GSA released some new details regarding the new Health IT SIN, as well as announced a webinar scheduled for June 21. Here's what you need to know.

This could soon be the verdict if Sens. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) get a bill passed limiting the Defense Department's use of “lowest price, technically acceptable." They said, "LPTA is a valuable tool, but it can undermine DOD procurement flexibility and should not be used to purchase complex, innovative programs.” 

MACRA was signed into legislation by Congress in April 2015. One year later, HHS issued the MACRA proposed rule, which will become known as the Quality Payment Program (comments on rule are due in late June). The goal is to move away from fee-for-service to value-based rewards and incentives: Paying for what works to help improve patient engagement, population health management, and slows expenditures.

CMS wants to improve interoperability, expand MU program flexibility and create more user-friendly technology for physicians/clinicians to engage and help patients. Advancing Care Information is the new name for a new/more flexible Meaningful Use. Here's a look at what will change. (Source: HIMSS)

Last week, we told you about a new design challenge HHS put out asking for new ideas on how to make medical billing easier to understand and navigate. Now, we're learning about a new competition aimed at making it possible to securely transferring medical records. HHS is asking developers to create their own APIs and test them on individuals they've recruited and who have agreed to release their health data. Submissions are being accepted until early September. Click the image to learn more or read HHS' announcement here.

HHS announced a new design and innovation challenge to create a medical bill that's easier to understand.  A recent Mad*Pow survey reported 61% of patients find their medical bills to be "confusing" or "very confusing" to read and understand. From the 7th annual Health Datapalooza, HHS Secretary Burwell rolled out "A Bill You Can Understand," a call for new innovative ways to make a medical bill simpler, cleaner, and easier for patients to understand. HHS is also seeking ideas to improve the overall medical billing process and experience for patients. The challenge is sponsored by AARP and open now until August 10. Winners will be announced at the 10th Annual Health 2.0 Fall Conference on September 25-28 in Santa Clara, CA. Visit www.abillyoucanunderstand.com to learn more about the challenge, how to apply and prizes.

HHS has a really good video on the benefits of MACRA healthcare reform. It looks at how paying for what works creates a more personalized patient experience and healthier population. The video is on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/7df7cHghaS4.

The US Coast Coast cancelled its $14M EHR contract with EPIC, and without a backup plan in place is having to rely on using a paper-based records system. Agency spokespeople said they ended the contract due to "various irregularities;" Politico reports a series of blunders and missteps since the program began more than five years ago. Quality of care is not being affected, reported by the US Coast Guard, but there is also no clarity on the way forward.

The recent string of ransonware threats against hospitals is highlighting an urgency for better cybersecurity systems and training. 

Congratulations to all of the T4NG awardees! Official news here.

HIMSS officially kicks off today with HHS secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell keynoting. This year's agenda is loaded with Federal health IT speakers and topics--what are you most interested in? Follow along with us, Black Branch is on the ground and will be live tweeting all week. We're also volunteering in the Interoperability Showcase, so come by to say hello and check out all of the new innovations. 

More than 43,000 health IT professionals are expected in Las Vegas next week for this year's annual HIMSS Conference. With more than 1,300 exhibitors and 300 education sessions taking place on three levels spanning 1.3M (million!) square feet, how do you navigate swiftly and with purpose? Healthcare IT News (part of HIMSS Media) has some tips to get you ready and keep you sane while you're there. 

This morning, IBM announced plans to acquire analytics company Truven Health for $2.6 billion. The purchase will add data sets for more than 200 million patients to the Watson Health Cloud, when combined existing data sets, boasts IBM's vision for better cognitive analytics driving value-based care. 

Twenty major US companies, such as Macy's and Verizon, are banding together to use their collective data and market power in a bid to hold down the cost of providing workers with healthcare benefits