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U.S. to Dole Out $1.2 Billion for Health Records Technology
Washington Post ^ | August 21, 2009 | Robert O'Harrow Jr.

Posted on 08/21/2009 6:48:26 AM PDT by La Lydia

The Obama administration unveiled $1.2 billion in federal grants for electronic health records systems on Thursday, the first wave of funding under a health-care reform plan to create vast records-sharing networks aimed at cutting costs and improving care in the coming decade. The administration has described such computer systems as a crucial step in overhauling the nation's expensive health-care system. It allocated more than $36 billion in the landmark stimulus legislation to spur adoption of the equipment by doctors and hospitals along with the development of the networks that will link them all together...

...about half the grant money would help establish 70 technology-extension centers that will assist hospitals and other medical providers in choosing and utilizing the equipment. The rest is directed to state initiatives to create or expand medical information sharing networks...

President Obama, White House advisers and some advocates have said the adoption of the computer systems could help transform a system that is still remarkably reliant on paper and pens. Advocates say that proper use of digital records would make health care more efficient, cutting down on duplicative tests, unneeded procedures and harmful drug interactions.

Some studies have estimated that the universal adoption of electronic health technology could save more than $77 billion a year, a figure that the Obama administration has used widely to justify the plan. But the Office of Management and Budget has questioned the validity of that research, in part because of the complexity and unknowns involved in implementing such massive networks quickly and, in many cases, virtually from scratch...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bho44; bigbrother; federalspending; healthrecords; socializedmedicine; technology
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I this Big Brother information gathering, or progress? There is a provision in the House health care reform bill that would put everyone’s records into an electronic government database for the government to use in determining whether you can get a specific treatment. My primary care physician’s clinic uses one of these systems, and it can come in handy. If I have to go to a specialist, the specialist has access to my medical records, test results, x-rays, etc. and doesn’t have to wait until a printed copy of that information arrives at his office to treat me. He can access it on the database WITH MY PERMISSION. I don’t have a problem with that. But I have HUGE problem with the government taking over these private databases, putting them out of business, and accumulating this kind of Stasi health-care dossier for every member of the public.
1 posted on 08/21/2009 6:48:26 AM PDT by La Lydia
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To: La Lydia

Government trying to promote efficiency?

HA!


2 posted on 08/21/2009 6:54:09 AM PDT by TSgt (I long for Norman Rockwell's America.)
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To: La Lydia

Guess who’s heavily invested and advertising for this technology?

GE.

Follow the money.


3 posted on 08/21/2009 6:55:46 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: La Lydia

I am working with a company that has already developed a working product.


4 posted on 08/21/2009 6:55:57 AM PDT by edcoil (If I had 1 cent for every dollar the government saved, Bill Gates and I would be friends.)
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To: La Lydia

I bet your info can already be accessed WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.


5 posted on 08/21/2009 6:56:22 AM PDT by stuartcr (If we are truly made in the image of God, why do we have faults?)
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To: La Lydia

why not have individual portable data files?

This is like that old lucas movie THX-1138(number?) where all people are just numbers handled by massive databanks


6 posted on 08/21/2009 6:56:59 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: La Lydia
Very funny, as it is the Federal Gov. that has made the most useful functions of electronic records and bill paying illegal to use, via COBRA restrictions on privacy and the Byzantine requirements of Medicare.
7 posted on 08/21/2009 6:57:11 AM PDT by SampleMan (Socialism enslaves you & kills your soul.)
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To: longtermmemmory
This is like that old lucas movie THX-1138(number?) where all people are just numbers handled by massive databanks

You already are. Look at your SSN.

8 posted on 08/21/2009 6:58:10 AM PDT by SampleMan (Socialism enslaves you & kills your soul.)
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To: La Lydia

9 posted on 08/21/2009 6:59:16 AM PDT by WVKayaker (Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. -Arthur C Clarke)
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To: La Lydia

How conveeenient....the feds can keep track of which sickly elderly or weak premies are costing too much to maintain. One click of the computer key from D. C. can tell the doctor/hospital to terminate their ObamaCare...no need for a “death panel” to discuss the cases. Hitler would admire the efficiency of this plan.


10 posted on 08/21/2009 7:01:07 AM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: La Lydia
The Obama administration unveiled $1.2 billion in federal grants for electronic health records systems on Thursday, the first wave of funding under a health-care reform plan to create vast records-sharing networks aimed at cutting costs and improving care in the coming decade.

Just what I want. A fedgov that seeks to set up a Death Panel having access to everyone's medical records to help make life-and-death decisions all that more efficient.

BTW, recall that Newt Gingrich stood with Hillary a few years back for federal funding of a similar proposal.

But hopefully, this will be just as effective of a systems rollout as the IRS modernization was...

11 posted on 08/21/2009 7:01:23 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: La Lydia

12 posted on 08/21/2009 7:03:33 AM PDT by maggief
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To: La Lydia
The first steps toward the Internal Passport?

Of course to work will be done by C.O.0.

Contributors Of 0bama

It will take years and years for 0bama to pay off the massive debt required to buy the white house with money from both domestic and foreign contributors.

13 posted on 08/21/2009 7:09:43 AM PDT by TYVets (LetÂ’s Roll!!! The leadership of the GOP has no spine and no guts, but the rest of us do)
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To: La Lydia

How much of this money will go to offshore technology companies? How many of the 70 technology centers will be in Hydrabad?


14 posted on 08/21/2009 7:10:38 AM PDT by thepatriot1 (...brought to you courtesy of the Red, White and Blue)
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To: dirtboy

Actually, this function to make the “death panels” more efficient.


15 posted on 08/21/2009 7:12:16 AM PDT by La Lydia
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To: kittymyrib

The department that will do this has already been created and funded in the stimulus bill.


16 posted on 08/21/2009 7:14:48 AM PDT by old curmudgeon
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To: La Lydia
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2321102/posts

Waging War on Gangsters Who Stalk the Internet
______________________________________________

Does anyone see a potential problem with so-called government security on a massive database that cover all residents in the US, even those who are not legal residents?

Seems like a perfect data mining operation for either crooks or for Washington gangsters.

17 posted on 08/21/2009 7:17:13 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: texas booster

In order the seize control of the country and impose something like martial law, they need to know where we all are and whether we are in any condition to fight back.


18 posted on 08/21/2009 7:19:09 AM PDT by La Lydia
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To: La Lydia
...about half the grant money would help establish 70 technology-extension centers that will assist hospitals and other medical providers in choosing and utilizing the equipment.

What?? Suddenly hospitals don't have purchasing departments and quality IT departments?

Sounds like an "approved list" of vendors will be chosen, and all purchases will be quoted through those vendors.

Pathetic, and should be in violation of multiple bid laws.

Not to mention that it doesn't take $600 million of public funds to open 70 "centers". Probably modeled after SBA centers, which only dole out $$ to favored parties.

19 posted on 08/21/2009 7:28:40 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: La Lydia

Looks like they are all for overturning Roe! That case was all about the “right to privacy” between a patient and their doctor. Now they want to cancel that “right” and create a government data base.


20 posted on 08/21/2009 7:43:09 AM PDT by CSM (Business is too big too fail... Government is too big to succeed... I am too small to matter...)
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