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Stimulus plan includes $19 billion to modernize medical records

Published: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009
WASHINGTON – The federal economic stimulus legislation that passed Congress Friday includes $19 billion to modernize health care information technology systems, a move that's intended to lead to the computerization of all Americans' medical records by 2014.

Is that $19 billion aimed at creating much-needed jobs and fixing a health care system that's choking on paper? Or is it a stealthy move toward national health care?

Many economists and health care experts say the plan is worthy of stimulus money because it will create tens of thousands of jobs in information technology, informatics (the managing and processing of data and information) and other computer-related industries, and will also lower health care costs and improve efficiency.

Don Detmer, president of the American Medical Informatics Association, estimates that it will take some 130,000 information technicians and 70,000 informatics specialists to achieve President Barack Obama's goal of computerizing everyone's medical records within five years.

"There's quite a lot of long-term and short-term job potential," Detmer said. "You need people who know how to implement these things and make major changes. You just don't buy it, plug it in, and live happily ever after."

However, Robert Moffit, director of the Center for Health Policy at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said the provision is nothing more than a Trojan horse for the Obama White House's true aim – transforming the nation's health care policy with as little public debate as possible.

Congressional Republicans and conservatives accuse the Obama administration of heading toward a European-style health care system with rationed medical care.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday that the GOP complaints were simply political rhetoric. He said it's "exceedingly similar to what we've heard for – going on the last two decades."

"We have to move our health care system into the 21st century," Gibbs said. "If I was for saving small businesses money on their health care," as Republicans claim to be, "I'd be for an increased investment in health care IT."

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