Washington Highlights: February
24, 2006
Contents
Prior Issues
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AAMC Signs American Competitiveness Initiative
Support Letter
The AAMC Feb. 23 signed a letter
to Congressional leadership supporting the American Competitiveness
Initiative (ACI), the President's proposal to increase support for
research and development in the physical sciences. The letter was
organized by the Coalition for National Science Funding and posits
that "the U.S. has led … in dramatic enhancements to quality
of life through breakthrough medical research and technologies,"
and that "an extraordinary number of them emanat[ed] from basic
research funded by the federal government." As such, endorsers
of the letter call for "an aggressive commitment by the federal
government to fund scientific research and education."
ACI proposes a doubling over ten years of the budgets for the National
Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), and the Department of Energy's Office of Science,
as well as funding for math and science education programs, and
increased tax incentives for research and development [see Washington
Highlights, Feb.
17].
Other associations signing the letter include the American Dental
Association, the National Science Teachers Association, and the
American Chemical Society. Recipients include Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.),
House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
(R-Ill.).
Information:
Tannaz Rasouli , Legislative Analyst
AAMC Office of Governmental Relations
trasouli@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
HHS Issues HIPAA Simplification Final Rule
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Feb. 16 issued
a final rule, "Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Administrative
Simplification: Enforcement" (71
Federal Register 8390). When HIPAA is violated, the law
calls for the imposition of penalties of not more than $100 per
violation, with the total not exceeding $25,000 per calendar year.
The final rule sets out the way in which civil money penalties will
be imposed on entities that have violated HIPAA.
It also amends existing rules about the investigation of noncompliance
so that these rules apply to all HIPAA Administrative Simplification
rules, not just to the privacy rules. Lastly, the rule clarifies
the investigation process, bases for liability, determination of
the penalty amount, grounds for waiver, conduct of the hearing,
and the appeal process. The effective date is March 16, 2006.
Information:
Ivy Baer, Director & Regulatory Counsel
AAMC Health Care Affairs
ibaer@aamc.org
(202) 828-0490
Susan Ehringhaus, Sr. Director & Regulatory Counsel
AAMC Biomedical Health Sciences Research
sehringhaus@aamc.org
(202) 828-0543
AHRQ Launches Health IT Web Site
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Feb. 13 launched
a Web
site of learning resources designed to help health care providers
adopt health information technologies quickly and effectively. This
newest phase of the AHRQ National Resource Center on Health Information
Technology allows the agency to rapidly convey the lessons learned
through AHRQ-funded projects and other sources.
AHRQ's $166 million health IT initiative funds more than 100 projects
throughout the nation, in settings ranging from large health plans
and hospitals to small practices, including rural and inner city
communities. The President's FY 2007 budget proposes another $50
million to be directed to AHRQ to continue these efforts.
Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt
has made advancing health IT a major initiative,
including increasing the use of electronic health records and information
to control costs and reduce medical errors.
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