WASHINGTON – Many industry experts and legislative analysts expect a healthcare IT bill to pass under the newly elected 110th Congress, according to an informal survey conducted by Healthcare IT News.
With a slim-to-none chance of lame duck Congressional reconciliation on the current House and Senate healthcare IT bills by the close of 2006, healthcare IT proponents are turning their hopes to the New Democrat Coalition and what can be done in 2007 and beyond.
The NDC is a moderate, pro-growth Congressional group co-chaired by Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), promoting economic growth through technology, science and research and development.
According to Smith, the NDC leader on Healthcare IT issues, the NDC has built a reputation as the “go-to” group in Congress on critical issues like healthcare IT.
Based on the results of the recent election, the NDC is expected to grow from 46 to 63 members. Smith said the NDC would continue to prioritize moving healthcare IT legislation through Congress.
According to an NDC policy paper, the Coalition’s agenda includes passing legislation to:
Provide incentives for adoption of electronic health records;
Provide federal grant support to the development of local, regional and statewide healthcare IT networks;
Reduce regulatory barriers and the fear of criminal and civil penalties for organizations that wish to provide IT to physicians in exchange for electronic health information;
And ensure strict privacy and security standards for protecting electronic health
information.
Dave Roberts, vice president of government relations at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, said HIMSS intends to work closely with the NDC to ensure that the best aspects of each of the proposed healthcare IT bills is included in a compilation bill.
Roberts said this “dream legislation” will likely pass with the support of the NDC. Furthermore, “with Democrats controlling both houses, there will be more options for resolving differences,” he said.
Overall, Democrats will focus on federal funding to jumpstart transformation, and they will also push privacy issues and the implementation of personal health records, Roberts predicted. In addition, he said, Congress will hold more oversight hearings to ask hard questions on healthcare IT topics.
