What important action should a health care provider take if the she wants to qualify for funds under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH)?
What important action should a health care provider take if the she wants to qualify for funds under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH)?
To qualify for funds under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), a health care provider must make electronic health records (EHRs) part of their regular care. The HITECH Act was established to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology, and incentivizes healthcare providers to adopt and effectively utilize certified EHRs.
What funding did the HITECH Act provide healthcare? The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) was given a budget in excess of $25 billion to achieve the goals of the HITECH Act. The HHS used some of that budget to fund the Meaningful Use program – a program that incentivized care providers to adopt certified EHRs by offering monetary incentives
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. HITECH codified and funded the office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and provided $19 billion in INCENTIVES FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO ADOPT ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS and develop a national electronic health information exchange. HITECH also strengthened HIPAA to address the privacy impacts of the expanded use of electronic health records
The $19 billion in funding in HITECH created important incentives for health providers to use Electronic Health Records (EHRs) more extensively. Providers who make “meaningful use” of EHRs can qualify for these funds.