Headlines about "Technology"
Gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com.
[Guidance Overview] Prominent Provisions of the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act
Excerpt: "The Secretary of Labor is provided new enforcement authority. It may impose a penalty against the plan sponsor or issuer for failure to meet the requirements of ERISA §§ 701 and 702 regarding genetic information and discrimination. The permissive penalty is $100 per day for each participant or beneficiary to whom the failure applies. If the failure is discovered by the Secretary before it is corrected, however, a minimum penalty of at least $2,500 per person shall apply (or, where the violations have been more than de minimis, at least $15,000 per person shall apply)." (Deloitte)
[Guidance Overview] Congress Passes Legislation Prohibiting Genetic Discrimination by Health Plans and Employers
Excerpt: "The legislation amends the HIPAA portability rules in ERISA, the PHSA, and the Code, adding new provisions regarding genetic information that will apply to group health plans and insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage, as well as provisions for insurance issuers in the individual market. It also requires amendments to the HIPAA privacy regulations and prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of genetic information." (Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA))
Kaiser Completes National Installation of Outpatient Electronic Health Record System
Excerpt: "Kaiser Permanente said Monday that all of its 8.7 million enrollees in nine states and the District of Columbia have access to HealthConnect, an outpatient electronic health record Kaiser says is the world's largest privately funded EHR." (San Francisco Business Times via bizjournals.com; free registration required)
[Guidance Overview] Side-by-Side Comparisons of Current and 'HIPAA 2' EDI Standards Posted on CMS Website
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Health plans are required to comply with the EDI standards that apply to all covered entities, as well as some additional requirements specific to health plans. Covered entities (including health plans) and their business associates may find the side-by-side comparisons helpful in assessing the potential impact of the HIPAA 2 changes." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)
Gingrich Urges Switch to Electronic Medical Records
Excerpt: "'It's been a very great disappointment that the administration has not proposed to go to 100 percent electronic health records,' Gingrich said yesterday. . . . He said Congress could have paid for such a changeover with the money now being directed to the subprime mortgage loan bailout. During a wide-ranging speech, he likened the changes in the medical industry to Major League Baseball, which in recent years has increasingly focused on using data to make personnel decisions." (The Baltimore Sun)
Microsoft Says Web 2.0 Essential to Helping Consumers Take Control of Their Health Care
Excerpt: "Microsoft says Web 2.0 is the technology that will help consumers take control of their health care and health information. [Attendees were told] at Microsoft's Health & Life Sciences Developer and Solutions Conference . . . that Web 2.0 technologies moved information out of isolated silos and into interlinked community computing platforms that function like software for users." (eWeek.com)
Microsoft Explains HealthVault Strategy
Excerpt: "With comparisons to both Microsoft's Xbox platform and the PayPal online payment platform, Microsoft aims to correct common misperceptions about its HealthVault platform. . . . HealthVault . . . aggregates personal health information, but allows consumers to control access to the information along with the sharing of their own health information. HealthVault also enables consumers to collaborate with caregivers and connect to new sources of health information." (eWeek)
[Opinion] Individual Control of Sensitive Health Information Accessible Via the Nationwide Health Information Network for Purposes of Treatment (PDF)
11 pages. Excerpt: "This letter recommends that you adopt a policy for the [Nationwide Health Information Network] to allow individuals to have limited control, in a uniform manner, over the disclosure of certain sensitive health information for purposes of treatment. The discussion and recommendations that follow are based on several critical considerations: protecting patients' legitimate concerns about privacy and confidentiality, fostering trust and encouraging participation in the NHIN in order to promote opportunities to improve patient care, and protecting the integrity of the health care system." (National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics)
New Democrat Coalition, New York City Officials Announce Proposal for Federal Health Care IT Program
Excerpt: "Members of the New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday announced a proposal that would use a New York City health care information technology program as a legislative template for a federal program, CQ HealthBeat reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Internet Health Records: Convenience at a Cost?
Excerpt: "There are Web sites that allow you to keep information about your medical treatment online, where you and your doctor can access it easily. An article in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday asks if electronic medical records are the next big thing in health care. The answer? When it comes to keeping these records yourself, it depends." (Morning Edition via National Public Radio)
Warning on Storage of Health Records
Excerpt: "In an article in The New England Journal of Medicine, two leading researchers warn that the entry of big companies like Microsoft and Google into the field of personal health records could drastically alter the practice of clinical research and raise new challenges to the privacy of patient records." (The New York Times; free registration required)
Research Studies Demonstrate Benefits of Health IT on Patients
Excerpt: "New data from 11 research studies conducted by the Center for Connected Health in Boston demonstrate that connected health technologies can help patients manage their care, Healthcare IT News reports." (California HealthCare Foundation; free registration may be required)
CMS Issues Final Rule on Electronic-Prescribing Standards Under Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
Excerpt: "The rule establishes standards for the electronic transmission of information of the medications covered under the Medicare prescription drug plans of beneficiaries and the availability of generic versions of those treatments. The standards allow physicians and other health care providers, as well as pharmacies and Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors, to share information about medications taken by beneficiaries. In addition, the standards allow pharmacies to inform physicians and other providers when patients obtain their prescriptions. The rule does not require physicians, pharmacies and other providers to adopt e-prescribing to participate in Medicare." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Insurers Look at Virtual Visits to Doctor
Excerpt: "Aetna Inc., one of Philadelphia's dominant insurers, and Cigna Corp., which is based here, have announced that they will pay for doctors' visits on the Web. Aetna expanded a pilot program in California, Florida and Washington to the rest of the country on Jan 1. Cigna will start paying in January." (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Insurers Pay for Web-Based Physician Visits
Excerpt: "Health insurers Aetna and Cigna have announced that they will pay for online physician visits, and patients will be required to contribute a copayment for the visits, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Alliance Seeks Public Comment to Define Six Health Care IT Terms
Excerpt: "The alliance's network workgroup is considering definitions for 'regional health information organization' and 'health information exchange,' while its records workgroup is considering definitions for 'electronic medical records,' 'electronic health records,' and 'personal health records' (Health Data Management, 3/25)." (California HealthCare Foundation; free registration may be required)
Employer Consortium Moves Forward with PHR Project
Excerpt: "Dossia, a not-for-profit consortium of eight large employers, is slowly moving forward with its plans to provide five million employees, dependents and retirees with personal health records, Health Data Management reports." (California HealthCare Foundation; free registration may be required)
Google Unveils Online Health Record Pilot Program
Excerpt: "Google and the Cleveland Clinic agreed to partner on a program to store patient health records online. The patients, who volunteered for the electronic transfer of their records, will be able to access their own records. Though all health profiles will be password-protected, critics have accused the program of raising more problems than it solves." (Search Engine News)
Pennsylvania Health Care Alliance Launches Web Site Providing Quality-of-Care Information for State Hospitals
Excerpt: "The site includes quality information for state hospitals on treatment of heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia and hospital-acquired infections during a certain year. According to the alliance, the four categories were chosen first because they are the most common and costly illnesses for hospitals to treat . . . ." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Kaiser and Microsoft Agree to Fund PHR Study
Excerpt: "Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Corp. have agreed to sponsor a study to determine the value of personal health records, conducted by the Center for Information Technology Leadership, the research center announced." (Modern Healthcare; free registration required)
Health Plans Developing Web-Based Personal Health Records to Allow Consumers to Manage Their Health
Excerpt: "Several large health plans have begun providing Web-based PHRs that give consumers powerful tools to manage their health. Coming soon, consumers will be able to keep tabs on the financial aspects of their medical care as well." (AISHealth.com)
[Official Guidance] IRS Requests Comments on Form 1099-R; No Changes Proposed (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "Written comments should be received on or before May 16, 2008 . . . Form 1099–R is used to report distributions from pensions, annuities, profit-sharing or retirement plans, IRAs, and the surrender of insurance contracts. This information is used by the IRS to verify that income has been properly reported by the recipient. . . . There are no changes being made to the form at this time. . . . Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents . . . ." (Internal Revenue Service)
Healthcare`s Prescription Is IT`s Headache
Excerpt: "Patients and caregivers are demanding more cutting-edge healthcare technology than ever before, but the support and administration tasks required for this new care model are challenging some hospitals." (eWEEK.com)
More Information About PHRs
Excerpt: "With hundreds of options, how do you choose a personal health record (PHR), assuming you're so inclined? Here are some suggestions." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
The Effort to Integrate Information Technology Into Personal Health Care
Excerpt: "Personal health records, or PHRs, were all the buzz at last week's health-tech conference in San Diego -- especially recent entries by Google and Microsoft that have the rest of the industry energized, focused and at least a little bit frightened." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
New Ways To Manage Health Data as Tech Giants Join the Push To Put Records Online
Excerpt: "Internet giants Microsoft and Google [are] developing sites that combine PHRs with search engines and other services. . . . The new capabilities raise the value of PHRs -- as well as the risk from breaches of privacy. And as the records sites grow in number and sophistication, privacy advocates are stepping up their warnings, especially about PHRs offered by health insurers." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
[Opinion] Individual Control of Sensitive Health Information Accessible Via the Nationwide Health Information Network (PDF)
11 pages. Excerpt: "This letter recommends that you adopt a policy for the NHIN to allow individuals to have limited control, in a uniform manner, over the disclosure of certain sensitive health information for purposes of treatment. The discussion and recommendations that follow are based on several critical considerations: protecting patients' legitimate concerns about privacy and confidentiality, fostering trust and encouraging participation in the NHIN in order to promote opportunities to improve patient care, and protecting the integrity of the health care system. Disclosures related to quality, billing, research, and other matters have been or will be addressed in other letters from the NCVHS." (National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics)
Georgia Senate Approves Bill That Would Create Web Site To Allow Comparison of Health Insurance Policies
Excerpt: "The Georgia Senate [last week] voted 42-12 to approve a bill (SB 404) that would create a Web site to allow consumers and business owners to compare and purchase health insurance products, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The bill, called the Georgia Health Marketplace Act, would allow people to compare deductibles, copayments, benefits and premiums. In addition, they could purchase a plan using pre-tax dollars." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
[Guidance Overview] 'Sixty Seconds of Privacy' an E-Newsletter - Storage of Individual Health Records
Excerpt: "Each edition of this e-newsletter addresses one interesting legal development in the area of privacy and data security, in a brief 'question and answer' format. Each edition is intended to be read in about a minute, yet will update you on an important development." (Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP)
Baltimore Sun Examines Physicians' Reluctance To Use EHRs
Excerpt: "Although electronic health records have been considered the 'Next Big Thing in health care' for the past two decades, 90% of U.S. physicians and more than two-thirds of U.S. hospitals continue to opt for paper records, the Baltimore Sun reports. David Merritt, director of the Center for Health Transformation, said, 'Health care is at least a generation behind the rest of society in terms of technology,' adding, 'Doctors and hospitals don't use the technology we take for granted everywhere else.'" (Kaiser Family Foundation)
The Retirement Plans Industry Outlook - A Preview
A summary of the outlook for plan providers and vendors in 2008. (Center for Due Diligence)
Google Releases Health Service Details
Excerpt: "Schmidt described the service as helping doctors and the increasing numbers of patients who use the Internet for their own medical research. He said surveys show more people trust what they find online than what they hear from physicians, and the service will give people control over their own health. For example, they will be able to store X-rays taken at any number of facilities all on one online account, accessible from any computer." (AP via The New York Times; free registration required)
A Bimonthly Look at State Innovations in Health Policy, February/March 2008
Excerpt: "Today, most states are actively promoting the use of information technology as a way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care. 'E-health' describes any health care practice supported by electronic processes and communication; state e-health initiatives include health information exchanges and use of technology such as telehealth, e-prescribing, electronic medical records, and decision support tools. States are encouraging e-health activities in the private sector and in a wide variety of public programs, from public health agencies, Medicaid, and state employee health benefits plans to state-run mental health hospitals and prison systems." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Firms of All Sizes Embrace Portals for Online Health Information, Personal Health Records
Excerpt: "Hospitals and doctors may not be adopting personal health records rapidly, but that hasn't stopped employers and individuals from embracing them. Some PHRs now are being paired with HR communication portals and online libraries of health information for workers." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
New Retirement System for Federal Employees Gets a Test Drive
Excerpt: "With RetireEZ, as the new system is called, the OPM will find it easier to provide benefits when they are first due and agency officials will find it easier to get the retirement claims process underway, Springer said. Employees also will find it easier to look at their retirement options, she said." (The Washington Post; free registration required)
Advisers Starting to Scrutinize Quality and Design of Investment Advice Tools
Excerpt: "If you or your clients offer individual investment advice to employees, you may be able to avoid some legal landmines down the road by monitoring and updating the tools that are used to calculate and produce the advice." (Employee Benefit Advisor; free registration required)
Creating Sustainable Local Health Information Exchanges - Can Barriers to Stakeholder Participation be Overcome?
Excerpt: "Findings from a study of stakeholder perspectives on participation in four HIEs by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) and the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation suggest, however, that barriers to achieving data exchange remain high. Concerns about loss of competitive advantage and data misuse impede provider and health plan willingness to contribute patient data. Additionally, uncertainty about who benefits from HIEs is affecting stakeholder willingness to fund the exchanges." (Center for Studying Health System Change)
HHS Advisory Group To Recommend Patient Control of EHRs
Excerpt: "The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, a high-level HHS advisory group, approved a policy letter recommending that the Nationwide Health Information Network allow patients to withhold or limit certain parts of their electronic health records, Government Health IT reports." (California HealthCare Foundation; free registration may be required)
[Guidance Overview] Electronic Delivery of Proxy Materials to Plan Participants
Excerpt: "If you sponsor an employee benefit plan that holds employer securities with pass-through voting rights, you may have received an alert from your plan provider recently. Plan providers are notifying employers of a potential conflict between new Securities and Exchange Commission electronic delivery rules for proxy materials and Department of Labor rules regarding electronic delivery of plan materials to participants." (Faegre & Benson LLP)
High Costs Drive Online Prescribing Push
Excerpt: "Motivated by mounting medical costs, lawmakers and executives are urging doctors to embrace a seemingly simple way to save billions of dollars a year: prescribe medications online. Officials in the public and private sectors say electronic prescriptions will make transactions more efficient, reduce medication errors and entice doctors to prescribe less expensive drugs." (AP via Yahoo! News)
U.S. Labor Department Unveils Online Resource to Help Americans Chart Retirement Finances
Nice! Excerpt: "The U.S. Department of Labor today released a new online resource that makes it easier for Americans to prepare for a financially secure retirement. A series of interactive worksheets were developed as a companion to a 2006 publication entitled 'Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning.' Using the worksheets, individuals who are 10 to 15 years from retirement can calculate their income and savings as well as their projected expenses in retirement." (Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor)
Google to Store Patients' Health Records
Excerpt: "Google Inc. will begin storing the medical records of a few thousand people as it tests a long-awaited health service that's likely to raise more concerns about the volume of sensitive information entrusted to the Internet search leader." (AP via National Public Radio)
Groups Push Electronic Prescription Technology to Curb Rising Health Costs
Excerpt: "Analysts say e-prescribing legislation has a good chance of becoming law this year. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said he supports a proposal that would help physicians purchase e-prescribing software, reward them each time they use the technology and penalize them if they have not adopted e-prescribing by 2011." (California HealthCare Foundation; free registration may be required)
Health IT Bill Hits House - Lawmakers Stress Privacy to Build Patient Confidence in Health Systems
Excerpt: "Hoping to bridge the gap between the call for national IT health care systems and privacy concerns, two lawmakers are promoting new legislation that would mandate user opt-in programs, encryption and breach notification. The Technologies for Restoring Users' Security and Trust (TRUST) in Health Information Act (H.R. 5442) would establish a public-private partnership to recommend health IT standards and criteria for exchanging electronic data and to encourage the creation of a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure." (eWeek.com)
State E-Health Activities in 2007: Findings from a State Survey
Excerpt: "States see e-health initiatives as high-priority; however, they and their private sector partners face significant challenges that accompany such initiatives, including the issues of cost and time required for implementation and for realizing a return on investment. Nevertheless, as reflected in the wide range of e-health activities across the states, a consensus has emerged that these policies and initiatives are significant and well worth the effort." (The Commonwealth Fund)
Health Care Reform Must Include Information Technology Support, Group Says
Excerpt: "The U.S. Congress needs to pass health-care IT legislation before private companies develop multiple systems that don't talk to each other, two advocacy groups say." (Washington Post; free registration required)
[Official Guidance] From PBGC: My PAA Planned Outage; e-4010 Planned Outage This Weekend
Excerpt: "My Plan Administration Account (My PAA), which is PBGC's premium e-filing application, will be unavailable from 7:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time) Friday, 2/22/2008, through 6:00 am (Eastern Standard Time) Sunday, 2/24/2008, for federally mandated system testing. [Also,] PBGC's e-4010 online application, which certain underfunded plans must use to report financial and actuarial information to PBGC, will be unavailable from 7:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time) Friday, 2/22/2008, through 6:00am (Eastern Standard Time) Sunday, 2/24/2008, for federally mandated system testing." (Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation)
Text of GAO Report: HHS Pursues Efforts to Advance Nationwide Health Information Technology But Has No 'National Strategy'
17 pages. Excerpt: "Even though HHS is undertaking . . . various activities, it has not yet developed a national strategy that defines plans, milestones, and performance measures for reaching the President's goal of interoperable electronic health records by 2014. In 2006, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology agreed with GAO's recommendation that HHS define such a strategy; however, the department has not yet done so." (United States Government Accountability Office)
State Prescription Drug Price Web Sites: How Useful to Consumers?
Excerpt: "To aid consumers in comparing prescription drug costs, many states have launched Web sites to publish drug prices offered by local retail pharmacies. The current push to make retail pharmacy prices accessible to consumers is part of a much broader movement to increase price transparency throughout the health-care sector." (Center for Studying Health System Change)
[Opinion] Newer Web-Based Retirement Planning Tools Just Might Work
Excerpt: "There is abundant academic and empirical evidence suggesting the shift to consumer driven retirement will not optimize consumer well being due to behavioral impediments and generally low investment interest and acumen. This issue is well recognized and has been partially addressed by regulators and the retirement industry via 'fiduciary immunization' for automated contributions and prepackaged lifecycle driven investment products. 401(k) plan auto-enrollment and utilization of target retirement funds can overcome some level of investor inertia with regard to savings and investment decisions. However, these tools are limited in their ability to ensure retirement sufficiency across a wide range of investor circumstances and preferences." (Fiduciary Investor)
Minnesota Start-Up Creates Online Market for Health Procedures
Excerpt: "The free site, which went live in January, generates revenue from health care providers who become ''tenants'' on the site. When a consumer sets up an appointment with a clinic or doctor on Carol.com, the provider pays the site a fee. . . . For instance, if a consumer clicked on 'entire body,' then 'annual exam,' and chose a routine physical for women age 40-64, the results page would show six different options ranging from $207 to $335." (AP via New York Times; free registration required)
Healthcare Data Pooling: Coming Soon to a Community Near You?
Excerpt: "Everyone can agree that quality healthcare is a good thing. But how do we go about measuring quality? Intrepid organizations in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin are answering the call for measurable quality metrics by developing data-pooling operations that can report on healthcare quality." (Milliman)
Some Large Companies Making Lifetime Personal Health Records Available Electronically to Employees
Excerpt: "Wal-Mart is among a group of large companies that has begun rolling out personal electronic health records to a handful of employees, as part of a plan to eventually provide more than a million of the retailer's workers and their dependents with digitized health records." (Human Resource Executive Online)
Technological Change and the Growth of Health Care Spending (PDF)
30 pages. Excerpt: "This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper . . . describes the historical growth in spending on health care in the United States. It examines the factors that determine health care spending and how they have contributed to spending growth over time. Special emphasis is given to the largest single factor driving spending growth -- the greatly expanded capabilities of medicine brought about by technological advances in medical science over the past several decades. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of continued technological change for future growth of health care spending." (Congressional Budget Office)
Plan Sponsors Show Growing Interest In Retirement Plan Automated Investment Features
Excerpt: "From Spencer's Benefits Reports: According to the latest installment in the Survey & Sample Series issued by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), there is growing interest in the use of automated investment features in the administration of both defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans." (Wolters Kluwer Financial Services)
[Guidance Overview] PBGC Ends Publication of Certain Interest Rates in Federal Register
Excerpt: "The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has announced that it will cease publishing certain monthly interest rates and assumptions, including the variable rate premium, in the Federal Register and instead rely on web site publication." (Wolters Kluwer Financial Services)
At the Office of Personnel Management, Improvements Needed to Ensure Successful Retirement Systems Modernization (PDF)
68 pages. Excerpt: "GAO was asked to (1) determine whether OPM is effectively managing the RSM program to ensure that system components perform as intended and (2) evaluate the risks, cost, and progress of the RSM program. To meet these objectives, GAO analyzed program documentation against relevant plans, policies, and practices." (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
Podcast - Chris Williams of Ernst & Young Discusses Tax Implications Under the PPA
Excerpt: "Hear Managing Editor Leah Carlson Shepherd talk with Chris Williams, tax partner of Ernst & Young's financial services practice about computer software that employers can now use under the 2006 Pension Protection Act." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)
Researching PBGC Issues: The Basics and Beyond
11 pages. Click on the top link under 'Topics of Interest' on the target page. Slides from a PowerPoint presentation; good detail. (Keightly & Ashner LLP)
Medical Publisher Launches Beta Health Wiki
Excerpt: "Science, technical and medical publisher Elsevier's WiserWiki, a clinical health information wiki created by board-certified doctors, could be a big factor in helping consumers overcome their distrust of online health information. WiserWiki, launched in November 2007 and currently in beta, is like other wikis in that it allows users to create and power a collaborative, community Web site that is populated with information contributed by community members." (eWeek.com)
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