Index for HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

(a) Study.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct a study of potential methods to increase the use of qualified electronic health records (as defined in section 3000(13) of the Public Health Service Act) by small health care providers. Such study shall consider at least the following methods:

(1) Providing for higher rates of reimbursement or other incentives for such health care providers to use electronic health records (taking into consideration initiatives by private health insurance companies and incentives provided under Medicare under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicaid under title XIX of such Act, and other programs).

(2) Promoting low-cost electronic health record software packages that are available for use by such health care providers, including software packages that are available to health care providers through the Veterans Administration and other sources.

(3) Training and education of such health care providers on the use of electronic health records.

(4) Providing assistance to such health care providers on the implementation of electronic health records.

(b) Report.—Not later than December 31, 2013, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), including recommendations for legislation or administrative action to increase the use of electronic health records by small health care providers that include the use of both public and private funding sources.