The machinery behind healthcare reform

When President Obama won approval for his $787 billion stimulus package, large sections of the 407-page bill focused spending to create a nationwide network of electronic health records to launch the reform of America's costly healthcare system. But it also represented a triumph for an influential trade group whose members now stand to gain billions in taxpayer dollars. A review found that the trade group, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, had worked closely with technology vendors, researchers, and other allies in a sophisticated, decade-long campaign to shape public opinion and win over Washington, DC.