Improving Health Information Technology Act

Summary

Improving Health Information Technology Act This bill amends the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) reduce regulatory burdens relating to electronic health records (EHR), (2) publish statistics for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, and (3) establish an index of digital contact information to encourage exchange of health information. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to: (1) encourage, keep, or recognize the certification of health information technology (IT) for use in medical specialties; and (2) issue guidance and convene stakeholders regarding the secure exchange of electronic health information. HHS must develop a rating system for health IT. Health IT with a low rating must be improved by the developer or decertified. A provider whose adopted health IT is decertified is exempt from certain penalties. The bill sets forth requirements for health IT, certification criteria, and health IT developers. Developers of health IT and providers may be penalized for engaging in information blocking. The ONC, in coordination with the HHS Office for Civil Rights, must: (1) encourage partnerships between health information exchanges and others to offer patients access to their electronic health information; (2) educate providers on health information exchanges; (3) issue guidance to health information exchanges on best practices, and (4) ensure patient access to health information in a convenient form. HHS, in consultation with the ONC, must promote policies to facilitate patient communication with providers. The HHS Office for Civil Rights must assist individuals and health care providers in understanding a patient's rights regarding their health information.

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Documents

6 official files

• Reported to Senate (text)

  Reported to Senate · EN · 5 April 2016

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• Reported to Senate (PDF)

  Reported to Senate · EN · 5 April 2016

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• Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 5 April 2016

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• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 8 February 2016

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• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 8 February 2016

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 8 February 2016

  Open at official source

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