The ACC has signed onto a letter from the American Health Information Management Association asking key Senate appropriators to reject inclusion of "rider" language in the Senate Fiscal Year 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations bill that prohibits the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from using funds to promulgate or adopt a unique patient identifier (UPI).

The organizations explain that these prohibitions delay the speed of lifesaving medical treatment and effective communication between doctors and patients. They add that removing the prohibition that is currently preventing appropriate health information flow would assist in transitioning the U.S. to a health care delivery system that focuses on high value, cost-effective, and patient-centered care.

In June, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to remove the ban from H.R. 2740, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 2020.

Read the letter here.

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Delivery of Health Care, Parturition, United States Dept. of Health and Human Services, Patient-Centered Care, Health Information Management

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