HHS Extends a Meaningful Use Deadline

Extending health IT as a leveraged platform to integrate quality standards for the use of electronic health records by doctors and hospitals, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has introduced incentive payments in 2011 and 2012. Encouraging quick adoption of health IT would enable hospitals and doctors to meet the new deadlines in 2013, or if they have not participated in the program, they would still be eligible for the same incentives in the year 2014. The HITECH ACT offers the Medicare EHR Incentive Programs to eligible professionals to use health IT in a meaningful manner so they can qualify for incentives.      

As a result of quick adoption of health IT to underline the meaningful use of electronic health records, HHS or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported good progress that has bettered patient care in a methodical and organized manner as compared to past record-keeping technology. HHS has made it easier for Medicare eligible professionals by providing training and education so they can contribute to the EHR incentive program and meet meaningful use requirements. HHS has endeavored to create jobs in the healthcare industry across the country to improve health standards and offer incentives to eligible professionals who adopt meaningful use of electronic health records.

HHS in its statement has said, “Today, we are making it easier for health care providers to use new technology to improve the healthcare system for all of us and create more jobs.” Helping to increase the employment rate, HHS has estimated more than 50,000 healthcare IT jobs that pass the HITECH Act with the Bureau of Labor Statistics speculating that the jobs would increase by 20 percent from 2008 to 2018 as a fast-growing industry as compared to all other US occupations per industry. HHS meaningful use policy changes is followed by a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC that displays adoption of meaningful use of EHR by physicians with a hike from 17% to 34% and the adoption rate of health IT among primary care doctors increasing from 20% to 39%.

Holding the accolade of a quarter of the federal expenditure, HHS offers a bigger share of grant dollars as compared to other federal agencies. As the nation’s largest health insurer, HHS Medicare program handles over 1 billion claims per year and works in close tandem with local and state governments. With over 300 programs ranging over various activities, HHS provides incentives for eligible professionals, the latest treatments for patients and other health data.

For more information, visit http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/ or call 1-800-723-4308