Promoting Health Information Technology Act of 2009

Bill: 111-hr-1039
Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3]
Introduced: 2009-02-12 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Business investment and capital
Competition and antitrust
Computers and information technology
Department of Health and Human Services
Executive agency funding and structure
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Home and outpatient care
Income tax deductions
Medical ethics
Medicare
Public contracts and procurement
Right of privacy

Summary:
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: 
Promoting Health Information Technology Act of 2009 - Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
 
Establishes the Health Information Technology Resource Center to provide assistance for the adoption and use of interoperable health information technology.
 
Amends title XI (General Provisions, Peer Review, and Administrative Simplification) of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for an expedited upgrade program to develop and approve additions and modifications to adopted standards for the electronic exchange of health information. Sets forth the process for such additions and modifications.
 
Prohibits federal funds from being used for the purchase of any health information technology that has not been certified in compliance with such standards. Requires federal agencies to comply with standards.

Requires the Secretary to study current federal security and confidentiality standards.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the limit on the amount a taxpayer may elect to expense for health care information technology as a depreciable asset. 
 
Requires the Secretary to encourage and facilitate the adoption of state reciprocity agreements for practitioner licensure in order to expedite the provision across state lines of telehealth services.
 
Provides for studies related to telehealth services, including on expanding the list of Medicare telehealth originating sites, to include mental health facilities.
 
Requires the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services to make federally qualified health centers eligible to participate in demonstration projects related to health records and heath information technology.
 
Requires the Secretary to establish an interest-free loan program for hospitals to purchase and implement certified health information technology products.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-02-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-02-12
text: Introduced in House