A bill (H.R. 4157) designed to promote the widespread adoption of healthcare information technology in the U.S. has been held up due to concerns over the legislation's impact on the federal budget.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that a provision requiring a transition from the current ninth version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) to the 10th version for purposes of Medicare billing and transactions will substantially increase spending and reduce potential revenues.
In a letter to Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, ranking Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, the CBO also noted that increases in direct spending would result from provisions in the bill that would modify the Social Security Act to establish "safe harbors" for donations of health information technology that might be subject to civil monetary penalties, criminal penalties, or sanctions for violating physician referral prohibitions.
H.R. 4157 was passed out of the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees in the U.S. House of Representatives late last week and was expected to be introduced to the full House for a vote this week. The U.S. Senate passed similar health IT legislation, S. 1418, in November 2005.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
June 20, 2006
Related Reading
U.S. House health IT bill approved by committees, June 19, 2006
U.S. health ITN bill introduced in House, Senate, June 15, 2006
Health and tech firms unite in Continua alliance, June 8, 2006
Health IT bill moves forward in U.S. Congress, May 25, 2006
Insurer group promotes health record interoperability, May 19, 2006
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