The HITECH Act & Beyond: Funding for the Adoption of Health Care IT

Under the Stimulus Package signed into law by President Obama earlier this week, $19 billion has been appropriated to fund the promotion of a national infrastructure for the electronic exchange of health information and the widespread adoption of electronic health record (EHR) technology. The $19 billion includes $2 billion appropriated under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. These funds are to be spent by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to fund private and public/private initiatives to promote the adoption of health information technology. Congress has instructed HHS to expend these funds “as quickly as possible consistent with prudent management.”

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