OCR issues final modifications to the HIPAA privacy, security, breach notification and enforcement rules to implement the HITECH Act *

USA - February 20 2013
On January 25, 2013, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a final rule (Final Rule)…

Co-authors: Edward G. Zacharias, Jennifer S. Geetter, Amy Hooper Kearbey, Daniel F. Gottlieb, Ryan S. Higgins.

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ONC issues revised certification criteria for EHR technology used to earn incentive payments *

USA - September 18 2012
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology coordinated its September 4, 2012, release of the 2014 Edition Electronic Health Record (EHR) Certification Criteria with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ release on the same day of updated meaningful use (MU) criteria for eligible providers to demonstrate MU and earn EHR incentive payments under Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs

Co-authors: Randall J. Ortman, Jean Marie R. Pechette, Daniel F. Gottlieb.

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CMS seeks improved quality of care, patient engagement through Stage 2 meaningful use criteria *

USA - September 13 2012
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published the final rule establishing the Stage 2 meaningful use criteria of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs

Co-authors: Randall J. Ortman, Jean Marie R. Pechette, Daniel F. Gottlieb.

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Groundbreaking legislation on property tax and sales tax exemptions for Illinois hospitals *

USA - June 14 2012
Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn just signed into law a comprehensive and groundbreaking legislative package that significantly changes the criteria for establishing and maintaining property tax exemptions and sales tax exemptions for Illinois not-for-profit hospitals and their affiliates.

Co-authors: Kerrin B. Slattery, Gerald M. Offutt.

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CMS to extend timetable for implementation of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act *

USA - May 7 2012
On December 19, 2011, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule to implement the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which was included as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Co-authors: Jennifer S. Geetter, Joan Polacheck, Glenn Engelmann.

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