government health news from FierceHealthcare

> In an effort to improve the quality of stroke care in the state, a group of North Carolina hospitals have come together to create a shared database which collects data on how stroke care is Read more...

HCA turned in a nice performance for the third quarter, posting its first quarterly growth in income since going private last year, but like its peers, it's still struggling with unpaid patient Read more...

The Federation of American Hospitals (FAH), a trade group representing investor-owned hospitals, has dipped its oar into the growing universal health debate with a proposal of its own. The FAH plan, dubbed "Health Coverage Passport," calls for a federal law requiring all Americans to have health coverage of some kind. Under the proposed rules, individuals would have to take employer-sponsored coverage where available, buy coverage on their own, or if eligible, take advantage of government …

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Does Dr. David Brailer's resignation late last week signify problems ahead for government health IT? Did the health IT czar quit because he was growing tired of the grind of his weekly commute from San Francisco to Washington or out of frustration with the program's direction? Expect the theories to fly fast and furiously this week in the aftermath of the decision. Brailer told the San Francisco Chronicle that he hopes to continue working in health information technology in the …

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In an interview, CMS head Mark McClellan said the White House is looking at extending the system of health savings accounts to Medicare. Adding private accounts to the current system, of course, would amount to a fundamental change to the government health program for the elderly and disabled and is likely to spark opposition from groups opposed to privatization and taxpayers who can do basic math and are concerned about the program's costs.

McClellan also said Medicare Part D will …

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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced plans for a citywide electronic health records system (EHR) that would serve hospitals and clinics in the Big Apple. The network would provide records access to about 100 hospitals and clinics affiliated with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp. Around 5 million patients pass through the system each year. The citywide records network, Bloomberg said, "will reduce preventable illness [and]... will save millions of dollars a year …

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Spending on healthcare information technology will grow at a rate of 11 percent per year over the next five years, according to a new market research report by Kalorama Information. By 2009 sales of HIT services and products should reach $38 billion. The report cautions, however, that the US government lacks "a coherent program of support" for healthcare IT investment.

- see this article from Government Health …

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Support appears to be growing for a national data standard for patient identification. Proponents of a National Health Information Network (NHIN) have played down the idea of a national patient identifier for years fearing a political fight with privacy groups that could slow or stall progress. Last week, the Commission on Systemic Interoperability, a federal advisory group, released a report supporting a system that will allow patient data to be correctly identified and shared. A patient …

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A bill introduced by Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN), could lead to major changes at the Department of Veteran's Affairs. The legislation calls for tighter budgetary controls at the agency, which has spent $10 billion over the last decade upgrading its information technology systems. The bill also calls for enhanced authority for the organization's CIO, giving the position the power to green light all IT spending at the agency. The development has caused some observers to speculate that bigger …

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Americans like the idea of electronic health records. They are worried, however, about the privacy implications of the technology, especially when it comes to employers and insurance companies. Those are two conclusions highlighted by a recent study funded by the Markle Foundation and conducted by polling group Public Opinion Strategies, which found that more than 60 percent favored personal health records. The group says emphasis must be placed on ensuring consumer confidence in privacy …

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