About this newsletter
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The ACP Advocate is an e-newsletter, edited by the College's Washington, DC governmental affairs division, created to provide you, our members, with succinct news about public policy issues affecting internal medicine and patient care. To learn more about ACP's Advocacy and to access the ACP Advocate archives, go to www.acponline.org/advocacy.
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Welcome to The ACP Advocate.
This week we bring you news about two of the programs for physicians that were included in the economic stimulus legislation that passed in February. Our first article lets you know the status of a new program that will offer financial incentives to physicians using health information technology. Our second article is all about the expanded funding for training programs. That piece of the legislation provides $500 million for training health professionals.
Finally, I hope I’ll see many of you next week at Internal Medicine 2009. If you’re there you may want to check out the health policy courses we’re presenting at the meeting. More information can be found in the column to the right of this letter.
For even more about health care reform and other health policy issues, check out my blog, The ACP Advocate Blog by Bob Doherty. I hope you’ll join me over the course of this year, as I discuss ACP’s efforts in guiding health care reform.
And, as always, please send your feedback and suggestions on this newsletter to: TheACPAdvocate@acponline.org.
Yours truly,
Bob Doherty
Senior Vice President
Governmental Affairs and Public Policy
American College of Physicians
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In the news
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Requirements for Stimulus Funding Remain Uncertain |
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Large and small practices should begin planning to be ready 2011 |
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HealthDay News -- The federal government has yet to define the exact criteria for a new program under which physicians will be able to receive financial incentives for use of an electronic health record system.
The American Recovery and Reinvestm... » Click to read the full article
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Financial Incentives Ignite Healthy Behaviors |
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Maintaining lifestyle changes over time, however, remains a challenge |
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Many large employers and health plans are using financial incentives to persuade health plan members to adopt healthier behaviors.
In theory, reducing employee health risks will keep help health-care costs in check. But i... » Click to read the full article
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In focus
How Can You Qualify for Money from the Stimulus Legislation?
ACP has developed a set of questions and answers to help guide physicians through the new incentives available through the economic stimulus legislation. The document can help physicians determine what steps they may need to take to be eligible for health information technology incentives. The questions will be updated as more information about the new program becomes available. |
ACP Program Can Help You Choose an EHR
ACP members interested in comparing EHR systems certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) have access to the ACP EHR Partners Program. This program compares EHR systems based on an extensive database of information -- including user satisfaction ratings, objective assessments of the EHRs in use, and detailed standardized pricing scenarios. Newly expanded information for 23 different EHR products will be available later this month. |
Policy Experts to Speak at Internal Medicine 2009
Reminder. If you’re attending Internal Medicine 2009 next week you have the opportunity to see distinguished policy experts speak about health care reform and comparative effectiveness. New Ideas for Reforming the U.S. Health Care System: What Can Be Done to Improve Access, Quality, and Efficiency of Care (PN 034) will feature national health policy experts Ken Thorpe, Ph.D and Cathy Schoen, M.S.. The Physician’s Dilemma: Patient’s Advocate vs. Society’s Healthcare Steward (PN 018) will feature a panel of experts discussing the issue of comparative effectiveness. |
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