For long, officials of the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have intended to issue a number of rules to implement major provisions of the HITECH act within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

HHS says ‘Bah, humbug’ to all those skeptics out there who are of the opinion that federal regulators will fall behind their HITECH rulemaking schedule and that it will be a while before we actually learn the meaning of ‘meaningful use’.

Here’s what you should know: The agency is releasing rules implementing the HITECH act this month, which should keep Medicare incentives to adopt EHR on track for October 1, 2010 (hospitals) and January 1, 2011 (physicians).

HDM still expects to see one proposed rule and two interim final rules published this month.

RIN: 0991-AB58, an Interim Final Rule with comment period to establish an initial set of data standards, implementation specifications and criteria for certification of EHRs; RIN: 0991-AB59, an Interim Final Rule with comment period establishing certification programs for Healthcare IT technology; RIN: 0938-AP78, a proposed rule to establish policies and procedures for the EHR Incentive Program under Medicare and Medicaid.