Congressional Bill Supports HIT

The high costs of switching to systems which support healthcare information technology has prohibited many practtioners from providing accessible medical records

Congressional Bill HR1952 was introduced last week by Representative Charles Gonzalez (D-TX) and Phil Gingrey (R-GA). The bipartisan bill is known as the National Health Information Incentive Act. It offers loans, grants and other incentives to practitioners to offset the costs of implementing healthcare information technology (HIT).

Phil Gingrey is a physician who knows first hand that many practitioners are small businesses who are concerned with the bottom line. Spending money to support HIT would cut into their ability to provide quality patient care. Gingrey says, "Our ATMs shouldn't be more advanced then our medical records."

Gonzalez is the chairman of the Small Business Committee's Subcommittee on Regulation, Healthcare and Trade and he feels that adoption of widespread HIT will revolutionize the quality and standard of healthcare in America.

Last year these two representatives introduced separate bills to support HIT. They both failed. By introducing a combined bipartisan bill, which includes a comprehensive pay-for-performance aspect, it is hoped that Congress can support this HIT issue and provide assistance to practitioners to make their medical records accessible.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina pointed out the need for HIT when thousands of U.S. citizens found themselves without their medications and without access to medical history information. Far too many died or suffered needlessly because of the lack of technology in the healthcare system.

What can you do now?

• Read more about this bill.
• Write to your Congressional Representative to support this effort.
• You can start now to make your own personal medical record .