Study: Electronic Record Costs May Soar (Bush plan cost: $200 billion)

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's proposal to create a national network of electronic health records could cost more than $200 billion initially to build and operate, researchers said Monday.

The health care industry itself, based on current estimates, will cover less than 20 percent of that amount.
...
"We know it's expensive," said Dr. David Brailer, appointed by Bush to coordinate the government's efforts for improved health information technology.

"We know it's in the billions of dollars, perhaps in the tens of billions of dollars, and possibly even the hundreds of billions," Brailer said. "But the principle question is not how much it is. It's how do we create incentives to involve the private sector and prevent the federal government from financing it all. We want it to be market-driven."

The United Kingdom has allocated about $14 billion to build a health information network. Canada has invested about $1.2 billion -- an amount the researchers said likely would have to be increased.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-health-network,0,4843262.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Inland]

1. Jeez, that's about three years of Iraq occupation!

And four years of Syria occupation to come!

[Rose Siding]

3. That's his whole health care plan

This is supposed to *lower* costs?

I don't trust the bushies with it anyway- Remember the fiasco over the FBI's data systems?

[Inland]

6. I smell Halliburton contract!

hundreds of billions for a system that doesn't work? Yeeehaw!

[ret5hd]

7. i think electronic records is dyn-corps specialty.

[MidwestTransplant]

10. It will lower costs no doubt but the consumer won't ever see a penny

Plus they will pay more taxes in order to finance it.

[indepat]

2. I know, I know, give the industry tax credits and tax breaks in

multiples of several times the cost of the system: that should get the job done.

[SlipperySlope]

4. Why does Bush want to build this system?

Do we even need this, or is it just another way Bushco wants to increase the ability of the Government to spy on us and keep track of us.

I don't like the idea at all. What doctor I see, what sickness I've had, what drugs I was prescribed, should all be PRIVATE information!

[Iowa]

15. Agreed!

This will set us up for an incredible invasion of our privacy. Eventually corporations will access it to screen out potential employees with health problems, and there will be many other potential sinister uses. Isn't this the nonsense Hillary has been pushing with her buddy Newt?

[podnoi]

5. $48 Billion/year could take care of a lot of medical procedures

Isn't it always interesting how much Money our Resident is willing to spend on projects like this...

I suppose healing the sick isn't quite as profitable for his friends and supporters. With a $160 Billion startup price there will be a lot of money to made off of this.

[Straight Shooter]

8. In the billions, the tens of billions, or even hundreds of billions.

Can I hear a trillion? Jeebers, do these people ever listen to themselves?

:banghead:

[thebigidea]

16. you'd think the guy appointed to do this would work it out before talking

[jojo54]

9. Why the hell doesn't he give this money to stem cell research?

Saving lives is a little bit more important than giving your family and friends some cushy job entering everyone's PRIVATE information into a data base.

[Deja Q]

11. WHy should the gov't pay a penny? If the health industry wants it, THEY

can pay for it.

repukes want entities to live on their own merit, right? So ditch the corporate welfare already, please.

[rodeodance]

12. this is (and has been) Bush's answer to the the health care crisis.

[happyslug]

13. This is driven by SS Disability.

When a person applies for SS Disability the SSA must obtain his medical records. This costs about $35-50 for each record. You can have dozens of places to get the records from thus the cost PER CASE can be as high as $1000. If this centralized system existed all SSA would have to do is download the records. Save the Government a lot of money. Furthermore if someone's condition improved while on SS disability so that he or she was no longer eligible for SS disability the process to remove that person from the rolls can be started sooner.

This was the start of this concept, than expanded to covered people on Medicare and than Medicaid and than for everyone else.

The real issue is NOT whether such a system would help (It would) but can it be done?

[shraby]

14. And how much would it cost for Universal health care?

In my opinion, Universal health care would be a better use of the money.

[truthisfreedom]

17. umm... 'scuse please? how many people live in this country? 300 milllion?

and why does it take 200 billion dollars to keep track of 300 million people's health records? and why is that figure 666? any clues, anyone?

[DeepModem Mom]

18. kick