A Post by Kathy Bakkenist, COO and Sr. VP of Strategy, Ecumen, and public policy chair of The Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST):

The Center for Aging Services Technology’s (CAST) federal policy agenda took a tremendous step forward with the passing of the American Recovery and Revitalization Act, also known as the Stimulus Bill.Having served as CAST’s policy chair since 2006, I am particularly proud of this success, the culmination of four years of work by the CAST policy team. We have had unflinching support from the Minnesota Congressional team as we have worked with members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Special Committee on Aging, and the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees to advocate for aging services technologies. The inclusion of these efforts in this important legislation is monumental – a true acknowledgement of the issues we face and the opportunities we hope for.I’d like to share with you the provisions that relate to aging services. The goals are to assure that every individual has an electronic health record by 2014 and the incentives are in place to propel the adoption of technology.

• The definition of Healthcare Providers includes skilled nursing facility, nursing facility, home health entity, and an open-ended category, ‘other long term care facility.’

• The definition of Health Information Technologies (HIT) includes hardware and software used in the creation of health information, which could potentially encompass telehealth and biometric telemonitoring technologies.

• A study on aging services technology proposed by CAST and included in one of the two House IT bills introduced last Congress was included. This study by HHS will examine ‘matters relating to the potential use of new aging services technology to assist seniors, individuals with disabilities, and their caregivers throughout the aging process.’

• A study will be conducted to determine if long-term care providers, long term care hospitals, and rehabilitation hospitals, which currently do not receive incentive payments to encourage the adoption of EHR, will require incentives to encourage them to implement EHR technology prior to 2014.

• Funding will be available for states in the form of matching grants to encourage use of HIT. These grants are directed at healthcare providers that are not covered by the incentive payments, so long-term care providers would be eligible for grants. Specific grants and requirements are to be developed by states. These are extensive requirements to involve providers as state plans are developed and implemented.

• US-based Not-For-Profit organizations (or consortiums) that meet the eligibility criteria can apply to become regional centers to facilitate HIT in rural and other underserved areas.

CAST will be studying the legislation, following up on available grant programs, and assisting state executives with analyzing the implications as will as developing processes for implementation. Ecumen will coordinate a team to guide our pursuit of these opportunities.This legislation is a grant step forward in bringing 21^st century technologies to health care and senior services.