Health IT issues will be among the top priorities for state lawmakers in 2012, according to an annual report that the National Council of State Legislatures released on Tuesday, Government Health IT reports (Sullivan, Government Health IT, 1/4).
Report Details
The report lists the top 12 issues that state lawmakers will face in 2012. One of the priority areas covers various health care issues, including the federal health reform law, health insurance exchanges and health data exchanges (NCSL release, 1/3).
In its discussion of the health care issues, NCSL said that health insurance exchanges and health information exchanges will be "dominant issue[s] for legislative sessions" (Government Health IT, 1/4).
Health Insurance Exchanges
Under the federal health reform law, states by January 2014 must create insurance exchanges that provide coverage options for individuals and small businesses.
States can choose to administer their own exchanges -- for which they must have some infrastructure in place by January 2013 -- or ask the federal government to run the exchanges for them (iHealthBeat, 11/2/11).
In its report, NCSL said that health benefit exchanges will be a major priority area as states work to meet the January 2013 deadline for having some infrastructure in place. NCSL also noted that states might face challenges in finalizing their plans because federal officials have yet to release final rules governing the health benefit exchanges.
Health Information Exchanges
The report also predicts that state lawmakers will prioritize efforts to develop and improve health information exchanges that allow health care providers to share patients' medical data. NCSL added that promoting more widespread adoption of electronic health records will be the first step toward advancing health data exchange.
The report stated, "By mid-year 2012, every state should have Medicaid EHR incentive programs in place and will be working toward building a health information exchange by late 2014 or early 2015" (Government Health IT, 1/4).