[telemedicine] Congress Axes Health IT Office Funding

[Medical Informatics News]

Congress passed a catch-all 2005 budget before adjourning over the weekend, but it didn’t
include $50 million in funding for the Office of the National Health Information
Technology Coordinator. From Healthcare IT News:


According to Dave Roberts, director of public policy for the
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, with budget
makers looking to slash more than $3 billion from the Omnibus Appropriations bill, the $50 million that President Bush
requested in his original 2005 spending plan was too tempting a target to pass up.

”It would have been wonderful to get that money,” Roberts said. “But things are so tight this year… We plan to work
on the funding when the 109th Congress convenes next year.”

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