Kerry introduces bill to make small practices eligible for health IT loans
Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced legislation last week that would help underwrite efforts by family doctors and other small medical practices to modernize their patients’ records and prescriptions.
The Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act of 2009 (S. 2765), which has been referred to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, attempts to amend the Small Business Act to authorize loan guarantees for health IT.
According to Kerry's office, the legislation would make family doctors and other small medical practices eligible for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to cover the costs of installing health IT--including computer hardware and software and other technology necessary to implement electronic medical records.
Under the proposed legislation, the maximum loan amount one eligible professional can receive is $350,000 and $2 million for a group of eligible professionals.
“EMRs and prescriptions are the common sense solution to restricting costs, reducing errors and reforming a broken system,” said Kerry. “This legislation helps small practices acquire the technology that will allow them to be more efficient and to focus on patient care.”
Loans guaranteed under the amended section will come equipped with a deferral period of one to three years.
According to the bill, the administrator cannot guarantee a loan under the amendment until the EHR meaningful use requirements have been determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, after which a sunset clause is appropriated where an administrator may not guarantee a loan after seven years to the date the requirements are defined.
The Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act of 2009 (S. 2765), which has been referred to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, attempts to amend the Small Business Act to authorize loan guarantees for health IT.
According to Kerry's office, the legislation would make family doctors and other small medical practices eligible for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans to cover the costs of installing health IT--including computer hardware and software and other technology necessary to implement electronic medical records.
Under the proposed legislation, the maximum loan amount one eligible professional can receive is $350,000 and $2 million for a group of eligible professionals.
“EMRs and prescriptions are the common sense solution to restricting costs, reducing errors and reforming a broken system,” said Kerry. “This legislation helps small practices acquire the technology that will allow them to be more efficient and to focus on patient care.”
Loans guaranteed under the amended section will come equipped with a deferral period of one to three years.
According to the bill, the administrator cannot guarantee a loan under the amendment until the EHR meaningful use requirements have been determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, after which a sunset clause is appropriated where an administrator may not guarantee a loan after seven years to the date the requirements are defined.