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House
Approves Bill to Advance Health Information Technology, Prevent Errors
Legislation
Cosponsored by Ryan Would Aid Efforts to Use Modern Information Technology to
Improve Health Care, Reduce Costs
The House of
Representatives today approved legislation cosponsored by First District
Congressman Paul Ryan to help integrate modern information technology such as
electronic medical records into our nation's health care system to prevent
medical errors and help lower costs. This measure codifies the Office of the
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and works to remove
barriers that have prevented interoperable health information technology from
being implemented. The bill - H.R. 4157, the Better Health Information System
Act of 2006, also known as the Health Information Technology Promotion
Act - passed the House by a vote of 270-148.
In June of this year, Ryan introduced separate legislation (H.R. 5559) that
would give everyone a chance to own his or her electronic medical record and set
guidelines governing the private-sector institutions needed to maintain
electronic health records. The bill the House approved today addresses
government's role in promoting health information technology, developing
standards, and assessing and altering laws that impact the electronic exchange
of health information.
"By moving from largely paper-based records to a secure system of
electronic health records, we can lower costs, improve patient care, and reduce
medical errors. At the same time, we need to safeguard patients' privacy and the
confidentiality of their information," Ryan said. "Today's legislation
helps pave the way for the nationwide spread of technology to enable the secure,
electronic exchange of health information including e-prescribing and other
advances that can save lives."
Among its
provisions, H.R. 4157 would:
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Codify the the
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in
statute and delineate its ongoing roles and responsibilities to coordinate
federal health information technology efforts.
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Provide for a
study of federal and state health privacy laws and standards and, depending
on the findings, create a process for congressional or administration action
to revise and strengthen such laws and standards.
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Create
exceptions to the fraud and abuse statutes to allow certain providers to
fund health information technology equipment and services for other
providers. (Current anti-kickback laws prohibit hospitals from giving
anything of value to a physician in order to encourage the doctor to refer
his or her patients to that hospital. H.R. 4157 would make an exception to
current law, allowing hospitals to provide doctors' offices with health
information technology software, computers, training and the like, without
being subject to penalties.)
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Require a
modern coding and transaction system.
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Create a
streamlined process for the adoption of transaction standards.
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Provide for a
report on the American Health Information Community (AHIC) and the
development of a strategic plan for coordination of health information
technology standards. AHIC is a federally chartered commission that will
provide recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
on how to make health records digital and interoperable, and assure that the
privacy and security of those records are protected.
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Contact: Kate
Matus (202) 226-7326
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