HHS publishes schedule of upcoming policy season

The government health IT community is on schedule to release a raft of health IT policies over the next few months that aim to substantially remake the healthcare delivery system, according to a summary of impending business published by the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS outlined a timetable for the regulations, ranging from milestones for standards and certification to rules governing electronic inserts for drug products. According to the agenda, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may start making Medicare incentive payments to hospitals under the federal health IT stimulus plan on Oct. 1, 2010, the first day of the 2011 federal fiscal year; physicians who qualify will have to wait until Jan. 1, 2011. In addition to some of the more well-known health IT rules promised under the HITECH Act, including a proposed rule defining meaningful use of health IT expected this month.