Despite investing billions of dollars to encourage health care providers to adopt electronic health records, the federal government has done little to ensure the technology is not being used to inflate costs and overbill patients, according to a report published Wednesday by HHS' Office of the Inspector General, the New York Times reports. Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments. Since the law took effect, the percentage of hospitals with basic EHRs has tripled, to 44%.
