Information about the vote from special interest groups and other information providers in our Report Cards:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Health Information Technology—H.R. 4157.
The House passed H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act. This bill would promote the widespread adoption and use of electronic medical records and other technologies by hospitals and physicians.
H.R. 4157 would help enhance the manner in which important medical information is managed throughout the health care system to significantly improve care and reduce costs. A recently released report by the Institute of Medicine indicates that medication errors harm at least 1.5 million people every year, and that the cost of treating drug-related injuries occurring in hospitals alone conservatively amounts to $3.5 billion a year.
These errors could be avoided by improving the health communication infrastructure. Electronic health records that can be shared across geographic regions, at any hospital and on any computer system, could dramatically improve the efficiency and quality of the nation’s health care system while reducing costs.
Information Technology Industry Council
HR 4157: Health Information Technology - Passage.
Passage of the bill that would encourage the expanded use of electronic medical records in doctors' offices and hospitals. It would expand the number of codes used by insurers and health care providers in billing. It would authorize $15 million per year in fiscal 2007 and 2008 for a grant program to assist in the coordination of health care for the uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved through new or improved health information technology. The bill would codify the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and require the national coordinator to publish a strategic plan to endorse core interoperability guidelines by December 31, 2006.The National Association of Social Workers
Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005.
To promote a better health information system.