ONC's requested 2014 budget to build on existing momentum
The Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT requested an increase of $16.7 million above its fiscal year 2012 enacted level. The $77.9 million requested for fiscal year 2014 includes $20.6 million in budget authority, $56.3 million in public health service evaluation funds and $1 million in certified EHR technology fees to support program activities.
The budget report cites all the various ways ONC has improved the privacy and security of heath IT and health information exchange and worked to increase adoption of health It. “ONC will continue to enable innovation in the health IT market by maintaining and establishing core standards, and will inspire trust and confidence in health IT through a robust certification program,” according to an introductory letter by Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, national coordinator of health IT.
“ONC will establish good governance rules that will ensure that health information can securely follow patients wherever and whenever they seek care. Together, these efforts will ensure that health IT fulfills its potential to realize the three-part aim of better health, better care, at lower cost.”
The ONC’s requested budget “builds on the momentum gained over the past few years” through activities including policy development and coordination; standards, interoperability and certification; and adoption, utilization and meaningful use in health IT.
ONC asked for $16 million for policy development and coordination—a $4.9 million increase; $26.3 million for standards, interoperability and certification—a $10 million increase; and $14.5 million for adoption, utilization and meaningful use of health IT—a $3.6 million increase.
The increased funding will transition the infrastructure of the Health Information Technology Research Center (HITRC) and the Customer Relations Management (CRM) Tool, developed with Recovery Act funding, to a permanent infrastructure in support of adoption activities. Mostashari wrote. “As [health IT] adoption rates accelerate, ONC will begin focusing on developing and distributing best practices to providers and consumers in order to help them make the most of their health IT investments to improve patient care, population health, and increase the value of every health dollar.”
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.