The Health Information and Management Systems Society has said it is pleased with the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, as it will allow health IT professionals to get back to the work of using EHRs and other technology to reform the healthcare system.
Dave Roberts, HIMSS's vice president of government affairs, stressed that the funding for the meaningful use program was never in doubt, as this is a wholly separate piece of legislation from the ACA. However, there are other initiatives that are part of the reform law that will leverage health IT tools to make the delivery system more efficient.
The greatest benefit from the ruling is the fact that there is now greater certainty in the healthcare system. Groups can start planning for the future now that this major piece of legislation is settled.
"Now that the uncertainty around ACA has been settled, it is critical that we continue the momentum to transform healthcare, including the use of information technology," Roberts said.
While partisan fights over individual aspects of the ACA may continue, Roberts expects health IT initiatives to be protected. These have found support on both sides of the aisle for years.