Senate Committees Approve Portions of Economic Stimulus Package With Funds for Health Care

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved the $365 billion portion of an $825 billion economic stimulus package over which the committee has jurisdiction that includes funds for health care. Prior to passage, the committee made a few revisions to the $5 billion health information technology portion of the stimulus package. Hospitals that have adopted health care IT could receive loans to help them meet federal privacy and compatibility standards. The portion of the stimulus package approved by the committee includes almost the same privacy standards for electronic health records as the House version of the package. The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday also approved a portion of the economic stimulus package over which the committee has jurisdiction that includes $18 billion for health care IT. In related news, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday heard testimony on the debate over privacy standards for EHRs included in the economic stimulus package. number of health care experts said that strong privacy standards could limit the ability of providers to exchange information and endanger the lives of patients as a result. However, others said that strong privacy standards are needed to obtain the trust of patients.