Busy Year in D.C. Includes Progress on Health IT Policies and Legislation

12.20.2018
Leslie Krigstein – VP, Congressional Affairs
Mari Savickis – VP, Federal Affairs

In yet another hectic policy year, health IT managed to grab headlines and at the same time receive bipartisan support from policymakers. Our ability to participate in these policy discussions would not have been possible without the support of some very dedicated CHIME members.

From the outset of 2018, we saw the Office of American Innovation and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) prioritize interoperability and patient access in a dramatic fashion as we anxiously await rules from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on these topics. The Meaningful Use program saw a name change as well as a structural overhaul, something CHIME had long-advocated for. And, hopes are high after a series of requests for information (RFIs) from CMS and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) point to potential future rulemaking which could allow for the donation of cybersecurity services and other technologies necessary to further the move to value-based care. And, Medicare will now reimburse separately for technology-based services.

Despite being an election year, Capitol Hill held up their end of the bargain with the passage of some notable health IT provisions, including the removal of the “more stringent over time” Meaningful Use program mandate. Congress also greenlighted the expansion of telehealth in specific disease states, the treatment of substance use disorder (SUD), and in Medicare Advantage. The Hill continued to encourage the administration to work with the private sector on patient matching, a long-time CHIME priority. Cybersecurity issues received consideration as Congress considered pandemics and hazards, while also watching consumer protection and data privacy rise to prominence, poised to take center stage in the 116th Congress.

CHIME members provided feedback in congressional hearings, at White House meetings and in countless other forums with policymakers in 2018. With the help of the CHIME Policy Steering Committee and numerous other CHIME members, the public policy team submitted more than 40 written responses to the administration and Capitol Hill. These tireless volunteers were invaluable in sharing their perspectives for the betterment of policy and healthcare nationwide.

Thanks to the PSC leadership for the extra hours they put in reviewing regulations, legislation and helping with our comments:

  • Liz Johnson, chair
  • Marc Probst, vice chair
  • Daniel Barchi
  • Marc Chasin
  • Chuck Christian
  • Rodney Dykehouse
  • Cletis Earle
  • Neal Ganguly
  • John Kravitz
  • Michael Martz
  • Randy McCleese
  • Pam McNutt
  • Albert Oriol
  • Shafiq Rab
  • Craig Richardville
  • Bill Spooner

We are excited to announce that the PSC is growing in 2019, adding:

  • Julie Bonello
  • Casey Bryson
  • David Chou
  • Justin Owens
  • Randi Terry
  • Denise Webb
  • Rusty Yeager

We look forward to carrying forward the momentum we’ve gained into 2019, to continue our advocacy efforts to better enable you, the CHIME membership, to leverage health information technology to transform patient care.

For more details about CHIME’s public policy efforts, go here. If you want to learn how you can get more engaged in CHIME’s public policy initiatives, email [email protected].

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