Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Interoperable EHR needed
The U.S. health care system needs an interoperable electronic health records and billing system and more transparency on the price and quality of services, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt told a group of physicians at the Indiana State Medical Association headquarters on Thursday, the Indianapolis Star reports. Leavitt has been touring the nation to discuss health care reform with medical professionals and business leaders. "I've come to conclude there really isn't a health care system. There's a health care sector," Leavitt said, adding, "There's really nothing that connects it together into an economic system." He also told the group that he expects Congress to begin discussions on pay-for-performance programs and possible changes to the planned 5.1% reduction in physicians' Medicare reimbursements, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2007 (Lee, Indianapolis Star, 10/13).
"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
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Leavitt Says Electronic Health Records System, Price Transparency Needed For Health Reform
17 Oct 2006The U.S. health care system needs an interoperable electronic health records and billing system and more transparency on the price and quality of services, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt told a group of physicians at the Indiana State Medical Association headquarters on Thursday, the Indianapolis Star reports. Leavitt has been touring the nation to discuss health care reform with medical professionals and business leaders. "I've come to conclude there really isn't a health care system. There's a health care sector," Leavitt said, adding, "There's really nothing that connects it together into an economic system." He also told the group that he expects Congress to begin discussions on pay-for-performance programs and possible changes to the planned 5.1% reduction in physicians' Medicare reimbursements, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2007 (Lee, Indianapolis Star, 10/13).
"Reprinted with permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=54113
