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| Feds Plan for 35 Agencies to Help Collect, Share, Use Electronic Health Info |
| 2014-12-10 |
| I'm sure it's for a good reason.... Along with the primary goal of expanding the availability of health insurance, the Affordable Care Act aims to make the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) universal. This plan actually began with the 2009 stimulus (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), which included the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Doctors and other health providers have been offered incentives to convert patient information and health histories to a compatible and transferable electronic format, and as of June 2014, 75 percent of eligible doctors and 92 percent of eligible hospitals had received payments under the program. This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015-2020, which details the efforts of some 35 departments and agencies of the federal government and their roles in the plan to "advance the collection, sharing, and use of electronic health information to improve health care, individual and community health, and research." The plan is illustrated with the following graphic: Each step of the plan includes three-year and six-year goals, and the various goals, depending on their focus, require the involvement of department and agencies as disparate as the Department of Defense, the Federal Trade Commission, and NASA, in addition to the expected participation of entities such as HHS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Indian Health Service. The report includes a comprehensive list of all departments and agencies involved: While Electronic Health Records (EHR) are the most visible example of the type of information the plan discusses, other technologies include "mobile and telehealth technology, cloud-based services, medical devices, and remote monitoring devices, assistive technologies, and sensors." The plan stresses the importance of government in developing these technologies given its roles to "provide direct care and health insurance, protect public health, fund health and human services for certain populations, invest in infrastructure, develop and implement policies and regulations, and advance groundbreaking research." Now that HHS has publicly released the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, the agency is seeking the input from the public before implementation. The plan is subject to two-month period of public comment before finalization. The comment period runs through February 6, 2015. |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #17 A mere or lowly 35 - you know, 53, tops! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2014-12-10 22:25 |
| #16 It's all about gainful employment for the new class? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-12-10 13:45 |
| #15 My cardiologist (a new specialist) recommended gobs and gobs of protein, or the South Beach Diet. [shakes head[ That, and walking as far as my arthritic joints will carry me! |
| Posted by: Bobby 2014-12-10 13:32 |
| #14 Oh no, it's not about immortality. It's about opting out, getting off the grid, going Galt. Not to mention feeling better and looking better . . . which is an important aspect of making our limited time worth something. And who knows, in the not-so-distant future, our country may well need us in fighting trim. Changing unhealthy habits and learning new ways to cook isn't for everyone. But the question was asked, so I thought I'd point out that there IS an answer - best of all, one that is within one's own control. |
| Posted by: RandomJD 2014-12-10 12:43 |
| #13 That is so true PK2. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-12-10 11:53 |
| #12 ..or give up the belief in immortality, that you're a mortal creature with limited time on the planet and make as good an effort to make it worth something. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-12-10 11:16 |
| #11 What if we don't want 35 agencies prying into our lives? The 35 agencies include Medicare, DoD, and VA. That covers a huge proportion of the US population. Solution: don't generate any data for them to collect. Commit to excellent health, if only as an act of rebellion. If you have weight issues, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" is a great place to start. If you have any of the usual chronic conditions brought on by the standard American diet - which are NOT a "normal" part of aging - these doctors explain why you're sick, how to regain your health, and eliminate the need for medication: "Eat to Live," "Eat For Health," "The End of Diabetes" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman "Whole" and "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell Esselstyn BLUF: it involves eliminating processed food and a lot less meat. But it's that, or having the tentacles of a communist state down your throat and up your a55. |
| Posted by: RandomJD 2014-12-10 10:52 |
| #10 ..you lost that years ago when the census was turned from merely counting the noses of citizens for apportionment to a rectal exam of your life and who you are. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-12-10 09:18 |
| #9 What if we don't want 35 agencies prying into our lives? After listening to Jonathan Grueber justify abortion and death panels, I want the government involved in little I do or knowing much about me. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-12-10 08:53 |
| #8 When kids go for check ups the doctor asks if there are any guns at home. This happens today, the next step is to store it in Gruber's database. Posted by Airandee Gruber and his prepared 'glib' defense...didn't know how much money he made. I was hoping for better from him. Forgive me, but he's nothing more than an insufferable little ki*e. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-12-10 08:48 |
| #7 About as good as Microsoft signing a consent decree in the early 90s to keep a 'Chinese wall' between their web browser and their applications. When 'power' is involved, every promise has an expiration date. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-12-10 08:09 |
| #6 Above prediction was for #2. |
| Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 2014-12-10 08:08 |
| #5 They will not be so polite #4. All of the far left Democratic and Rhino controlled federal agencies will have a swat team swarm in with an MRAP will be kicking your door down at 4 am. With all of the newly armed up federal agencies, now all they need is information on the masses to apply there agenda one house at a time. |
| Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 2014-12-10 08:07 |
| #4 When kids go for check ups the doctor asks if there are any guns at home. This happens today, the next step is to store it in Gruber's database. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2014-12-10 08:00 |
| #3 But, but, but it was first published 65 years ago and supposed to be a dystopian, political fiction, social science fiction novel. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-12-10 04:47 |
| #2 I predict that if someone in your home has alcohol issues or is on antidepressants the ATF will knocking on your door to confiscate any firearms in the house. |
| Posted by: Crins Bourbon3320 2014-12-10 01:13 |
| #1 This, of course, was the real objective after all. All that very personal health information under control of the federal government. 35 agencies will have access to it and through them countless 'public service' political organizations who simply need it to provide their services. Like Planned Parenthood, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Sierra Club, and others. You think the IRS And operation Chokepoint were bad? You haven't seen nothing yet! |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2014-12-10 00:56 |