Health IT Now! Coalition Calls on Congress to Pass Health Information Technology Legislation...( Commends House Science and Technol...),Health

Commends House Science and Technology Committee for Holding Health IT

Hearing

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Health IT Now! Coalition, co-chaired by former Sen. John Breaux and former Rep. Nancy Johnson, called on Congress once again today to pass health information technology legislation this session.

"It's time for Congress to act so that our health care system can begin to deliver to patients the many benefits we are currently missing," said former Sen. Breaux. "Americans have waited too long for the benefits of health IT- benefits that we could have right now if only Congress would act."

The coalition also commended the House Science and Technology Committee for discussing the issue of health IT at a hearing today, but insists health IT legislation include:

-- Permanence in statute for a federal responsibility to lead a public-

private process to establish standards for system interoperability,

product certification, and quality measures and an accelerated process

for standards improvement;

-- Federal financial incentives for practitioners to facilitate the

adoption of health IT, and for communities, states, and other entities

to plan HIT components and develop Health Information Exchanges;

-- Federal focus on consumer empowerment, using patient education tools to

encourage patient use of electronic health records and provider quality

information; and

-- Federal leadership of a federal-state process to resolve policy issues,

like privacy and professional licensure, central to a secure and safe

care system

"These principles should serve as guidance for any health IT legislation Congress considers," said Dr. Richard LoCicero, president of the Health IT Now! Coalition. "While we are pleased that the Science and Technology Committee is considering legislation that includes hea
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