All posts tagged ONC

HTI-5 Big Picture: Key Certification Takeaways

By the EHR Association Certification Workgroup

When it comes to the HTI-5 proposed rule and its focus on certification, our primary message to ONC is this: the deregulatory push is needed and yet should be undertaken with caution.

We appreciate ONC’s efforts to streamline the certification program through deregulation. Some of the criteria have been around for many years, and removing them will help reduce the certification burden on the health IT industry and, in some cases, on providers using the software, while maintaining progress toward advancing interoperability, transparency, and access to electronic health information. We agree with ONC that many certification criteria not directly associated with interoperability should be considered for removal.  

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by EHR Association on August 3, 2026  •  Permalink
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Posted by EHR Association on August 3, 2026

https://ehrablog.org/2026/08/03/hit-5-big-picture-key-certification-takeaways/

When Policy and Care Collide: Part One

Balancing Patient Consent with Patient Safety

By the EHR Association Patient Safety and Public Policy Leadership Workgroups

Navigating the tug-of-war between federal and state regulations has long been a challenge in health care and other industries. Now, with the ubiquity of health data creating both new opportunities and risks, that challenge has never been greater. This dual framework requires healthcare organizations and their technology partners to track and balance confusing and sometimes conflicting compliance efforts, adding administrative burden to the system as a whole and, in some cases, increasing the risk of adverse patient safety events.

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by EHR Association on March 5, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation
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Posted by EHR Association on March 5, 2026

https://ehrablog.org/2026/03/05/when-policy-and-care-collide-part-one/

2026 Program Update: Navigating New Requirements for Hospitals and Eligible Providers

By the EHR Association’s Value-Based Care and Quality Programs Workgroup

In CMS’s 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, one theme stands out clearly: the joint goals of stability and steady transformation. 

While the agency is not upending the Quality Payment Program (QPP) or the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program, it is continuing to refine them with updates that reflect CMS’s ongoing effort to simplify, modernize, and prepare healthcare for a future in which MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) and advanced interoperability expectations are the norm. Doing so means fewer shifts and, as a result, easier adaptation for EHR systems and clinical workflows, reducing the effort required for annual measure changes. The EHR Association applauds CMS’s effort to simplify the program and reduce burden.

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by EHR Association on February 17, 2026  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation
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Posted by EHR Association on February 17, 2026

https://ehrablog.org/2026/02/17/2026-program-update-navigating-new-requirements-for-hospitals-and-eligible-providers/

What is Information Blocking? 

By the EHR Association Information Blocking Compliance Task Force

This blog marks the beginning of a series by the EHR Association on information blocking – what it is and what the “reasonable and necessary activities” are that constitute exceptions as defined by ASTP/ONC regulations. Given that it has been five years since the initial release of information blocking regulations and the recent renewal of focus on enforcing the law, this is an opportune time for a refresher on the topic.

Our goal with this series is to educate our membership and other impacted stakeholders on information blocking requirements and exceptions. This first installment shares the history and description of information blocking requirements. Future blogs will illustrate how we expect exceptions to be used and will highlight ambiguities and/or challenges with the framework that we believe will be insightful to regulators and other interested parties. 

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by EHR Association on July 14, 2025  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation, Information Blocking
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Posted by EHR Association on July 14, 2025

https://ehrablog.org/2025/07/14/what-is-information-blocking/

Dr. Thomas Keane to Lead ASTP/ONC

Dr. Thomas Keane has been named Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) and National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). An engineer and physician, Dr. Keane previously served in ASTP and also as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of HHS. 

“The EHR Association congratulates Dr. Thomas Keane on his appointment as Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy at HHS and National Coordinator for Health IT. Dr. Keane brings important expertise in health policy to the role,” says Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health), Chair of the EHR Association Executive Committee. “We’re pleased that his selection reflects HHS’ commitment to putting leadership in place that both recognizes the criticality of the ‘coordinator’ responsibilities and understands from prior experience the many complex use cases related to health data interoperability that the agency is tasked with supporting. We look forward to collaborating with Dr. Keane and ASTP to further the digitization of healthcare and explore regulatory refinements.”

Among other duties, Keane was an administrator of the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund and led the development of the AHRQ National Nursing Home COVID Action Network. Dr. Keane worked as a finite element software developer and enterprise software engineer before training as an interventional radiologist.

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by EHR Association on June 3, 2025  •  Permalink
Posted in EHRA News
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Posted by EHR Association on June 3, 2025

https://ehrablog.org/2025/06/03/dr-thomas-keane-to-lead-astp-onc/

Finding the Right Balance: Smart Deregulation in Health IT

by Leigh Burchell (Altera Digital Health), Chair, EHR Association Executive Committee

The current administration has made deregulation a central policy priority, aiming to reduce burden and costs in as many sectors of the economy as possible, including health care. This is exemplified by the January 2025 Executive Order 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, which requires federal agencies to eliminate ten regulations for each new one introduced. 

As the trade association for health IT developers, we believe that smart deregulation should focus on removing outdated, redundant, and low-value requirements with ASTP/ONC and CMS playing a role more focused on driving improvements in standardized interoperability and health data exchange. Health IT regulation should support—not hinder—the industry’s collective ability to deliver safe, effective, and innovative technology solutions, without compromising the progress made or devaluing the investments in health IT over the last fifteen years. As always, we remain committed to working alongside federal agencies within the construct of a regulatory environment that benefits providers, developers, and—most importantly—patients.

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by EHR Association on March 13, 2025  •  Permalink
Posted in Health IT Regulation, Public Policy and Health IT
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Posted by EHR Association on March 13, 2025

https://ehrablog.org/2025/03/13/finding-the-right-balance-smart-deregulation-in-health-it/

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