostashari, MD, the National Coordinator for Health IT, noted that the period before a presidential election is known in Washington, D.C., as "the silly season." He also pointed out that the democratic process requires a legislative bill that must pass a vote in the House, the Senate and get signed by the President.
According to a committee press release, the "House policymakers on healthcare are concerned that HHS is squandering taxpayer dollars by asking little of providers in return for incentive payments. Recent reports revealed that the EHR program may be leading to higher Medicare spending and greater inefficiencies while doing little, if anything, to improve health outcomes."
The members urged Sebelius to halt the incentive payments and delay penalties for providers who choose not to integrate health IT into their practice until the agency increases what is expected of Meaningful Users and has a clear plan and expectation for interoperability.
Outlining their concerns, the members wrote, “It is critical that your agency do everything possible to advance interoperability and meaningful use of HIT, not just in name only… More than four and a half years and two final Meaningful Use rules later, it is safe to say that we are no closer to interoperability in spite of the nearly $10 billion spent. With the bar for Meaningful Use set so low and with a focus instead on trying to pad participation rates, these challenges are predictable. Incentive payments, particularly those funded by the Medicare trust funds and taxpayers, should be given to providers who are truly ‘meaningful users’ of EHR.”
Mostashari added to the group of health IT executives in Chicago that their responsibility is to reinforce the positive patient outcomes that can result from utilizing varied health IT systems. "Hospitals have invested billions of dollars, and many providers have already begun to realize those incentives," he added.
To view the complete letter, click here.