The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will help states transition to new or upgraded IT exchange systems that will allow consumers to research available health insurance plans, according to an HHS news release.

FIRM360, a new financial risk management toolkit, was introduced by HFA Partners for healthcare providers this week, according an HFA Partners news release.

A study conducted by CapSite, a healthcare technology research and advisory firm, showed that more than 40 percent of U.S. hospitals are planning to invest in new health information management systems, according to the study.

The HHS' Health IT Policy Committee has created quality measure concepts for stage 2 of meaningful use but has not yet established specifics for incentive criteria, according to a Government Health IT news report.

While India-based IT firms have had success outsourcing for U.S. drugmakers and insurers, they still need to convince U.S. hospitals to sign up for electronic health records systems, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has filed a lawsuit against Indianapolis-based health insurance company WellPoint following a data breach that occurred earlier this year and affected more than 32,000 Hoosiers, according to a news release by the Indiana Attorney General's…

The American Medical Association and Press Ganey Associates have teamed up to create and provide a web-based tool for physicians that will measure patient satisfaction, according to a Press Ganey news release.

The fervor and buzz around electronic health records is mounting as federal legislation threatens fines for non-compliance by 2016. Ironically, the EHR adoption rate for medical practices remains relatively low, especially among practices with fewer than 50 physician providers.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is looking for quality measures to use for a "Physician Compare" website it will launch by Jan. 1, 2011, enabling consumers to research and compare physicians, according to a Government Health IT news…

The Department of Health & Human Services will award "Early Innovators" grants to states that demonstrate a rapid movement toward implementing statewide health insurance exchanges for consumers, according to an HHS news release.