Complete Economic Stimulus Coverage

President Barack Obama has signed a $787 billion stimulus bill into law, and expanding healthcare coverage is clearly one of the plan's largest priorities: Approximately $150 billion is dedicated to healthcare expenditures. The Medicaid supplemental funding and $19 billion earmarked to pay up to 65% of COBRA premiums for laid-off workers are the top two biggest expenditures and comprise more than two-thirds of targeted healthcare spending, for example. Below you will find a comprehensive list of news and analysis about this historic event.

Top Economic Stimulus News:

• Senate Jobs Bill Expands EHR Incentive Eligibility
  Andrea Kraynak, for HealthLeaders Media, March 12, 2010
• Nonprofit Group Will Lead $3 Billion Meaningful Use Initiative in California
  Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media, March 9, 2010
• Physicians Worried Proposed Meaningful Use Will Decrease Productivity
  Joe Cantlupe, for HealthLeaders Media, March 8, 2010
• Get Moving to Catch Early EHR Meaningful Use Incentives
  Andrea Kraynak, for HealthLeaders Media, March 4, 2010
• Proposed EHR Certification Program Won't Inhibit Innovation, Says Blumenthal
  Andrea Kraynak, for HealthLeaders Media, March 3, 2010
• Physicians Plunging into EMRs, But Expect Lots of Help
  Rick Johnson, for HealthLeaders Media, March 2, 2010
• Is There a Realistic Approach to Meaningful Use?
  Gienna Shaw, for HealthLeaders Media, March 1, 2010
• HIMSS Survey: Meaningful Use is Driver of Health IT Spending
  Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media, March 1, 2010
• Meaningful Use Approach Too Ambitious, Says Group
  Gienna Shaw, for HealthLeaders Media, March 1, 2010
• EMR Adoption: Starting to Evolve or Still Stuck in the Past?
  Gienna Shaw, for HealthLeaders Media, February 23, 2010
• Federal Committee Recommends Changes to EHR Meaningful Use Rule
  Andrea Kraynak, for HealthLeaders Media, February 22, 2010
• Health IT's Three Big Issues: Money, Money, and Money
  Gienna Shaw, for HealthLeaders Media, February 16, 2010
• What Meaningful Use Means For You Now
  Andrea Kraynak, for HealthLeaders Media, February 16, 2010
• Beyond Meaningful Use
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Magazine, February 2010
• Obama administration makes grants for health IT
  AP/Yahoo News, February 12, 2010
• Comparative-effectiveness: A simple healthcare fix fizzles out
  Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2010
• University of Miami gets $14.8 million to build brain imaging annex
  Miami Herald, February 5, 2010
• Obama's Budget: More Money, New Name for Comparative Effectiveness Research
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, February 4, 2010
• Many Small Practice Physicians Putting off Meaningful Use Guidelines
  Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media, February 4, 2010
• Little Known ARRA Provision Can Help Finance Health IT
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, February 2, 2010
• Meaningful Use Calls for Meaningful Risk Analysis
  Dom Nicastro, for HealthLeaders Media, February 1, 2010
• New Meaningful Use Interim Standards Require Encryption Capabilities
  Dom Nicastro, for HealthLeaders Media, January 27, 2010
• Health IT Panel: Use Technology Now to Help Transform Healthcare
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, January 26, 2010
• Quality Reporting May Prove Challenging Under Meaningful Use
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, January 19, 2010
• How Ready Are Hospitals for Meaningful Use?
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, , January 12, 2010
• Audio Feature: Reaction to Meaningful Use Definition
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, January 12, 2010
• How Meaningful is Meaningful Use?
  Elyas Bakhtiari, for HealthLeaders Media, January 7, 2010
• Nine Healthcare Executives Respond to the Meaningful Use Definition
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, January 5, 2010
• Provider Organizations Unhappy with Proposed Health IT Rules
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, January 4, 2010
• HHS unveils meaningful use plan
  Wall Street Journal Health Blog, December 31, 2009
• Marathon of Meaningful Use, EHR Standards Just Beginning
  Dom Nicastro and Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, December 31, 2009
• Obstacles Remain for Meaningful Use of Health IT
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, December 29, 2009
• HHS Offers $60M Grants for Strategic Health IT Projects
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, December 21, 2009
• Hospital groups weigh in on federal stimulus package definitions
  iHealthBeat, December 15, 2009
• Massachusetts health clinics receive $80 million boost
  Boston Globe, December 10, 2009
• Stimulus Money Protected Medicaid/CHIP, Says Kaiser Survey
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, December 9, 2009
• Obama to give $600 million to health centers
  Reuters/Yahoo News, December 9, 2009
• End of COBRA subsidy slams jobless, fuels debate about public option
  Hartford Courant, December 3, 2009
• CCHIT Certifies First EHR Programs Under Federal Standards
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, December 1, 2009
• COBRA subsidies begin expiring for the unemployed
  Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2009
• Iowa Medicaid Program is First to Receive EHR Incentive Grant
  Les Masterson, for HealthLeaders Media, November 23, 2009
• HHS Will Spend $9 Million on Tracking ASC Infection Rates
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, November 10, 2009
• Sen. Chuck Grassley has questions for the health IT industry
  Wall Street Journal Health Blog, October 27, 2009
• Group seeks to unify Florida medical records
  Miami Herald, October 19, 2009
• Physicians' View on North Shore's $400 Million EHR Investment
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, October 13, 2009
• Physicians' View on North Shore's $400 Million EHR Investment
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, October 13, 2009
• Connecticut gets hospital infection funding
  AP/Hartford Courant, October 12, 2009
• A Jobless Recovery Will Prolong Physician Financial Woes
  Elyas Bakhtiari, for HealthLeaders Media, October 8, 2009
• Three Barriers to Effectively Using Information Stored in EHRs
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, October 6, 2009
• OIG Gets Proactive in 2010 Work Plan
  Kristen Kohrt, for HealthLeaders Media, October 5, 2009
• Rate of enrollment in Medicaid rose rapidly, report says
  New York Times, October 1, 2009
• Obama announces $5 billion for new healthcare jobs
  Reuters, October 1, 2009
• Nevada governor names health info technology panel
  AP/San Francisco Chronicle, September 17, 2009
• Measuring the Effectiveness of Imaging Tests Not Clear Cut
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, September 15, 2009
• Setting the Bar
  Elyas Bakhtiari, for HealthLeaders Media, September 10, 2009
• Impact of the HITECH Act on a Michigan Hospital's IT Strategy
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, September 8, 2009
• Will the HITECH Act be Effective or a Bust?
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, September 1, 2009
• CCHIT Remains the Only Certifying Body for EHRs—But Not for Long
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, August 19, 2009
• HIT Lessons from Across the Pond
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, August 4, 2009
• Agencies seek to use stimulus funds to find cheaper healthcare
  Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2009
• HHS Releases $200 Million for Healthcare Training
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, July 29, 2009
• The State of Health Information Exchanges
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, July 28, 2009
• Six Must-know Tips to Implement an Effective EHR
  Lisa Eramo, for HealthLeaders Media, July 21, 2009
• "Meaningful Use" Goals Still Out of Reach
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, July 21, 2009
• Seven Ways to Get Value From Your EMR
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, July 14, 2009
• Stimulus provides help for the uninsured
  Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2009
• About 45,000 Docs Qualify for Medicaid HIT Money
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, July 8, 2009
• Health Delivery Tops IOM's Comparative Effectiveness Research Priorities
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, June 30, 2009
• Health Delivery Tops IOM's Comparative Effectiveness Research Priorities
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, June 30, 2009
• Federal Panel Defines Comparative Effectiveness Research
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, June 29, 2009
• Meaningful Use: All Stick and No Carrot
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, June 23, 2009
• A push for the wired patient's bill of rights
  New York Times, June 23, 2009
• Meaningful Use First Draft Could Guide Final Definition
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, June 18, 2009
• Meaningful Use: Defined by HIT Policy Committee
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, June 16, 2009
• The Meaning of Meaningful Use
  Carrie Vaughan and John Commins, for HealthLeaders Magazine, June 2009
• Existing Databases Make Tracking Comparative Effectiveness Research Difficult
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, June 12, 2009
• Health Information Exchange Will Allow Patients to Share Medical Information
  Lisa Eramo, for HealthLeaders Media, June 11, 2009
• New CCHIT Certification Process to Remain Flexible
  Lisa Eramo, for HealthLeaders Media, May 28, 2009
• The Holy Grail of Evidence-Based Medicine
  Mark Hochstetler, MD, for HealthLeaders Media, May 28, 2009
• CCHIT to adapt programs to federal health IT agenda
  Government Health IT, May 26, 2009
• Comparative Effectiveness is Limited in Other Countries
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, May 20, 2009
• Much of the Stimulus Money for Native American Care Will Replace Two Facilities
  Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media, May 18, 2009
• HIT Panel Looks to Define Standards, Specifications Before Tackling Meaningful Use
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, May 18, 2009
• Cash for Computers
  John Commins and Jim Molpus, for HealthLeaders Magazine, May 2009
• Stimulus for Quality?
  Jim Molpus, for HealthLeaders Magazine, May 2009
• The Hybrid, the Stimulus & You
  Kathryn Mackenzie, for HealthLeaders Magazine, May 2009
• Questions Remain About Definition of 'Meaningful Use'
  Lisa Eramo, for HealthLeaders Media, May 7, 2009
• Lines drawn on comparing medical treatments
  New York Times, May 7, 2009
• Industry Weighs in on Definition of Meaningful Use
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, May 6, 2009
• EHRs, Meaningful Use Get Spotlight
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, May 1, 2009
• AHA: Hospitals in Critical Condition
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, April 27, 2009
• Commentary: Five myths on healthcare's electronic fix-it
  Washington Post, April 27, 2009
• The Dare to Compare
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, April 23, 2009
• Stimulus Loophole May Allow States to Divert Medicaid Funds
  Jim Molpus, for HealthLeaders Media, April 22, 2009
• HHS issues draft guidance on securing PHI
  Dom Nicastro, for HealthLeaders Media, April 21, 2009
• Winners and Losers of HIT Stimulus Funds
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, April 21, 2009
• Hospital CIOs: EHR Carrot Too Small, Stick Too Big
  John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, April 16, 2009
• Federal Panel Hears Advice, Concerns about Comparative Effectiveness Research Efforts
  Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, April 15, 2009
• HIMSS09 Recap: Stimulus, Interoperability, and More
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, April 14, 2009
• Can Safety Nets Climb up the Stimulus Heap?
  Michelle Ponte, for HealthLeaders Media, April 13, 2009
• Securing Stimulus Dollars Will Require Sacrifice and Swift Action
  Carrie Vaughan, for HealthLeaders Media, April 10, 2009
• Stimulus targets struggling families
  Washington Post, April 10, 2009
• Federal aid to help New Jersey health centers
  NJ.com, April 8, 2009
• Live from HIMSS: Take Advantage of Stimulus Money
  Jim Molpus, for HealthLeaders Media, April 7, 2009
• Critics: CT governor's proposed Medicaid cuts go against spirit of stimulus
  Hartford Courant, April 2, 2009
• Community health centers getting a U.S. booster shot
  Philadelphia Inquirer, March 30, 2009
• Tennessee health centers get $6.5 million in stimulus funds
  The Tennessean, March 30, 2009
• Florida gets $363 million in Medicaid funds
  Orlando Business Journal, March 27, 2009
• Nebraska telehealth network gets federal support
  AP/KCAUtv.com, March 26, 2009
• $764 million in Massachusetts stimulus funding to go to healthcare services
  Boston Globe, March 26, 2009
• Experts Predict a Challenging Job Ahead for Blumenthal
  Kathryn Mackenzie, for HealthLeaders Media, March 24, 2009
• Blumenthal Spearheads Health IT Reform
  Les Masterson, for HealthLeaders Media, March 23, 2009
• Michigan hospitals could get $6.5 million for uninsured
  Detroit Free Press, March 23, 2009
• Stimulus gives relief to unemployed workers paying for COBRA health insurance
  Dallas Morning News, March 23, 2009
• Stimulus funds will boost comparative health research
  Washington Post, March 20, 2009
• Using the 'R' Word
  Jim Molpus, for HealthLeaders Media, March 19, 2009
• Stimulus Dollars Go to Medicaid, Health Clinics
  Les Masterson, for HealthLeaders Media, March 16, 2009