Following the Senate Republican Majority Leader, a handful of GOP Senators joined Democrats in voting for Medicaid expansion, and the bill now heads to the House for similarly contentious debate.
Despite the frustration and the jokes around iEHR, real data exchange is happening between the DoD and VA and the potential to build on that for the future resides in creatively using resources built in the past.
Saying that the proposed legislation would address "the failure of DoD and VA to develop a single unified medical record," one of the bill's backers explains that it would require VA and DoD to prove they are implementing a plan for that single medical record.
On Monday the Obama administration said it won't penalize states that have yet to expand coverage by targeting them for reduced Medicaid funding for the next two years.
As Congress and the President prepare for more budget battles this summer, NIH director Francis Collins, MD, seeks feedback via Twitter from biomedical researchers already feeling or bracing for a hit from federal sequestration.
While defending the meaningful use program, the CIO organization said that pushing Stage 2 back by one year will give providers and vendors much needed time to prepare.
Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat, will continue focusing on implementation of the Affordable Care Act, among other top priorities, until he retires in 2014.
At a Health IT Standards Committee meeting, ONC head Farzad Mostashari outlined his argument for a proposed vendor fees that's been rattling the industry. It would reduce financial uncertainty and sustain certification programs, he argued.
As news of backlogs in veterans benefits continues to make headlines, lawmakers are pushing for answers on digital information exchange from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel -- who frankly described problems in the plans and cancelled an RFP, saying he'd have clarification plans soon.
In a white paper and a letter to the healthcare community, a group of Republican Senators wants to re-examine federal health IT policy, with a greater focus on interoperability and provider financial sustainability.