American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Practice Exam

HITECH was enacted as part of which legislative act?

1. Medicare Improvement Act

2. Affordable Care Act

3. ARRA

4. Health Care Reform Act

The correct answer is: ARRA

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, commonly known as HITECH, was enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, often referred to as ARRA. HITECH was introduced to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology, primarily electronic health records (EHRs). ARRA was a broader economic stimulus package aimed at reviving the economy during a recession and included several provisions related to healthcare and technology incentives. HITECH specifically provided financial incentives for healthcare providers to adopt and demonstrate the meaningful use of EHR systems, thus enhancing patient care through improved technology. Other legislative acts mentioned do not contain the specific provisions related to healthcare technology adoption that HITECH addresses. For instance, the Affordable Care Act primarily focuses on expanding health insurance coverage, while the Medicare Improvement Act pertains to Medicare program improvements, and the term "Health Care Reform Act" could refer to various reforms without directly mentioning HITECH. Thus, the context of HITECH clearly aligns with ARRA.