Global EHR adoption rates growing; CMS issues FAQs on MU public health reporting;

News From Around the Web

> Global electronic health record adoption rates continue to go up, according to a new study from KLAS Research. InterSystems and Cerner stood out as top performers multi-regionally. Cerner and Allscripts took the top honors for North America. Announcement

> The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services has issued several new answers to frequently asked questions to help providers meet the Meaningful Use public health reporting objectives. Issues included how to report and whether integration of the prescription drug monitoring program into an EHR counts as a specialized registry. Website   

> The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has released two consumer-oriented infographics designed to increase education and online access to people's electronic medical records. One infographic is about the value of consumer access and use of online health records; the other is on the increase in the number of providers who offer patients such online access. For instance, one infographic recommends that consumers serve as a "second pair of eyes" to make sure that the electronic records are accurate. Website

Health Finance News

> The healthcare economy continues to chug on, adding jobs at a high rate while pricing and spending trends remain low, according to recent data from the Altarum Institute's Center for Sustainable Health Spending. Healthcare spending was up 5.5 percent during the month of September, as compared to September 2014, according to the data. That is significantly lower than the 6.8 percent trend increase seen back in February, the highest rate in eight years. Article   

Health Insurance News   

> The federal government plans to spend $32 million in a campaign to boost health coverage among children eligible for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announcement comes as a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlights the differences in care access, quality and cost in healthcare options for children in households with low-to-moderate incomes. Article   

> Though about half of older Americans will need long-term care services and supports (LTSS) at some point, few people buy this type of insurance or save enough to meet their care needs. Given that reality, researchers at the Urban Institute examined three new insurance options for long-term care--though they admit they failed to find an ideal solution for this "decades-long policy challenge." Article   

And Finally... I'm betting he'll clean up on this one. Article