HIT Over The Next 5 Years

In this podcast, Jim Mechan, senior VP of corporate compliance with Emdeon, outlines the regulations and incentives that will converge to impact the health IT industry over the next 5 years. Areas of focus include HIPAA 5010, the HITECH Act, and EHR meaningful use.

When asked what's been driving recent changes to healthcare policy, Mechan responded, "Healthcare costs and their impact on state and federal budgets are the major driver for policy changes. Forty six states face fiscal year 2011 budget shortfalls, and at least 18 of those face shortfalls of 20% or more. And, Medicare trust fund reserves are projected to be exhausted by 2029. By 2019, national healthcare spending is expected to reach $4.5T - representing 19.3% of the GDP."