About the HITECH Act of 2009

In early Spring of 2010, final rules will be issued on health IT standards, implementation specifications, EHR certification technology, meaningful use, and incentive programs for eligible professionals and hospitals.  Are you prepared?  Start learning from our independent experts providing analysis on the rules and EHR adoption through our library of on demand webinars and resources.

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What is the HITECH Act?

On February 17, 2009 a $787 Billion, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 aka “the Stimulus Bill,” was signed into law by the federal government. Included in this law is $22 Billion and $19.2 Billion of that is intended to be used to increase the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) by physicians and hospitals; this portion of the bill is called, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH Act. The government firmly believes in the benefits of using electronic health records and is ready to invest federal resources to proliferate its use. Title XIII in Division A, pages 112 through 165 and Title IV in Division B, pages 353 through 398, cover the HITECH portion of this economic recovery act.

HITECH Funds Allocation

  • $18 billion through the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement systems as incentives for hospitals and physicians who are “meaningful users” of EHR systems.
  • $2 billion to the Office of the National Coordinator for infrastructure necessary to allow for, and promote, the electronic exchange and use of health information for each individual in the United States; updating the Department of Health & Human Services’ technologies to allow for the electronic flow of information; integrating health IT education into the training of healthcare professionals; and, promoting interoperable clinical data repositories.
  • $1 billion to be made available for renovation and repair of health centers and for the acquisition of health IT systems.
  • $550 million for – among other things – the purchase of equipment and services including, but not limited to, health IT within Indian Health Service facilities.
  • $400 million for comparative effectiveness research on how use of electronic data impacts healthcare treatments and strategies.
  • $300 million to support regional and sub-national efforts towards health information exchange.
  • $40 million to be used by the Social Security Administration to use EHRs to submit disability claims.

Determining Policies and Standards

Located within the Department of HHS is the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT). Created by Executive Order in 2004, it was legislatively mandated in the ARRA. Through the HITECH Act, the ONC was to adopt an initial set of HIT standards, and create an incentive program for meaningful users of EHR certified technology. The ONC created two new Federal Advisory committees, the HIT Policy and HIT Standards committees . 

The HIT Policy Committee is charged with making recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information infrastructure, including standards for the exchange of patient medical information.

The HIT Standards Committee is charged with making recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for the electronic exchange and use of health information.

Definitions and Acronyms

Definitions of the acronyms associated with HIT and EHR adoption are numerous and continue to grow.  You can always find an updated list of acronyms and their definitions on our Key Acronyms page.

What’s happening right now?

On December 30, 2009 the ONC and CMS released rules and notices. The ONC released an interim final rule on initial standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria. CMS issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that outlines provisions governing the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs and definition on meaninful use.

Read our HITECH Update posts to keep up with what is happening right now. The Waiting Room – find what is coming up in these regular posts. The Recovery Room – get a recap of the most current events in these regular posts (previously week in review). Other posts – keep current on important information we think you should know.

How can I learn more?

HITECH Answers provides several ways to learn more about EHR adoption and the impact of the HITECH Act of 2009.

  • A subscription to the password-protected side of this site gives subscribers access to our continually expanding library of webinars from our independent experts, resources providing in-depth analysis of this act and additional insights designed to help organizations make informed decisions related to the Act’s impact on their business.  Start at our Visitors page to learn more about the benefits of a subscription to your organization.  View our Library of Webinars.
  • If you are starting your search for an EHR system or need to know where to even begin the process, then download our free EHR tools and an independent medical software advisor will contact you to help narrow your search to the vendor options that best suit your needs.
  • Our free monthly newsletter, The Pulse, provides resource links, articles and updates.  Sign up to start receiving this newsletter – you’ll automatically receive our e-mail alerts as well.
  • Our HITECH UPDATES are up-to-date news and information posts.  You can sign-up to receive our e-mail alerts to get the latest posts delived to your inbox.