Senate approves $3.3B for VA IT update

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) could receive $3.31 billion to spend on IT in 2010, an increase of 30 percent over the agency's 2009 budget, under a bill approved Monday by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Information Week reported that most of the funds would go toward EMR projects at the VA, as well as the integration of  that data with the medical records kept by the Department of Defense. The committee also recommended $800 million for new program development.

"The committee understands that effective healthcare delivery in the 21st century requires robust and modern IT systems and remains strongly dedicated to providing the VA with the resources it needs to accomplish this modernization," the committee said.

Breaking down the $3.31 billion IT budget at the VA, $939 million will go to staff salaries and expenses and $1.57 billion will go to operations for existing programs, plus the $800 million for new programs, according to Information Week. However, much of that money will be held back while the agency's CIO and secretary review the agency's IT spending.

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