House committee approves major health IT bill

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has unanimously approved a health IT bill and sent it to the full House for action. The committee leaders who sponsored the Protecting Records, Optimizing Treatment and Easing Communication Through Healthcare Technology Act of 2008 made significant concessions to privacy advocates and to those who use health information. The PRO(TECH)T Act aims to promote e-health records for all Americans by 2014, as the Bush Administration called for in 2004. It also establishes in law the technology standards activities that the Bush administration developed and would provide $560 million in grants and loans for healthcare providers to acquire EHR systems.