STANFORD, CA – Data mining and electronic health records helped researchers at some of the country’s most prestigious universities discover a dangerous of a common drug combination. A widely used combination of two medications may cause unexpected increases in blood glucose levels, according to a study conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University and Harvard Medical School. Researchers were surprised at the finding because neither of the two drugs – one, an antidepressant marketed as Paxil, and the other, a cholesterol-lowering medication called Pravachol – has a similar effect alone. The study relied on an adverse-event reporting database maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and on sophisticated electronic medical records used by each of the three participating institutions. They used data-mining techniques to identify patterns of associations in large populations that would not be readily apparent to physicians treating individual patients. Click here to continue reading.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Data mining, EHRs help target dangerous drug combo
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Estonia launches $10 EHR
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Large populations, geographic disparities and legacy infrastructure problems can derail national health IT projects. Estonia suffers from none of these factors. The Baltic state implemented a national EHR in 2009 at a cost equivalent to €7.50 (roughly $10 USD) per citizen. Madis Tiik, CEO of the Estonian E-Health Foundation, who managed the project, described the short path to a fully integrated EHR network currently used by 47 pecent of the country's residents. Launched in 2009, the EHR is built on Estonia's X-Roads network, Tiik told attendees of eHealth Week 2011. X-Roads is a secure gateway service architecture that hosts 3,000 e-services available to Estonian citizens. In January 2010, the eHealth Foundation launched a companion health insurance system for claims, reimbursement and prescription management. "In many countries, I have seen that the task is to integrate the healthcare system," said Tiik. "There is also the concept of the personal health record. In Estonia, we decided that all this functionality will be in our national EHR." All end-users of Estonia's EHR system can access their full personal health records. There's nothing a physician can see that a patient cannot. And with nearly half the country's residents using the system within two years of its launch, the project appears viable for the long term. Click here to continue reading.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Former U.S. senators find common ground on health IT
WASHINGTON – Two former U.S. senators, one a Republican, the other a Democrat, do not have to cross the aisle to work together. Tom Daschle, the Democrat who represented South Dakota from 1987 to 2005, and Bob Bennett, the Republican who represented Utah from 1993 to 2011, pretty much see eye to eye these days – at least on the subject of health information technology. Healthcare information technology is a topic that is front and center at the Bipartisan Policy Center, which was founded by Daschle along with other former senators – George Mitchell, Bob Dole and Howard Baker. Bennett joined the center as a senior fellow this past February. [See also: Daschle withdraws from nomination for HHS Secretary.] On April 26, Daschle and Bennett joined the nation’s new healthcare IT chief Farzad Mostashari, MD, on a panel that explored the challenges of converting the nation’s healthcare system from one that is mired in paper to one that is digital and interoperable. Daschle described the U.S. healthcare system today as one that is not a system at all. “We have a marketplace and a collage of systems,” he said. “What we have is a 21st century operating room and a 19th century administrative room,” he told an audience gathered at the nation’s capital to hear the three men speak. Daschle said there are too many “stovepipes” in healthcare. It’s hard to find the right data at the right time, he said, and healthcare is the least transparent of all the sectors of the economy. “If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it,’ he said. On the fix-it end of it, Daschle sounded hopeful. “We are at the most transformational time in our nation’s history as it comes to health,” he said. Click here to continue reading.
Friday, April 15, 2011
HealthGrades launches new physician portal
DENVER – HealthGrades, a website for patients researching and selecting physicians, announced Wednesday the launch of a new Web-based tool that empowers physicians and practice administrators to take control of their online reputation. The free, secure Web application encourages ongoing physician engagement to verify and modify the information HealthGrades makes public in more than 750,000 online physician profiles. The HealthGrades Physician & Provider Portal is being officially unveiled at this week’s American Medical Group Association (AMGA) annual conference in Washington D.C. “As a physician, I understand the professional challenge doctors face in managing online information,” said Rick May, MD, HealthGrades vice president, accelerated clinical excellence. “But public reporting is here to stay and will likely only increase in scope. It is time physicians leveraged the power of the Web to benefit their patients and their practice. As the most heavily trafficked physician search site, HealthGrades is uniquely positioned to help.” HealthGrades’ enhanced Portal is designed to enable physicians to take control of their online reputation, offering them the opportunity to respond publicly to patient satisfaction ratings, and assisting doctors in actively attracting the most appropriate patients. For example, adding customized and detailed information about medical areas of expertise, and a brief description of practice style helps patients better match with the right physician who meets their specific needs and expectations. Click here to continue reading.
Friday, March 25, 2011
California Connects aims to put 61,000 people online
SACRAMENTO, CA – California Connects, a federally funded program designed to increase broadband access among underserved communities for improved access to resources like healthcare information, celebrated its official launch Wednesday at American River College in Sacramento. Officials said the debut of the program marks the start of a multi-year effort to address California's digital divide and help increase the number of broadband Internet users throughout the state by more than 61,000 people. [See also: Obama gives HIT the nod in State of the Union speech.] California Connects will involve intensive training and outreach to expand Internet usage in communities that still have limited access, with an emphasis on the Central Valley, where there is still a high concentration of residents not using the Internet. The program aims to provide thousands of underserved Californians with online tools and training to enhance their lifelong learning ability, improve their economic and healthcare status and advance their general quality of life. [See also: Studies: Health IT has big impact on rural and minority communities.] California Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (11th District) joined California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott, Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brice Harris, and Foundation for California Community Colleges President Paul Lanning to commemorate the launch of the program, made possible by a $10.9 million grant from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Click here to continue reading.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Health IT boosts Indiana's patient care, economy
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana's health IT sector, which includes more than 72 growing technologies, along with health plans, life sciences companies, academic institutions, philanthropic organizations and state government, have bolstered healthcare and the economy of the state, according to a new report. The report, From Dishwashers to Digital Medical Records – Indiana's Leadership in Health Information Technology, from BioCrossroads, Indiana's initiative for investment, development and advancement of the state's signature life sciences strengths, was released Feb. 22 at HIMSS11 in Orlando. The BioCrossroads report lists 72 startups, 2,500 workers, and $202 million in company revenues as three new ways to measure the progress of Indiana's health information technology innovation cluster. It defines, for the first time, the HIT cluster as a specific sector of life sciences economic activity in Indiana, analyzing core assets and documenting a decade-long story of steady growth. Click here to continue reading.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
CGI delivers Medicaid EHR solution to Texas HHS
FAIRFAX, VA – CGI Group Inc. announced yesterday that it has delivered a turnkey Medicaid Electronic Health Record solution to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission that will allow the state to be one of the first in the nation to qualify for federal Medicaid EHR incentive payments. The package which encompasses both IT and business services includes a provider portal, call center support, provider verifications and payment distribution and the development of the provider appeals process. Call center support and business services will be provided by CGI’s office in Troy, Mich., while the IT and technology protion of the contract will be hosted in Phoenix. “CGI’s solution allows Texas to be one of the first states in the country to enable eligible providers and hospitals to receive Medicaid EHR incentive payments in 2011,” said Holli Ploog, vice president with CGI. “Our Medicaid Incentive360 offering meets the program’s complex requirements and staffing needs, while providing accountability and control through service level agreements and reporting.” CGI is delivering its solution via the state’s claims administrator, the Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership. The two-year contract is valued at $8 million and includes three option years. Click here to continue reading. Follow this link to learn more.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
IT used to score top states in emergency preparedness
Here is a recent article about healthcare statistics: WASHINGTON – In a report that found states are showing the highest scores ever for health emergency preparedness, health IT is seen as a major indicator. Experts, however, caution that in order for states to close the gap on existing vulnerabilities an "ongoing investment to rebuild and modernize our public health system" is required. The eighth annual study, Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, was released by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. States received one point for achieving an indicator or zero points if they did not achieve the indicator. The data for the indicators are from publicly available sources or were provided from public officials. State preparedness scores: Click here to learn more.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Dell posts big Q3, credits healthcare business
ROUND ROCK, TX – Dell's profits more than doubled in the third quarter and its revenue was up 19 percent, thanks in part to continued growth of the computer maker's healthcare operations. Dell reported Thursday that, for the quarter ended Oct. 29, its income was $822 million – up from $337 million for the same period last year. Revenue, meanwhile, grew to $15.4 billion from $12.9 billion. (Year to date, the company’s revenue has grown 21 percent to $45.8 billion.) In a statement, Dell executives credited its strong role as a provider to the healthcare industry – specifically citing implementations at the Methodist Hospital in Houston and Western Maryland Health Systems in Cumberland, Md. In addition, Dell touted its precence internationally – such as its work helping the Songjiang Hospital in Shanghai to implement EMR systems and diagnostic image transfers. "Our strong results demonstrate that we are listening to customers and delivering what they want," said Chairman and CEO Michael Dell. "It validates that our strategy to offer choice and efficiency at every level of the IT enterprise computing stack is taking hold, and we are more focused than ever to being a true partner – not merely a provider – to our customers. Dell is growing in the right areas, and I’m very excited about our momentum." Click here to learn more.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tackling the EMR with planning and preloading
PORTLAND, MAINE – There is about a 50 percent failure rate for electronic medical record implementations, and most of those failures stem from poor planning and preparation, said a family physician who spoke at a regional extension center (REC) forum held for providers in Maine. Scott Patch, MD, practices in Yarmouth, Maine, and is part of a multi-specialty medical group called InterMed P.A., which has been using an EMR for about five years and is considered a “paperless” environment. Patch says when a practice is considering moving to an EMR the whole organization has to “buy-in.” In other words, everyone has to be onboard – even staff at check out. There is a “redistribution of work” said Patch. "There is going to be more and new work. For us it was our check out staff that required more training, The hardest part is maintaining good communication, said Patch. That is why it is important to identify a plan and choose a physician champion. “There is nothing more powerful” than choosing another doctor for this role, as doctors tend to listen to other doctors, he said. Part of an EMR plan is assessing what your practice does and doesn’t do well, said Patch. “The EHR represents a fundamental change to the way the office handles the movement of patients and information,” he added. Click here to continue reading.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
New program rewards top care from NYC docs
Here is a great article some new programs: NEW YORK – The Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3) and the New York City Health Department's Primary Care Information Project have partnered to develop a program to recognize physicians who deliver high-value primary care to adult patients in New York City. The Adult Primary Care Recognition Program will help clinicians identify patients who need chronic care management and preventive services such as cholesterol management and blood pressure control – and encourage the doctors to take an active approach to treatment. Officials say the impact could be substantial, given the estimated 25 percent of New York City residents who suffer from hypertension, with less than half having their blood pressure under adequate control. By keeping people well, a key goal of this new program is to cut preventable hospitalization by 17 percent, reducing overall medical expenses in New York City significantly. "There are substantial avoidable costs associated with the management of chronic conditions," said Laurel Pickering, executive director of the New York Business Group on Health, a coalition of employer purchasers. "By reducing preventable complications incurred by most patients, we could considerably improve the health of employees and at the same time save employers billions of dollars." Click here to read more.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
HealthPartners to Study EMR Use for Decreasing Heart Risk
BLOOMINGTON, MN – A HealthPartners Research Foundation team has received a National Institutes of Health research grant to develop and implement an electronic health record-based clinical decision support system to help reduce patients' risk of heart attack or stroke.
The team, which is led by Patrick O'Connor, MD, senior clinical investigator at HealthPartners Research Foundation, was awarded $3.7 million to conduct the five-year study, "Prioritized Clinical Decision Support to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk."
"This is the next generation of personalizing care with decision support that's meaningful to care providers and patients," said O'Connor, who is also an assistant medical director at HealthPartners Medical Group. "HealthPartners Medical Group physicians and clinics have been pioneers in this area and this new project will likely lead to further improvements in care for thousands of patients."
The team, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, will engineer a point-of-care system that identifies and prioritizes evidence-based treatment options for patients at moderate to high risk for a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. With HealthPartners physicians, they will test its effect on risk in a randomized trial that includes 18 primary care clinics, 60 primary care physicians and 18,000 patients.
If successful, this approach will reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke for about 35 percent of adults in the United States and maximize the clinical return on investment for electronic health record systems. It could also be a model for using electronic health record technology to deliver personalized medicine in primary care settings.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Poll: public isn't budging much on their attitudes about health IT
NORWALK, CT – Less than one in 10 American adults use electronic medical records or e-mail their doctor, according to a new Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll.
Nearly half of respondents of the poll, which was conducted among 2,035 U.S. adults online from June 8-10, weren't even sure if their physician offered these technologies.
The majority of those polled said they would like their doctors to access their medical records online, but only about a third (30 percent) believe their insurer should have the same access.
Overall, "the general public only has a vague idea, only a very limited understanding, of what all this is about," reasoned Humphrey Taylor, chairman of the Harris Poll, a service of Harris Interactive.
The poll results show that despite the Obama administration's campaign to expand the use of health information technology, public attitudes toward electronic medical records haven't budged much over the past few years.
In 2009, 78 percent of adults indicated that they "strongly" or "somewhat" agree that doctors should have access to their electronic medical records. In 2007, 80 percent were in agreement on physicians' access to those records.
The polls also shows that patients' use of various electronic functions remains very low. Only nine percent can communicate with their doctors by e-mail, up from four percent in 2006. Eight percent can schedule a doctor's visit online, up from three percent, and eight percent can get diagnostic test results by e-mail, up from two percent in 2006.
A little more than a quarter (28 percent) of those polled thought their doctor used electronic medical records, but 42 percent said they didn't know if their primary care physician had the technology.
According to experts, consumers remain skeptical about the inappropriate use of health information stored and accessed electronically.
"Ideally, the government only allows 'covered entities' access to your entire health history, called your 'personal health information,'" said Erin Stevenson, a digital health-care consultant at Redwood Medical Consulting in Bayside, Calif. But the law is vague and full of loopholes, he explained.
Yet Stevenson doesn't think consumer skepticism will impede wider use of the technology. In the end, he said, the technology "makes moving around a city, state, or changing doctors much easier," and it allows doctors to make quicker and better informed decisions.
But, as of now, Americans don't seem to appreciate the benefits of having their intimate health details stored in a computer vs. stowed away in file folders scattered across multiple doctors' offices, Taylor said.
"The policy wonks talk very persuasively about all of the improvements in quality that come from having a complete electronic medical record," he observed, but "that case has not really been made effectively to the public."
The survey also revealed regional differences, with more people in the West (35 percent) saying their primary-care doctor uses an electronic medical record than in other regions.
But with less than a tenth of American adults using electronic medical records, "the numbers are still very small," said Taylor, suggesting that the electronic "revolution" in healthcare is still in its infancy. But the numbers in some cases have doubled, and he expects that trend to accelerate over time.
"There's no question; it's the future," Taylor said. "The question is 'How quickly do we get there?'"
Monday, April 26, 2010
EMRs at work at Detroit marathon
The study is believed to be the first time researchers have evaluated the viability of using electronic medical records for injury management and surveillance during a marathon, according to Christopher Guyer, MD, athletic medicine physician at Henry Ford Hospital and lead author of the study. Volunteer medical providers at the 2009 Detroit Free Press Marathon coordinated care for the 19,372 participants via laptops and a Web site.
Among the benefits of using an electronic medical record system were:
All medical team members were able to coordinate patient care in real time with other medical providers and hospitals.
Race organizers and staff could quickly assist families in locating injured marathon participants or spectators along the route.
Researchers will have data available to them that should improve the ability to identify trends in injury patterns and as such, improve the preparation for future mass participation events.
"Our study showed implementing an electronic medical record method in a mass participation setting is quite feasible and could eventually provide a wealth of data for study of injury trends," Guyer said. "It could also help medical providers better prepare for future large sporting events."
According to Running USA, a non-profit organization for the running industry, approximately 467,000 Americans complete a marathon each year, and with rising interest in the sport, has come the increased need for coordinated event coverage by qualified medical providers.
Guyer said that in preparation for the Detroit Free Press Marathon, an information technologist with the state's Medical Biodefense Network created a secure patient intake form and event log, accessible on the Internet. The form included basic demographic data for marathon participants and spectators, as well as fields for complaint, exam, treatment and disposition data. All patient information was stored on a secure server and patient confidentiality was maintained as records reflected race bib numbers or unique identifiers generated by the application.
Medical providers from Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Medical Center were able to access the Web site by using a unique username and password, and with one training session were able to use the system easily, Guyer said.
During the marathon, military-grade mobile laptop computers equipped with cellular data cards were issued to medical providers. One laptop was located at each remote first aid station and one was at the main medical coordination center. An electronic event board was also available in the coordination center, viewable by medical command staff. The equipment was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Hospital Preparedness Program.
"Data from the 216 runners and spectators who sought medical attention was entered in real time by medical providers and was immediately viewable by other providers on the network of aid stations," Guyer said.
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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
'Dream team' could lead healthcare IT strategy
At least that's the assessment of Kerry Weems, who spent 25 years in senior roles at the Health and Human Services Department and was acting administrator of CMS from Sept. 2007 until the Obama administration took over.
"I think that's exactly the kind of team you need to drive results with health IT and not just drive the money out the door," said Weems, now senior vice president for health strategy at Vangent, a provider of information and business process services.
Berwick is a strong proponent of evidence-based medicine, while Blumenthal is leading the campaign to direct the use of health IT in ways that would yield scientifically relevant data on healthcare treatment and practices. The White House confirmed on Wednesday that President Obama would nominate Berwick, a Harvard health policy professor and a pediatrician, to take the reins of CMS. Berwick is also president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a not-for-profit organization that strives to improve healthcare quality worldwide.
If confirmed by the Senate, Berwick will become CMS' first permanent administrator since 2006. Charlene Frizzera has been acting administrator since January.
History of public advocacy
Berwick has a long history of research, public advocacy of patient safety, science and evidence-based medicine, Weems said.
CMS has a critical role in carrying out the health reform law. Medicaid, the agency's program for low-income households, will expand health coverage for millions more Americans in 2014. The agency must also phase in billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare, the insurance program for seniors, without diminishing the program over the next 10 years.
More immediately, CMS will direct about $25 billion in payment incentives to qualified physicians and hospitals that become meaningful users of electronic health records starting in 2011 as called for by the stimulus law.
The expected Berwick nomination may follow the logic that led to the choice of Mark McClellan, MD, a physician and academic and the most recent permanent CMS administrator, Weems said.
McClellan was nominated following the passage of "fairly sweeping" Medicare modernization legislation and held that position from 2004 until 2006, Weems noted. When leading a large organization like CMS, the administrator or the deputy administrator has to have strong executive skills, Weems said. In addition to being an academic and physician, Berwick has experience as an executive leading a healthcare improvement organization.
Marilyn Tavenner, the CMS principal deputy administrator, also has strong management and executive skills, he said. She was previously Virginia's health secretary.
If confirmed, Berwick faces an extremely challenging first couple of years, Weems said. "That's a very big job in normal times. And these are extraordinary times."
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Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunny Outlook for Small Practice EMR Adoption, Meaningful Use Cloudy
Cambridge, Mass.-based NaviNet, America's largest real-time healthcare communications network, conducted the survey via email earlier this month, targeting physician practices with 10 or fewer physicians. The survey generated 269 responses.
NaviNet compared its March 2010 survey with one conducted in August 2009 and found that EMR implementation was higher than expected among this segment. In 2009, only nine percent of respondents from provider practices with 10 or fewer physicians reported that they planned to implement EMRs within the next six months. Six months later in 2010, 12 percent are currently implementing.
EMR PLANS UP
The survey found that 17 percent of respondents say their offices will implement a new EMR by end of 2011. Of those, 68 percent will do so within the next 12 months. If EMR adoption follows previous growth rates, the industry can expect an even higher percentage of practices implementing EMRs than predicted, NaviNet projects.
The percentage of respondents with no plans to implement an EMR has decreased significantly, the survey found. In 2009, 31 percent reported they had no plans to implement EMR. In 2010, only 21 percent say the same.
ADOPTION DRIVERS
The NaviNet survey indicates that nearly twice as many provider offices' IT buying decisions are driven by concern about not being reimbursed versus the potential to earn incentives.
In 2010, when respondents were asked what external factors were influencing their offices' decisions about changes to technology, 53 percent said CMS mandates––a 14 percent spike over 2009.
Administrative concerns continue to be a pressing issue for providers, more so than clinical concerns or potential financial incentives. Nearly the same percentage of respondents in 2009 and 2010 cited the need to manage their practices' administrative overhead more effectively as a driver behind IT adoption––44 percent in 2009, 45 percent in 2010.
The survey results show that the opportunity to receive incentives from ARRA after meeting the CMS criteria for "meaningful use" of technology is becoming more important; in just six months the percentage of respondents that said ARRA was driving technology adoption more than doubled––12 percent in 2009 to 27 percent in 2010.
MEANINGFUL USE
That said, the survey found that in 2010 most practices are still unsure or unaware of meaningful use reporting requirements and nearly half of practices say ARRA will not impact their technology buying decisions:
* Only about one quarter (26 percent) of respondents said that they plan on following CMS' guidelines for meaningful use to qualify for incentive payments provided by ARRA;
* More than 60 percent (63 percent) said they were unaware or unsure of what the meaningful use reporting requirements are; and
* Nearly half of respondents (48 percent) said that meaningful use requirements will not impact their EMR buying decisions.
"The NaviNet survey results are encouraging, as they suggest that small physician practices are getting more serious about HIT adoption," said Brad Waugh, president and CEO of NaviNet. " Furthermore, it is also encouraging to see federal incentive programs having more of an impact on IT adoption. However, it is clear that opportunities remain for education about how to meet Federal requirements. Providers would benefit from knowing that a wide variety of IT solutions, in addition to EMRs, will satisfy their office's business requirements and also the clinical criteria for Meaningful Use. Many physicians already have these solutions in their offices—so additional investment could be minimal or unnecessary."
ADOPTION BARRIERS
In 2010, nearly 50 percent of NaviNet survey respondents said that cost remains the biggest barrier to EMR adoption. Other barriers cited by respondents were:
* Forty-six percent of physicians said they are not ready to pursue adoption;
* Twenty-seven percent of practices say they do not need an EMR; and
* Twenty-six percent of practices do not how they will achieve return on investment.
Click here to view graphs from the study.
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Monday, March 22, 2010
House Votes Healthcare Overhaul into Law, Promotes Health IT
The House also approved a package of changes to the Senate bill. Effectively, the bill approved Sunday night by the House will be signed into law as early as Tuesday, and will be law until the Senate votes on the change package.
The bill now goes to the Senate for a final vote this week. Experts said Republicans will try to find loopholes for blocking the bill, but Senate and House Democrats agreed to the changes in negotiations prior to Sunday night. Democrat leaders expect the bill to make the final hurdle with enough votes.
The House approved the Senate bill 219 to 212 with no Republican votes. Thirty-four Democrats voted against the bill.
According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the new law will make healthcare coverage available to the 32 million Americans who currently do not have it, establish healthcare exchanges where Americans can purchase healthcare insurance at a lower rate, and "will hold health insurance companies accountable."
The House package of changes stripped the law of deals cut in the Senate that would give some states more Medicaid funding than others.
Estimates made by the Congressional Budget Office last week said the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $143 billion through 2019.
Shortly after the vote President Barack Obama addressed the American people from the White House. "This is what change looks like," he said.
Obama called the new law "major reform, not radical reform."
"Tonight's vote is not a victory for any one party," he said. "It's a victory for the American people and for common sense."
The president is expected to launch a nationwide tour soon to educate Americans about the reform.
The turning point Sunday came as House leaders found a way to quell conservative Democrats' fears over federal spending on abortion. The president announced Sunday he would be issue an executive order after the passage of the law, to reaffirm its consistency with longstanding restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion.
Republicans argued that the executive order would not be enough to ensure that federal funding will not be used for abortion.
Provider organizations weighed in after the vote, praising the reform.
Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association called the vote "a historic and long overdue step" that will make "a real difference in lives of millions of Americans."
"Healthcare is at a tipping point and the shortcomings within our health care system can no longer be ignored," Umbdenstock said.
Mandy Krauthamer Cohen, executive director of Doctors for America said the new law would expand the coordination of care and strengthen the physician workforce. "While no bill is perfect, I am hopeful today for the future of medicine because of the many ways this bill will improve healthcare in America," she said.
Groups that joined with Doctors for America in supporting the bill included the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Medical Student Association, American Medical Women's Association, American Muslim Health Professionals, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU Healthcare, Doctors Council SEIU, Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America, HIV Medicine Association, National Medical Association, National Physicians Alliance, National Physicians Alliance-New York, National Doctors Alliance/SEIU Healthcare, Nurse Alliance/SEIU Healthcare, Student National Medical Association, and United Nurses of America-AFSCME.
The American Medical Association called the new law "a step toward providing coverage to all Americans and improving our nation's health system."
"By extending health coverage to the vast majority of the uninsured, improving competition and choice in the insurance marketplace, promoting prevention and wellness, reducing administrative burdens, and promoting clinical comparative effectiveness research, this bill will help patients and their physicians," said J. James Rohack, MD, AMA president.
America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) President and CEO Karen Ignagni issued a warning. "The access expansions are a significant step forward, but this legislation will exacerbate the healthcare costs crisis facing many working families and small businesses," she said.
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