Date: 2006-07-27
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. the rule provides 1 hour of general debate with 35 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and 25 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member on the Committee on Ways and Means. The rule also provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker. the information age has greatly changed our economy by bringing about increased efficiencies in productivity. Virtually every sector of our economy benefits from the use of new information technologies. Right here in Congress. for example. the use of technology has opened up access to the workings of our democracy like never before. Technology allows our constituents to quickly view the status of a bill or to look up our voting records. Mr. Speaker. the health care industry has not fully embraced the advantages and benefits of information technology. According to a study by the RAND Corporation. only 15 percent .of physicians and 20 percent of hospitals use computerized patient files. Broad use of information technology in the health care system would certainly improve the quality and efficiency of health care delivery. The use of health information technology is increasingly necessary to deliver the best care possible to individuals with chronic illnesses. The use of health care IT would also promote interoperability between providers and payers. Efficiencies from coordinated development of health IT will accelerate and advance private and public efforts to improve quality. lower costs. reduce fraud and abuse. and promote the coordination of care. The synergy of these efficiencies will help achieve better health outcomes for patients. The Health Information Technology Promotion Act. which we bring to the floor today. will improve the quality of care Americans receive through national adoption of electronic medical records and eprescribing systems. The legislation promotes the adoption and use of interoperable health information technology that prevents medical and prescription errors and costly duplicate tests. eliminates lost medical records. simplifies our administrative system. and improves medical care and the treatment of chronic illnesses. The legislation we bring to the floor today provrides grants for the use of health information technology to coordinate care among the uninsured and to implement technology in small physician practices. It also updates diagnostic coding. systems for the digital age.- and provides for an expedited process to update standards. Mr. Speaker. this legislation was introduced by Congresswoman NANCY JOHNSON. my dear friend. who is a true expert in the field of health care. It was reported out of the House. Energy and Commerce Committee. We believe it is time that the health care industry moves to a digital future. and this legislation is an important step in seeing that to reality. Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank Congresswoman JOHNSON and Chairman BARTON and Chairman THOMAS for their leadership on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support the rule that brings this legislation forth as well as the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.