$5.7 Billion in Taxpayer Money Spent So Far to Encourage Use of Electronic Health Records

The Obama administration has paid more than $5.7 billion in the past year to health professionals to encourage the use of electronic health records, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on Tuesday.

As of the end of May, more than 110,000 health care providers and 2,400 hospitals had been paid to use the new technology through an incentive program established by the HITECH section of the stimulus law, which President Obama signed in 2009.

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, which began in 2011, pays eligible professionals and hospitals to adopt, implement, upgrade, or "meaningfully use" certified EHR technology in ways that improve care. Eligible professionals include physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and some physician assistants.

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