On Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved a bill (HR 3014) designed to help health care providers purchase electronic health record systems and other health IT tools, the Rutherford Daily News Journal reports.
The Small Business Health IT Financing Act would authorize the Small Business Administration to oversee a loan program for health care providers seeking to purchase health IT systems (Rutherford Daily News Journal, 11/18).
Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.), chair of the House Small Business Regulations and Healthcare Subcommittee, introduced the measure (iHealthBeat, 10/27).
Related Legislation
Last week, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) backed a similar bill (S 2765) in the Senate. Kerry's bill would allow physicians to use SBA loans to purchase hardware, software and other technology to support EHRs and electronic prescribing systems (iHealthBeat, 11/12).
The House also recently passed the Small Business Early-Stage Investment Act (HR 3738), which would create an SBA investment program to distribute grants to small businesses working in health IT and other technology fields.
Both House bills now move to the Senate for consideration (Rutherford Daily News Journal, 11/18).