Many panels at HIMSS 2017 in Orlando included references to the ongoing policy debate over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how that’s affecting all corners of the industry. For HIMSS itself, however, it feels health IT is better off staying out of much of the discussion.

Physicians wouldn’t be measured on meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) in the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) under a proposal floated by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).

The era of President Donald Trump in healthcare policy may not go as predicted, either for Republicans in Congress or Democrats critical of his pick for HHS Secretary, according to the last Republican who ran the agency, Mike Leavitt.

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has released its External HIPAA Audit Readiness Toolkit to assist organizations in preparing for the upcoming Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Phase 2 audits. The toolkit includes Phase 2 aspects for covered entities, business associates and includes tips in meeting responsibilities.

The House Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that would cap punitive damages in medical malpractice cases at $250,000 when it involves patients covered under Medicare, Medicaid, veterans or military health plans or plans on Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges.

President Donald Trump didn’t advocate for a specific piece of legislation on healthcare in his Feb. 28 joint address to Congress, but he did outline several parts of plan similar to what House Republican leaders have already proposed.

At the state level, one of the hottest policy topics discussed at HIMSS 2017 in Orlando was legislation on so-called “surprise” medical bills incurred when a patient unexpectedly receives care from an out-of-network physician.

President Donald Trump is expected to lay out some details on his favored plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), while parts of the House Republicans’ newest proposal leaked out, revealing it would eliminate subsidies for buying insurance and the expansion of Medicaid.