The Supreme Court of the United States recently decided to hear arguments challenging 2009's sweeping healthcare reform legislation. The court's decision could significantly alter the direction of a number of government initiatives involving EHR use and other health IT matters.

While the most contentious part of the law is the individual mandate requiring nearly everyone in the country to have some form of health insurance, other aspects of the act deal with specific health IT initiatives. It is not clear if the court will be convinced that the individual mandate can be separated from other aspects of the law.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provided funding for the establishment of new care models like patient-centered medical homes and accountable care organizations that rely on heavily on EHRs. If the law is struck down, the future of these models would be uncertain.

Additionally, the reform established numerous new programs and data reporting requirements that mandate the use of health IT tools, according to HIMSS.

A decision in the case is not expected until March at the earliest. Whichever way the court rules, it could become a landmark case for health IT and EHR users.