Health Policy

NIST revises cybersecurity guidelines specifically for HIPAA

NIST will accept comments on the updated draft publication regarding HIPAA’s Security Rule until September 21. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Health care reform depends on state CIOs, association says

State CIOs have an important role to play in national health care reform, especially with regard to operating health benefit exchanges, according to a new report from the National Association of State CIOs.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

HHS neglected some IT security standards, IG says

The Health and Human Services Department's oversight of $20 billion in health IT funding didn't go far enough to ensure privacy and security for patients' medical data, a report finds.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

HHS told to standardize consent, privacy in e-health record exchanges

Health care IT executives are urging the Health and Human Services Department to deal with how patient consent will be managed for release of health data.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

CMS puts thinking cap on, will launch new innovation center

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will spend $10 billion during the next nine years on research into how to reduce health care costs while improving quality of care.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

FedScoop, health IT conferences commence

A pair of conferences in Washington get under way and feature government executives speaking about innovation and other IT-related issues.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Health IT gets a $220M funding transfusion

The Health and Human Services Department will give 15 nonprofit organizations $220 million for health IT pilot projects.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

HHS releases rule on insurance Web portal

The Health and Human Services Department has released an interim final rule on a new Web portal for information to allow consumers to compare insurance coverage.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

IT included in Sebelius' top priorities for HHS

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released her top strategic initiatives for the department, which include health IT elements.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Incentives for health IT could include home monitoring equipment

A federal working group considers several requirements for patients to use health IT.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Sankaran to leave HHS' Federal Health Architecture

Vish Sankaran, program director for the Federal Health Architecture system, announced his resignation today.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Health reform may cause agencies to beef up IT, report says

A market research firm reports on the IT implications of the health care reform law.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

HHS advisory panel considers patient consent framework

An advisory group to the Health and Human Services Department is evaluating a framework for managing patients' consents to share their personal medical information.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Patients should be partners in EHR systems, HHS panel told

An HHS advisory panel today heard ed recommendations to allow patients input and a central role in their own health data contained in digital record systems.

  • By Alice Lipowicz
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House members seek parity for behavioral health electronic records

Lawmakers offer legislation to help mental health professionals buy health IT systems.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Health IT data security crude in some companies, says CMS CIO

Julie Boughn, the chief information officer for Medicare and Medicaid, says companies that want to work with her agency often display amateurish data security.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

HHS' Blumenthal disputes rumors on health IT spying

HHS is collaborating with the Justice Department on nationwide health data exchange, but that does not mean the data will go to law enforcement or national security agencies, according to Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health IT.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Think tank finds complex benefits and risks in health IT

The Obama administration's drive for health information technology implementation is occurring while health IT risks and benefits are not well understood, according to a new think tank report.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

Obama sets sights on next Medicare administrator

Though the White House has not made it official yet, President Obama reportedly knows who he wants to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

HHS wiki airs concerns about planned health network service

The Health and Human Services Department's new wiki on its Nationwide Health Information Network Direct service provides a forum for concerns about the effects of the program.

  • By Alice Lipowicz

HHS panel advises on data glitches that affect patient safety

An HHS advisory workgroup today proposed best practices for dealing with patient safety problems related to electronic health record systems.

  • By Alice Lipowicz