From the Editor: Why Health IT May Fare Better than Healthcare Reform
Did you know that 10 of the new legislators headed to Capitol Hill next month hail from healthcare backgrounds? And they all ran on the anti-healthcare-reform platform? Even some of the returning senators and representatives who don’t want an outright repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act want to trim “the bad parts” of it. What’s to keep HITECH and other IT-related efforts out of the 112th Congress’ line of fire?
As we went to press, there are several things working in health IT’s favor. First, there is the growing evidence that technologies such as EMRs, when implemented properly, can contain costs and help improve care; second, both sides of the aisle have said health IT-related job training—from medical informatics certification to system analysts and trouble-shooters—is not only necessary but is also producing viable career paths. In addition, legislative and budgetary procedures make it hard to take away funds that are already allocated—not impossible, but more difficult, in all likelihood, than finding other places to cut.
Most major federal expenses will likely be under the microscope and subject to new levels of (at least) House oversight. There will be concerted efforts to define “the bad parts” of healthcare reform and get rid of them outright, scale them back or leave them to wither unfunded. The medical device tax has come up often as a target, but HITECH's key initiatives—including assistance for heath IT purchases related to meaningful use—have not been singled out.
Chances are, you don’t have a lot of time to worry about whether national health IT policy is about to change, or how. If you’re taking aim at the incentive funds for meaningful use of a certified EHR in 2011, you might be getting your evidence in order in time for attestation in April to possibly receive payment in May. Perhaps you’re working on a disaster recovery plan, analyzing costs and benefits of cloud-based applications, or working to get an ambulatory EMR up and running. This month’s issue drills down on each of these topics. Budget woes at the state level, and their effect on Medicaid funding, might be a bigger concern for your organization.
What will happen when the campaign promises give way to the political reality in Capitol Hill? Certainly interesting times are ahead, and we’re all watching, but if you’ve got an IT department to run, you have more immediate worries.