Health IT Bill Hits US House
Two former physicians now serving in the US House of Representatives introduced legislation that will help doctors integrate information technology tools into their medical practices, supporting such through loans, tax incentives, and grant programs. The program is particularly geared to smaller practices, which may not have the financial resources to acquire such solutions.
Part of the program is supported by Medicare payment incentives to be utilized to acquire infrastructure components of an IT system. Additional payments from HHS can come for systems implemented to support case management. Reimbursement levels will be determined based on the purchase. Another implementation incentive included are modifications to deduction levels from the IRS for qualified IT purchases.
The bill represents an interesting move- the underlying premise being support from the government to integrate health technology into smaller physician practices. This will particularly benefit groups with fewer resources that cannot compete with the buying power of larger practices or hospitals.
Related stories:
- California Order Supports Health Information Technology (HIT)
- New York City Implements EMR
- Colorado Foundation Supports IT Integration with Grant Funding
- Implementing EMR to Improve Workflow
April 23, 2007 Related topics: Legal & legislative, IT & software