Health Information Management

Find capital now, gain stimulus funds later

HIM Connection, February 2, 2010

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Healthcare providers still have time to implement EHRs before they start losing out on federal money, but the moment of truth is quickly approaching, says Gerry Hinkley, Esq., partner and chair of the health IT (HIT) practice group at Davis Wright Tremaine in San Francisco.
 
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act gave approximately $2 billion to the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) to distribute for HIT. Of those funds, $20 million went to the National Institute of Standards and Technology for a research and development program, and another $300 million is for health information exchange support (grants, loans, and technical assistance), says Hinkley. The government will distribute the remaining funds to states at a later date.
 
The initial $300 million will soon become available, and providers are in the process of implementing EHR systems in preparation for the funding, says Hinkley. Most of the funds will be dependent on having quality EHR systems in place.
 
Note: For more information, visit the HCPro Web site.  Subscribers to Health Information Compliance Insider have access to this article in the February issue of the newsletter.



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