Healthcare Information Technology: Equipment Financing Opportunities
Executive Summary
Healthcare providers, such as hospitals and physician practices, are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities in terms of health care information technology in the United States today. Healthcare information technology is developing at an unprecedented pace. At the same time, providers, consumers and payers are demanding more cost effective, quality and productive healthcare. Access to meaningful healthcare information and transparency is required by regulators, as well as, providers and consumers. Developments in clinical applications and capabilities are allowing us to improve, measure, and communicate improvements in patient care. All of these developments, as well as a national focus on healthcare reform and government incentives for the meaningful use and management of healthcare information, qualify the next few years as the most exciting yet in terms of healthcare information technology in the United States.
Unprecedented opportunities exist to offer finance and leasing products and services to this rapidly emerging sector known as healthcare technology. Opportunities to provide greatly needed financing resources and expertise to an extremely large and underserved market abound, while at the same time, challenges are driven by complex regulation, a difficult economy, and lack of understanding by all parties to these complicated transactions. The healthcare private sector and government investment in healthcare information technology in the U.S. offers exciting opportunities for leasing and finance companies in 2010 and beyond. However, these services will be much more complex and require a significant understanding of the healthcare industry, recent legislation, regulations, and healthcare technology, as well as equipment leasing and finance. Developments in healthcare technology will transform the delivery of healthcare in the U.S. and globally. It will not be easy, but the benefits are well worth the effort required for success in this process.
This report explores the health care operating environment today, emerging information technologies, federal incentives and regulation, and opportunities and challenges identified by healthcare professionals and finance and leasing professionals. Information, resources and tools are also provided.
Table of Contents:
- 1 Executive Summary
- 3 Introduction
- 4 Opportunity: A Very Large Market
- 9 Opportunity: An Underserved Market
- 15 Challenge: Difficult Economic Environment
- 18 Challenge: Complex Regulation and Implementation
- 20 Providers and Provides Opportunity for Vendors
- 22 Economic Stimulus Bill
- 24 Meaningful Use
- 25 Amount of Medicare Incentive Payments to Physicians
- 26 Medicare Part B Incentive Payments to "Meaningful" EHR Users
- 27 Medicaid Provisions
- 28 Comparative Effectiveness Research
- 29 Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) Awards
- 29 Federally Qualified "Community" Health Center Grants
- 29 Solutions: Important Technology Developments
- 30 Health Information Exchange
- 31 Nationwide Health Information Network
- 32 Challenges for 2010 and Beyond
- 33 Opportunities and Challenges for Healthcare Finance and Leasing
- 36 Appendice: Interviewee Comments
- 38 Bibliography
- 41 About the Researcher
