Health Information Technology Provisions
Department & Agency:
Department of Health and Human Services
Administering Agency:
Newly-authorized Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Stimulus Provisions:
Division B of the final stimulus, concerning Tax, Unemployment, Health, State Fiscal Relief and Other Provisions, which are generally in the jurisdiction of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, contains a stand-alone title on Health Information Technology. Among other provisions, this title would establish within the Department of Health and Human Services a new Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology who would develop a nationwide health information technology infrastructure and coordinate health information technology policy and programs. The Act authorizes and appropriates $2 billion for programs and services under this new Office of the National Coordinator.
Under this title, the following provisions are of particular interest to Indian Country:
• The Indian Health Service, tribes and tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations are included in the definition of “health care provider” for purposes of these health information technology and quality services.
• Subtitle C, Grants and Loans Funding, includes language that authorizes the Secretary of HHS to invest funds through the Indian Health Service and other agencies for health information technology infrastructure (section 13301).
• The National Coordinator of the Office for Health Information Technology is authorized to award competitive grants to states and Indian tribes for the development of loan programs to facilitate the widespread adoption of certified Electronic Health Records technology.
In addition, in Title IV of the final bill, the Medicare and Medicaid Health Information Technology title, section 4104 provides that the Secretary of HHS will consult with the Director of the Indian Health Service and others on a study and report to Congress on the availability of open source health information technology systems to federal safety net providers, including small, rural providers.
