[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":3762,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"On the campaign trail and as President-elect, Donald Trump and his surrogates have hinted at the direction he will take the nation\u2019s healthcare system, and speculation has been rife about what shape these policies might ultimately take. With Trump being sworn in today as the 45th President of the United States, health information technology leaders are hoping the political agenda of the new administration will soon become clearer.

While repealing the Affordable Care Act appears to be the top healthcare priority for the incoming Trump administration and congressional Republicans, health IT groups are looking beyond the ultimate fate of Obamacare and are seeking tech reforms that directly impact their respective members.

According to Robert Horne, executive director of Health IT Now (HITN), so much of the political discourse in Washington these days is focused on repealing the ACA and what could replace it. However, Horne\u2019s organization has not taken a position either way in the debate over Obamacare, which he sees as fundamentally an issue over health insurance coverage and access.

\u201cThose issues are better dealt with by payers, providers, and consumer and patient advocates,\u201d he contends.

\u201cThe repeal conversation is very much focused on insurance reforms, and a lot of what has driven health IT activity is much more predicated on delivery system reforms\u2014like alternative payment models, of course Meaningful Use and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System,\u201d adds Jeff Smith, vice president of public policy for the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).

Also See<\/b>: Repeal of Obamacare could cut accountable care organizations<\/a>

Leslie Krigstein, vice president of congressional affairs for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), makes the point that the ACA and HITECH Act are two very different statutes and that CHIME has \u201csteered clear\u201d of the \u201cpartisanship that has surrounded the ACA since its inception.\u201d

Nonetheless, Krigstein says that her organization is monitoring how the Trump administration and Republican leaders in Congress decide to move forward regarding Obamacare to see if there might be \u201ctrickle-down implications\u201d for CHIME\u2019s members.

Still, Horne argues that Washington\u2019s renewed focus on healthcare reform in the context of repealing outright the ACA or replacing the law\u2019s major provisions is creating a tremendous opportunity for health IT groups to promote HIT policies that better serve providers and patients alike.

\u201cHealthcare reform can serve as a platform to start rolling out some IT and data policies that we truly think will help transform healthcare like they\u2019re transforming every other sector of our economy,\u201d says Horne, who is encouraged by the fact that Rep. Tom Price, MD (R-Ga.), Trump\u2019s nominee to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary, has sponsored legislation to ease the HIT regulatory burdens on providers. \u201cI do think Price\u2019s understanding of health IT as a practitioner really is a big asset,\u201d he offers.

\u201cWe\u2019ve turned many physicians and other providers into data entry clerks, and it detracts from their productivity and their ability to provide quality care,\u201d Price told the Senate health committee on Wednesday during a nomination hearing.

On the issue of electronic health records and the Meaningful Use program, Price said he\u2019s had \u201cmore than one physician\u201d tell him that the \u201cfinal regulations and rules related to Meaningful Use were the final straw for them\u201d causing them to quit the program.

\u201cDr. Price has been a sponsor and a leader in the Congress in trying to address some of the problems with Meaningful Use,\u201d notes Robert Tennant, director of health IT policy at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), who says that if Price is confirmed, he would be the first clinician to serve as HHS Secretary since Louis Sullivan, MD, during President George H. W. Bush\u2019s administration.

\u201cWe in the physician community are hopeful that we\u2019ll have a very sympathetic ear when we go and talk to HHS about trying to restructure some of these federal requirements,\u201d comments Tennant.

Likewise, AMIA\u2019s Smith asserts that Price \u201cbelieves the current programs need to be further reformed,\u201d and that if he\u2019s confirmed as HHS Secretary, he will \u201cinitially focus on the reporting burden\u201d of health IT for doctors and nurses. Tennant adds that MGMA is optimistic Price will \u201ccontinue to hold the torch for the administrative burdens associated in healthcare, not just the clinical side\u2014so, there\u2019s plenty to be done in terms of HIT.\u201d

Also See<\/b>: Will Trump presidency disrupt current health IT policy?<\/a>

Although Price is, in Krigstein\u2019s words, \u201cvery provider friendly,\u201d she believes he has a strong recognition that \u201cthere is a role for technology\u2014for EHRs\u2014as we move forward in the delivery of healthcare.\u201d

If Price is confirmed by the Senate to head HHS and empowered by the Republican-controlled Congress, Horne believes the Trump administration will be well positioned to make some far-reaching health IT reforms. He points to the 21st Century Cures Act, which was enacted last month, as a major step toward addressing the healthcare industry\u2019s HIT interoperability challenges.

Blair Childs, senior vice president of public affairs for Premier, an alliance of hospitals and other providers, surmises that, in light of the Republican leadership in Congress\u2019 passage of the Cures Act late last year, they \u201cwill continue to focus on health IT, but much more from an interoperability standpoint, which is probably the biggest challenge in healthcare today.\u201d

The Cures Act supports interoperability through several provisions, including the prohibition of information blocking and authorization of penalties of as much as $1 million per violation. In addition, the law codifies new authority for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to address interoperability through additional conditions of certification for HIT developers related to: access, use, and exchange of electronic information; usability, security, and business practices; real-world testing; as well as publishing application programming interfaces.

\u201cThe Cures Act gives ONC a little bit more leverage in the marketplace than it previously had,\u201d says Krigstein. Even so, Tennant observes that \u201cmost of the key HIT components of the Cures Act have to be implemented by the Secretary of HHS.\u201d If Price leads the department, he believes it will be his \u201cspin on what\u2019s required in the statute\u2014which is going to make the difference.\u201d

According to Tennant, the HHS Secretary has \u201cenormous flexibility,\u201d and Price \u201ccould use Cures as a springboard or foundation for an aggressive movement in this area.\u201d

The Senate Committee on Finance has scheduled a confirmation hearing to consider Price\u2019s nomination to be HHS Secretary for January 24.","saveContent":"On the campaign trail and as President-elect, Donald Trump and his surrogates have hinted at the direction he will take the nation\u2019s healthcare system, and speculation has been rife about what shape these policies might ultimately take. With Trump being sworn in today as the 45th President of the United States, health information technology leaders are hoping the political agenda of the new administration will soon become clearer.

While repealing the Affordable Care Act appears to be the top healthcare priority for the incoming Trump administration and congressional Republicans, health IT groups are looking beyond the ultimate fate of Obamacare and are seeking tech reforms that directly impact their respective members.

According to Robert Horne, executive director of Health IT Now (HITN), so much of the political discourse in Washington these days is focused on repealing the ACA and what could replace it. However, Horne\u2019s organization has not taken a position either way in the debate over Obamacare, which he sees as fundamentally an issue over health insurance coverage and access.

\u201cThose issues are better dealt with by payers, providers, and consumer and patient advocates,\u201d he contends.

\u201cThe repeal conversation is very much focused on insurance reforms, and a lot of what has driven health IT activity is much more predicated on delivery system reforms\u2014like alternative payment models, of course Meaningful Use and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System,\u201d adds Jeff Smith, vice president of public policy for the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).

Also See<\/b>: Repeal of Obamacare could cut accountable care organizations<\/a>

Leslie Krigstein, vice president of congressional affairs for the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), makes the point that the ACA and HITECH Act are two very different statutes and that CHIME has \u201csteered clear\u201d of the \u201cpartisanship that has surrounded the ACA since its inception.\u201d

Nonetheless, Krigstein says that her organization is monitoring how the Trump administration and Republican leaders in Congress decide to move forward regarding Obamacare to see if there might be \u201ctrickle-down implications\u201d for CHIME\u2019s members.

Still, Horne argues that Washington\u2019s renewed focus on healthcare reform in the context of repealing outright the ACA or replacing the law\u2019s major provisions is creating a tremendous opportunity for health IT groups to promote HIT policies that better serve providers and patients alike.

\u201cHealthcare reform can serve as a platform to start rolling out some IT and data policies that we truly think will help transform healthcare like they\u2019re transforming every other sector of our economy,\u201d says Horne, who is encouraged by the fact that Rep. Tom Price, MD (R-Ga.), Trump\u2019s nominee to serve as Health and Human Services Secretary, has sponsored legislation to ease the HIT regulatory burdens on providers. \u201cI do think Price\u2019s understanding of health IT as a practitioner really is a big asset,\u201d he offers.

\u201cWe\u2019ve turned many physicians and other providers into data entry clerks, and it detracts from their productivity and their ability to provide quality care,\u201d Price told the Senate health committee on Wednesday during a nomination hearing.

On the issue of electronic health records and the Meaningful Use program, Price said he\u2019s had \u201cmore than one physician\u201d tell him that the \u201cfinal regulations and rules related to Meaningful Use were the final straw for them\u201d causing them to quit the program.

\u201cDr. Price has been a sponsor and a leader in the Congress in trying to address some of the problems with Meaningful Use,\u201d notes Robert Tennant, director of health IT policy at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), who says that if Price is confirmed, he would be the first clinician to serve as HHS Secretary since Louis Sullivan, MD, during President George H. W. Bush\u2019s administration.

\u201cWe in the physician community are hopeful that we\u2019ll have a very sympathetic ear when we go and talk to HHS about trying to restructure some of these federal requirements,\u201d comments Tennant.

Likewise, AMIA\u2019s Smith asserts that Price \u201cbelieves the current programs need to be further reformed,\u201d and that if he\u2019s confirmed as HHS Secretary, he will \u201cinitially focus on the reporting burden\u201d of health IT for doctors and nurses. Tennant adds that MGMA is optimistic Price will \u201ccontinue to hold the torch for the administrative burdens associated in healthcare, not just the clinical side\u2014so, there\u2019s plenty to be done in terms of HIT.\u201d

Also See<\/b>: Will Trump presidency disrupt current health IT policy?<\/a>

Although Price is, in Krigstein\u2019s words, \u201cvery provider friendly,\u201d she believes he has a strong recognition that \u201cthere is a role for technology\u2014for EHRs\u2014as we move forward in the delivery of healthcare.\u201d

If Price is confirmed by the Senate to head HHS and empowered by the Republican-controlled Congress, Horne believes the Trump administration will be well positioned to make some far-reaching health IT reforms. He points to the 21st Century Cures Act, which was enacted last month, as a major step toward addressing the healthcare industry\u2019s HIT interoperability challenges.

Blair Childs, senior vice president of public affairs for Premier, an alliance of hospitals and other providers, surmises that, in light of the Republican leadership in Congress\u2019 passage of the Cures Act late last year, they \u201cwill continue to focus on health IT, but much more from an interoperability standpoint, which is probably the biggest challenge in healthcare today.\u201d

The Cures Act supports interoperability through several provisions, including the prohibition of information blocking and authorization of penalties of as much as $1 million per violation. In addition, the law codifies new authority for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to address interoperability through additional conditions of certification for HIT developers related to: access, use, and exchange of electronic information; usability, security, and business practices; real-world testing; as well as publishing application programming interfaces.

\u201cThe Cures Act gives ONC a little bit more leverage in the marketplace than it previously had,\u201d says Krigstein. Even so, Tennant observes that \u201cmost of the key HIT components of the Cures Act have to be implemented by the Secretary of HHS.\u201d If Price leads the department, he believes it will be his \u201cspin on what\u2019s required in the statute\u2014which is going to make the difference.\u201d

According to Tennant, the HHS Secretary has \u201cenormous flexibility,\u201d and Price \u201ccould use Cures as a springboard or foundation for an aggressive movement in this area.\u201d

The Senate Committee on Finance has scheduled a confirmation hearing to consider Price\u2019s nomination to be HHS Secretary for January 24.","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

Health IT stakeholders seek tech reforms beyond Obamacare repeal

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