Upcoming Changes

The Senate managed to pass a healthcare reform bill on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, there’s more hard work ahead for Congress in terms of reconciling the versions passed by the Senate and the House.

The Health IT Standards Committee has held a meeting for public comment on certification standards for 2011. Expect to see interim final rule by the end of this week.

The American Diabetes Association is ringing in the New Year by adding the A1C test to the recommended screening tools in its new guidelines for diabetes screening, diagnosis and prevention. The hope is that the test provides an alternative for those reluctant to undergo the overnight fasting required for the FPG (Fasting Plasma Glucose) or OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test), thus helping to identify more people with pre-diabetes.

With that, I’ll wish everyone a happy and healthy 2010. May all the changes coming your way support your efforts to make the world a better place.

It looks like 2010 is starting off with some changes in healthcare on the horizon — from a number of angles.