Chilmark: Rep. Mike Burgess' interoperability 'discussion draft' heavy handed

Rep. Mike Burgess's "discussion draft" on interoperability, which received much media attention in March but was not made available to the public, is a "heavy handed" way to require interoperability and would entangle the industry in "red tape, reporting and recriminations," according to an article from Chilmark Research. While there have been a number of recent discussions regarding how best to achieve interoperability, the discussion draft, which the article calls a "trial balloon" is broad in scope and very specific. The draft requires unrestricted access to all patient data, numerous reports on interoperability and the abolishment of the HITECH Act's Health Information Technology Policy and Standards Committees in favor of a "charter organization."

The article makes reference to the fact that Burgess is the same legislator that drafted and introduced MICRA, the bill that would repeal the sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment formula. What the article doesn't mention is that some of the provisions of the "discussion draft"--such as decertification for blocking interoperability--found their way into MICRA, which passed in the House and is pending in the Senate. Article