The ongoing wave of regulatory changes brought on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the source of much celebration and protest among medical professionals and the general public alike. Though specialists have noted that the health care industry itself has not transformed dramatically under the law as of yet, it seems that every new measure has been met with contention. And, according to the predictions of one expert, the implementation process is about to get rockier.

Former Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Executive Director Paul Keckley issued a memo on the state of health care reform before stepping down from his position in August. He argued that the law was drafted on the premise that the economy would have recovered fully by 2014, and that the U.S. government would not be embroiled in further international conflicts. In addition, as he stated in a July interview with HealthcareIT, Keckley argued that legislators may not have foreseen complications with EHR implementation and meaningful use.

"If you look at health reform in the broad context of Meaningful Use and ICD-10 as elements of that – and that the Affordable Care Act merely assumes that those are implemented – it doesn't presume that those have been delayed or set aside," Keckley explained in the interview.

This point carries a particular weight due to misgivings that various medical professionals have expressed about meaningful stage 2, and calls that its onset should be delayed. National Director of Health IT Dr. Farzhad Mostashari has countered these arguments, noting that a stall in the process now could sabotage the progress this industry has made. Additionally, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society weighed in on the matter last month, arguing that the 2014 start date must stand.

However, with the cards full with regard to health care reform, you can put your practice in the best position possible by investing in quality chiropractic EHR software. By implementing chiropractic management software that is equipped to handle the complex changes ahead, and supported with ongoing training and troubleshooting, you can safeguard yourself from further fluctuations.