HIMSS’ three wishes of Congress

Laura Pedulli | | Health Exec | Precision Medicine

It’s health IT week on Capitol Hill, and the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is expected to present Congress with its three-point wish list to advance the field at its annual Public Policy Summit.

HIMSS will call upon Congress to act on the following three items:

  • A five-year roadmap of all mandated, Department of Health & Human Services-administered health IT requirements and program changes.
  • Approval of the president's FY2015 budget request for $75 million for the Office of the National Coordinator for IT, which is $14 million more than FY2014. This funding will help “achieve interoperability, improve clinical quality and ensure patient privacy and safety,” according to the association.
  • Expansion of Medicare payments for telehealth services to improve patient access and outcomes and decrease healthcare costs.

The association is scheduled to make these "asks" on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Laura Pedulli

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