In the world of healthcare information technology, it is extremely important to be familiar with IT rules and regulations, as they affect how you design your systems to stay in compliance with the law. Here are 3 of the most important acts for healthcare IT professionals to be familiar with in order to remain compliant.
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is divided into five titles. HIPAA Title I ensures and enhances insurance access, portability, and renewability. Title II focuses on preventing healthcare fraud, administrative simplification, and protecting the privacy and confidentiality of patient records or any other patient identifiable information in any media form. HIPAA Titles III, IV, and V are about the various regulatory agencies that play a role in the American health care delivery and financing. These titles include Tax-related Health Provisions, Application and Enforcement of Group Health Insurance Requirements, and Revenue Offsets. The main purpose of this federal statute was to help consumers maintain their insurance coverage. For more information regarding HIPAA, read our previous blogs on the act.
HITECH
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law on February 17, 2009 in order to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. This healthcare IT legislation accelerated the use and adoption of EHR systems among healthcare providers. The purpose of HITECH is to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare, to engage patients in their care, to increase the coordination of care, and to improve the health status of the population. For more on HITECH standards and requirements, check out our previous blog on the 2009 act.
MACRA
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is a part of U.S. healthcare legislation that provided a new framework for reimbursing clinicians who successfully demonstrate value over volume in patient care. The act includes the Quality Payment Program, a resource that allows doctors to provide the best care possible by allowing them to choose how they want to participate in the program based on practice size, specialty, location, etc. The Quality Payment Program includes two tracks to choose from: Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) or the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). IT systems can help track and report necessary MARCA quality data.
Healthcare IT with Integracon
When it comes to healthcare IT, we have experience helping many of our clients with remote healthcare communication services and more. For more information on how we can help you in the healthcare industry, visit Integracon.
