On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, H.R. 1. The Act aims to stimulate the economy through investments in infrastructure, unemployment benefits, transportation, education and health care.
It includes over $20 billion to aid in the development of a robust IT infrastructure for health care and to assist providers and other entities in adopting and using health IT. Total funding included for health IT is as follows:
- $2 billion for the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC)
- $17.2 billion in incentives through the Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement systems to assist providers in adopting EMRs (Electronic Medical Records)
- $4.7 billion for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
- $2.5 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Distance Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program
- $1.5 billion for construction, renovation and equipment for health centers through the Health Resources and Services Administration
- $85 million for health IT, including telehealth services, within the Indian Health Service
- $50 million for information technology within the Veterans Benefits Administration
