Obama Budgert On OHC, HIT, EHR's : 257,000 Doctors Fined

More government over reach by the progressive socialist liberal democrats - this is just one more reason to vote out every democrats that currently holds office and those that will be running in 2016. To do other wise ensures our demise.

It is very clear that the democrats are not interested in good health care, just making sure the system is under their control. Ever wonder why the democrat party is responsible for so much corruption of policy? Wonder no longer as democrats are not individuals but a collective that stands shoulder to shoulder waiting to do the bidding of their betters at the DNC.

ObamaCare is the best case scenario that explains this nightmare of mindless behavior. Even if they knew the Affordable Care Act was bad and totally excluded the Republicans from having any say in this disaster, they all still voted to make sure it happened. Not one Republicans voted for ObamaCare. But the democrats all stood firm. Consequences be dammed.

After all what's important to the democrats? The country or the party.

Doctors Not Cashing In on Meaningful Use Incentives
Source: John R. Graham, "The National Health IT Czar does not need a big budget hike," National Center for Policy Analysis, February 25, 2015.

February 26, 2015

President Obama's 2015 budget includes a 25 percent increase to the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (ONC) budget. The ONC, which determines how health information technology (HIT) is deployed, currently oversees products such as electronic health records (EHRs), mobile and telehealth technology, cloud-based services, medical devices, remote monitoring devices, assistive technologies and sensors.

At its inception in 2004, the ONC was intended to serve only as a "coordinator" of HIT. Yet, in 2009, it turned out to be the financier, certifier and regulator for a majority of HIT and backed by a 5-year $30 billion budget designated to entice hospitals, physician's offices and other medical facilities to install electronic health records (EHRs). With that, ONC now has authority to certify EHRs that qualify health providers for the incentive payments. Based on these facts, a 25 percent budget increase is not justifiable.

Despite ONC's authority and intentions, their efforts are not seeing results. "Meaningful use" of ONC-certified EHRs triggers incentive payments for medical professionals but they are not cashing in.

• In 2014, only 3,154 eligible medical professionals had attested to the second stage of meaningful use to receive their payments for installing EHRs.
• A 2015 SERMO survey found 55 percent of the nearly 2000 physicians surveyed would not attest to the next stage of meaningful use this year. 

In response to this, federal penalties have been levied against 257,000 physicians, 280 providers and 200 hospitals for not using EHRs "meaningfully." Why are doctors not using EHRs meaningfully? Doctors are learning the actual cost of installing EHRs includes loss of productivity, a cost the incentive payments do not compensate for.