News Briefs: Government Updates

This roundup includes the following brief government updates:

Congress has passed a budget resolution for the 2010 fiscal year that would block scheduled reductions in Medicare physician payment rates projected to take place under the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula for the next few years.

The budget resolution, S. Con. Res. 13 (at the THOMAS Web site, type "S.Con. Res. 13" in the search box after selecting "Bill Number"), provides a budget framework that lays out spending parameters for the next fiscal year along with those for an overall five-year budget window. The resolution would effectively negate payment reductions scheduled to occur under the SGR in 2010 and 2011, while providing a partial payment fix in 2012, according to an analysis conducted by staff in the AAFP Division of Government Relations. It would not eliminate the SGR, however.

The resolution highlights primary care, calling for "improved payment accuracy to encourage efficient use of resources and ensure that primary care receives appropriate compensation." It also includes a reserve fund of $634 billion to cover health care expansion during the next 10 years.

Overall, the budget sets a domestic discretionary spending level of about $10 billion less than what President Obama proposed in his FY 2010 budget. It calls for increases for a number of agencies and substantial increases for community health centers, health professions training and FDA food safety efforts.

As mandated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, David Blumenthal, M.D., the national coordinator for health information technology, or health IT, has established the Health IT Policy Committee and the Health IT Standards Committee.

Notices announcing the two new committees were published in the April 29 Federal Register (2-page PDF; About PDFs).

The policy committee will make recommendations to Blumenthal regarding a federal policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health IT infrastructure. Committee members will be appointed by various government officials, including President Obama, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, congressional leaders and the U.S. comptroller general. Guidelines call for the inclusion of one physician.

The standards committee will advise Blumenthal on standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information in accordance with policies developed by the policy committee. The committee is limited to 30 voting members who will be appointed by Sebelius with input from the national coordinator. Committee members will represent various segments of the health care industry to help ensure that all interests are represented equally.