Legislation
Chapter 305
Chapter 305 of the Acts of 2008, an Act to Promote Cost Containment, Transparency and efficiency in the Delivery of Quality Health Care (Chapter 305) was signed into law by Governor Patrick in August 2008. It established the goal of state-wide implementation of 
EHR in all provider settings as part of an interoperable health information exchange by the end of 2014. The state has provided $15 million in initial funding and established the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) within the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and a nine member Health Information Technology Council (HIT Council) that is chaired by Secretary of Health and Human Services Judy Ann Bigby. Council members represent experts from essential areas relevant to HIT, including privacy and security, and consumer interests. Read more >>
HITECH ACT
The ARRA, federal stimulus legislation, was signed into law by President Obama in February 2009. The ARRA has significant provisions pertaining to health information technology. These provisions are referred to as the HITECH Act. The HITECH Act 
establishes as a goal the use of certified electronic health records (EHRs) for every person in the United States by 2014 and creates reimbursement incentives through Medicare and Medicaid for providers who demonstrate they are “meaningful users” of EHRs with HIE connectivity. The Act contains significant incentives for providers who demonstrate “meaningful” use of certified EHRs and HIEs. The Act provides for $2 billion in funding for implementation support for grants and loans for HIT purposes, as well as funding for academic medical centers, interoperability testing, demonstration projects and further research and analysis and an estimated $36.35 billion for Medicaid and Medicare incentive reimbursements staring in 2011 for providers and hospitals that are “meaningful” users of EHRs. Links to Complete Act; go to page 112 of the pdf for HITECH >>