HIMSS objects to parts of Stark health IT bill

You know your health IT initiative is facing a fight when one of the nation's most prominent health information technology groups finds fault with it. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) is getting just such a challenge from HIMSS, which argues that the bill as written would undermine open-market forces with the development of a low-cost, open-source health IT system. The bill would also bypass current efforts by the American Health Information Community, according to HIMSS president and CEO H. Stephen Lieber.

Surprisingly, Lieber doesn't seem to have problems with Stark's plans for increasing financial penalties for privacy and security breaches by healthcare providers, something that could certainly prove to be a headache for his constituency. It's also somewhat surprising that a health IT advocacy organization would discourage the development of affordable EMR software, given that EMR costs are a tremendous pain point for its constituency. Wonder what's going on here.

To learn more about HIMSS' concerns:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece [1]

Related Articles:
CEOs urge laws offering EMR incentives [2]
Congress considers another HIT subsidy bill [3]
AMA endorses health IT tax credits [4]
Consumer, biz groups push pro-EMR legislation [5]