February 10th 2025
New York’s licensure rules can complicate cross-state medical practice with potential widespread professional repercussions.
Democrats relaunch health IT legislation
February 9th 2007Congress is seeing renewed activity on the health IT front. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-MA) is about to introduce two revised bills in that area, including one that would give physicians financial incentives to build personal health records for their patients (iHealthBeat, Jan. 30, 2007). The other measure, which Kennedy is reintroducing with Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), would promote health data networks and help physicians modernize their practices.
Stark raving mad: the red tape keeps on rolling
October 27th 2006In the absence of countervailing action from an election-crazed Congress, the new federal rules allowing hospitals to help physicians acquire health IT went into effect Oct. 10. Under the new exception to the Stark self-referral law and a new safe harbor to the Anti-Kickback Law, hospitals and group practices can donate up to 85 percent of the value of EHRs, e-prescribing systems, and technical support to physicians under certain conditions (Medical Economics, "Feds to hospitals: It's OK to help docs get IT," Aug. 18, 2006).