WASHINGTON – Two members of Congress will soon introduce bipartisan legislation that would offer grants to spur healthcare providers' adoption of healthcare information technology. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) on Thursday said he and Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) planned to introduce a bill designed to help prevent medical errors, cut waste and improve efficiency in the healthcare system.

Murphy, who co-chairs the 21st Century Health Care Caucus with Kennedy, said the bill also would give physicians an increase in Medicare reimbursements for healthcare IT use. Both lawmakers are finalizing the bill's language.

Murphy spoke as part of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's advocacy meeting. The meeting brought together healthcare industry leaders who met with lawmakers to encourage funding for healthcare IT projects.

The number of infections U.S. hospital patients acquire annually is particularly alarming, Murphy said, and indicates inadequate monitoring. "I'd like to see us drive hospitals to positive change by providing accurate data," he said.

Senate, House committees eye healthcare IT bills

Katy Barr, a staff member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, said the committee would produce healthcare IT legislation by early summer. Barr said she hoped the legislation could help more clearly define the regional organizations the government is advocating as a way to connect a larger national health information infrastructure. Barr said she would also like to see healthcare IT legislation address standards, which are necessary for IT systems to communicate and for providers to exchange data.

Shannon Meade, a staff member on the House Government Reform Committee, said the committee is considering ways the government could encourage IT adoption through the Federal Employee Benefits Program. The FEBP is the largest purchaser of healthcare and could use its leverage to push for healthcare IT adoption, she said.

HIMSS urges House to provide reserve fund

In the meantime, HIMSS on Tuesday wrote a letter to House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-Iowa), urging him to support a reserve fund for investments in healthcare IT. The Senate in March approved the fund, which allows members of Congress to support investments in healthcare IT without requiring cuts in other programs.

The fund provides a five-year window to show that investments in healthcare IT and pay-for-performance programs can cut waste and improve care. To make the reserve fund a reality, the House would have to include the measure in its fiscal year 2006 budget resolution. Rep. Murphy acknowledged the House traditionally does not support reserve funds, but he said he is optimistic about the chances for passing healthcare IT legislation. Lawmakers last year introduced several healthcare IT- related bills, but none passed.

In addition to other legislative efforts, the healthcare IT community is still pushing for $50 million in the fiscal year 2005 budget to be reprogrammed to fund the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, led by David Brailer, MD. Ned McCulloch, governmental programs executive with IBM, said appropriators still had not reprogrammed the $50 million for Brailer's office. Michael Zamore, a policy adviser to Rep. Kennedy, said the healthcare IT community learned an important lesson after Congress last year failed to fund a requested $50 million for Brailer's office.

"Just because it is a good idea doesn't mean it will happen in this town," he said.