On January 13, 2010, the United States Department of Health and Human Services issued proposed regulations that provide incentive payments from the Medicare Fee for Service Program (FFS) to eligible professionals (EP) for adoption and meaningful use of Certified Electronic Health Record technology.  William H. Fischer

The long awaited Meaningful Use Criteria were published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as proposed regulations on January 13, 2010. The proposed regulations set forth a set of objectives and measures characterized as Stage 1 Criteria that must be met by eligible professionals and hospitals that desire to receive incentive payments for adoption and implementation of certified electronic health records.  William H. Fischer

The Obama administration's multifaceted approach to the recession has focused recently on the central role played by small business enterprises as the engines of economic growth and job creation. In October, the Small Business Administration (SBA) responded with a far reaching Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) containing several important changes that will significantly impact the small business regulatory environment. In a signal of the importance of these changes, the SBA extended the initial comment period until Jan. 28 and scheduled several public hearings on the NPRM.  Charles Lucy