House Panels Clear Tech Stimulus Plans
The House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees approved their sections of the chamber's economic stimulus package after marathon mark up sessions on Thursday. CongressDaily has two extensive reports that can be accessed here and here (subscription required).
Energy and Commerce Highlights:
• Accepted an amendment by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich, to set a strict timetable for FCC implementation of a formula for distributing broadband money to "unserved" and "underserved" areas.
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., that called for areas with no service at all to be helped first, then "underserved" areas.
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., to prevent states attorneys from filing suits under federal privacy laws.
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, to allow hospitals and doctors to share IT and staff.
• Accepted an amendment from Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., to add additional security requirements to protect patients' personal health information.
Ways and Means Highlights:
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Fla., requesting several GAO studies, including one on the adoption rate of health IT systems.
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., stating that no health IT funds should be spent until the HHS secretary certifies that interoperable systems are available.
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Wally Herger, R-Calif., that proposed recipients of health IT incentive payments be required to meet price transparency standards.
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, that would have replaced the Medicare and Medicaid subsidies with tax credits.
• Rejected an amendment by Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., to delay the effective date of the IT program until HHS determined the impact of security and confidentiality standards on providers.
Meanwhile, lobbying on the $20 billion health IT portion of the stimulus picked up. Industry and consumer groups with a stake in the funds wrote several letters to congressional leaders. Read CongressDaily's coverage here (subscription required).
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