Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)

HHS Announces New Regulations that support e-prescribing and EHR adoption: Press Release and Regs

New regulations that support adoption of e-prescribing and electronic health records were announced on October 5, 2005 by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. These proposals will speed adoption of health information technologies by hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers to improve quality and safety for Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans. Taken together, they represent a major step forward in meeting President Bush’s goal of widespread adoption of electronic health records.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) proposed rules announced on October 5, 2005 represent a unified effort to advance the goal of improving the health care of Medicare beneficiaries and all Americans through the use of e-prescribing and electronic health records systems.

The unnofficial versions of the two regulations are being made available here as PDF files. The documents published in the Federal Register are the official versions.

• October 5, 2005 Press Release: HHS Accelerates Use of E-prescribing and Electronic Health Records
• CMS Proposed Regulation: Medicare Program; Physicians’ Referrals to Health Care Entities With Which They Have Financial Relationships; Exceptions for Certain Electronic Prescribing and Electronic Health Records Arrangements [PDF - 145KB] Proposed Rule Published in Federal Register
• OIG Proposed Rule: Medicare and State Health Care Programs: Fraud and Abuse; Safe Harbor for Certain Electronic Prescribing Arrangements Under the Anti-Kickback Statute [PDF - 106KB] Proposed Rule Published in Federal Register

What's New

• Third Nationwide Health Information Network Forum: Prototypes and Business Models, January 25-26, 2007.
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• Emergency Responder Electronic Health Record Detailed Use Case
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• HHS Announces State Alliance for e-Health
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• State Privacy and Security Subcontract Opportunities Announced Under Expanded HHS Contract with RTI
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• Click here to find out more about the American Health Information Community workgroup meetings.



• HHS Enters Into Agreements to Support Digital Health Recovery for the Gulf Coast
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• HHS Announces Award of NHIN Prototype Contracts
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• ONC and AHIMA release two anti-fraud project reports
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• Health IT (HIT) Adoption Initiative Announced
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• Health IT Contracts Awarded Stemming from RFPs
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Resources

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