Hatch Wants To Pause, Reassess Meaningful Use

Despite lauding technology's potential to transform healthcare for the better, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he thinks Meaningful Use needs to be reassessed.

At a Senate Finance Committee hearing yesterday focusing on how health IT can improve care quality, Hatch said that now might be a good time to "push the pause button" on the program to ensure that it's working as advertised.

"The federal government cannot afford to spend money on programs that don't yield results," Hatch (pictured) said. "At the same time, providers can't afford to invest in systems that don't work or have to be overhauled a year later as requirements change."