Medical records system bill passes panel
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
Legislation to establish a loan program to help Louisiana health care providers move to an electronic medical records system cleared a House panel Thursday.
The Health and Welfare Committee signed off on Senate Bill 246 sponsored by state Sen. Sherri Cheek, R-Keithville, and shipped it to the House floor for final legislative passage.
Bunkie physician Don Hines, the former state Senate president, told the panel that the proposed state budget contains $5 million to help expand medical records technology into hospitals, physicians offices and health clinics.
The $5 million will be used as seed money to start a loan program that will allow state health care providers to get a head start on the technology upgrade before it is mandated, said Hines who is working on technology upgrades for rural hospitals.
Upgrading early will bring providers enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rates for patient care —money that can be used to pay off the loan, he said.
The $5 million will be used to draw down $25 million in special federal funds earmarked for implementation of electronic health records — funds that will also go into the loan program, Hines said.
The program will be under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Health and Hospitals but the agency will be working with lenders who will operate the loan program, DHH Undersecretary Charles Castille said.
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
