Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Summary of Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) Request for Information (RFI) Responses HHS report in
PDF format - "Five hundred and twelve organizations and individuals provided nearly 5,000 pages of information. The responses have yielded a rich and descriptive collection of thoughts on interoperability and health information exchange. ONC created a Federal government Review Task Force (RTF) to review the RFI responses. For the purpose of the RTF process and to aid in producing this summary document, the RFI responses were categorized into two types: (1) individual responses, which were mostly concerned with a narrow set of issues and (2) organization responses, which included all other responses, most of which were comprehensive and detailed submissions. While this document includes both individual and organization responses, except as noted below, it primarily reflects the responses of the organizational respondents, and numerical references (e.g., most, many, few, etc) used to describe responses throughout the report are based on the responses submitted from organizations only. Drawn from the respondents’ unique perspectives, the comments offered a wide range of thoughtful suggestions."
Grassley boycott possible for Medicaid commission Stpry at
The Hill - "With the nation’s governors and congressional Democrats already saying they will not participate in an ostensibly bipartisan commission considering Medicaid reforms, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) also may decide to steer clear, according to an aide. Under the fiscal year 2006 budget resolution provisions that created the commission, Grassley and other congressional leaders are entitled to appoint members of Congress to act as nonvoting advisers to the commission being assembled to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt."
Ruling Limits Prosecutions of People Who Violate Law on Privacy of Medical Records New York Times story - "An authoritative new ruling by the Justice Department sharply limits the government's ability to prosecute people for criminal violations of the law that protects the privacy of medical records. The criminal penalties, the department said, apply to insurers, doctors, hospitals and other providers - but not necessarily their employees or outsiders who steal personal health data. In short, the department said, people who work for an entity covered by the federal privacy law are not automatically covered by that law and may not be subject to its criminal penalties, which include a $250,000 fine and 10 years in prison for the most serious violations. The reasoning is that federal regulations establish the standards for medical privacy. The regulations apply just to 'covered entities,' including insurers and health care providers. Thus, only covered entities can be prosecuted for criminal violations of the law. " [Viewing
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DHH Backs Off Threat to Shut Eight Mental Health Clinics (Louisiana) Story at
Black Enterprise - "The state Department of Health and Hospitals is backing off a threat to close eight rural mental health clinics after talking with the Blanco administration. A meeting between DHH and the administration scuttled talk of closing clinics in Leesville, Many, Opelousas, Ville Platte and New Iberia and in Beauregard, Allen and Richland parishes to plug a $4.3 million hole in the health-care budget. DHH Secretary Fred Cerise said Monday that a decision hasn't been made on what will be cut instead. "
Mandatory Treatment Bill Advances In Legislature (Maine) Brief
WMTW story - "After gaining strong support in committee, a bill that would force some mentally ill Mainers to follow mandatory treatment plans appears poised to become law. ... Maine's mental health community is divided on the bill, which would require some mentally ill adults to accept outpatient treatment or risk involuntary hospitalization."
