CMS has released additional guidance for hospitals on the process of attesting to the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.CMS' guidance also states that:

• If hospitals have concerns about the accuracy of submitted data, facilities should work with their vendor or the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to improve the accuracy of their equipment; and
• Hospitals should save a copy of the clinical quality measures report as evidence of attestation in case the data are needed for an audit.

The federal health reform law requires federal health programs to begin contracting with ACOs starting in January 2012. ACOs aim to lower costs and improve care by fostering cooperation between physicians, hospitals and other providers. HHS estimates that ACOs will save Medicare between $510 million and $960 million during the first three years. CMS released proposed ACO rules over the summer. However, the response from stakeholders were mostly unfavorable. Comments ranged from requesting that the management of ACOs should be simplified to arguing that rule creates too many bureaucratic and legal hurdles. Groups also commented that the number of quality standards will require excessive data management and are worried that potential savings are limited.

Health and Human Services (HHS) conducted a private meeting last week with health care provider groups to discuss the elements of an "essential health benefits" package in new state-based health insurance exchanges. The federal health reform law mandates that by January 2014 states must create insurance exchanges that provide coverage options for individuals and small businesses. States can choose to administer their own exchanges, for which they must have some infrastructure in place by January 2013, or ask the federal government to run the exchanges for them.

House Democrats from 16 committees and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee submitted their deficit-reduction recommendations to the debt panel. The 12-member panel, also known as the "supercommittee", had requested House and Senate committees to submit their ideas at the end of last week. House Democrats recommended maintaining the current Medicare eligibility age, reducing waste and fraud and maintaining programs established by the health care reform. Senate Republicans recommended repealing the federal health reform law, overhauling medical malpractice and turning Medicaid into a block grant system.

The last article in the continuing series on the Patient Protect and Affordable Care Act focuses on bill’s Investments and Financing. AASM legislative analysts explain how the bill includes investments in Medicare, the workforce, community and school-based health centers, trauma care and more. The article also details how the costs of providing coverage to an estimated additional 32 million Americans at $938 billion over ten years will be financed.

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law comprehensive health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Part five of the AASM's health reform overview series focuses on Improving Quality/Health System Performance and Prevention/Wellness.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted 15-2 to approve its $220 billion plan to replace the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, which sets Medicare physician payment rates. Since 2002, Congress annually has passed a series of short-term bills to block scheduled cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates under the SGR. The most recent fix will expire on January 1, 2012, at which point physicians face a 29.4% payment rate cut.The MedPAC recommendations include updating hospital payments by 1% in 2012 and altering home health care payments in 2013. Further recommendations involve changing reimbursements for some categories of durable medical equipment and repealing bonus payments for quality improvements in Medicare Advantage.

An Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee emphasized that affordability should be Health and Human Services' (HHS') main priority in its recommendations to the agency on how the basic coverage standards for the state-based health insurance exchanges should be established. Under the federal health reform law, states by January 2014 must create insurance exchanges that provide coverage options for individuals and small businesses. States can choose to administer their own exchanges, for which they must have some infrastructure in place by January 2013, or ask the federal government to run the exchanges for them.

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law comprehensive health care reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Part four of the AASM's health reform overview series focuses on Cost Containment.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) invites abstracts on innovative disease prevention and health promotion programs for presentation at the 2012 National Health Promotion Summit.  The summit will take place April 10-11, 2012, in Washington, DC. The goals of the summit are to promote the development of disease prevention and health promotion policies that align with national prevention initiatives; encourage stakeholders at every level to collaborate on reaching national health goals; and integrate health policies across all sectors.