U.S. House stimulus plan to spur healthcare spending

An economic stimulus package under consideration by the House Energy and Commerce Committee would help provide health-insurance coverage to unemployed and uninsured Americans, give states expanded federal funding for Medicaid programs, and promote use of electronic health records by doctors and hospitals. The healthcare provisions are contained in a two-year, $875 billion package that congressional Democrats hope to enact by mid-February in response to President Barack Obama's call for action to revive the U.S. economy.