President Barack Obama’s expanded fiscal year 2010 budget signals continued commitment to advancing healthcare IT as a way to cut healthcare costs and save lives.
Obama’s $3.4 trillion federal budget, released May 8, expanded the outline he presented to Congress at the end of February. It includes $879 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated $63 billion increase over fiscal year 2009.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is expected to receive $372 million to conduct research on comparative effectiveness, prevention and care management, value research, health information technology and patient safety. In addition, the AHRQ will use the funding to support research it conducts with other agencies.
The president’s budget for AHRQ will be in addition to the $1.1 billion allotted for comparative effectiveness research under the stimulus package.
Obama’s plan calls for $635 billion over 10 years as a “down payment” toward health reform. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called it “a smart investment.” More Here EMR Stimulus Package