A unique opportunity

How can the economic stimulus package save healthcare

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides approximately $787 billion in spending and tax cuts to stimulate the sagging U.S. economy.

Cerner calculates that the legislation will infuse $53.7 billion into the U.S. healthcare market, including $35 billion in Medicare and Medicaid incentives available to physicians and hospitals for the “meaningful use” of qualified electronic health record (EHR) systems, and $18.7 billion for research, condition management and other initiatives.

Although the federal government has not finalized ARRA guidelines for receiving stimulus funding, Cerner encourages hospitals and physician practices to be proactive in implementing EHRs. In this way, healthcare organizations can maximize incentives and avoid Medicare reimbursement withholdings, which start in 2015.

The need for systemic reform

Cerner believes this investment represents a unique opportunity to reconfigure the U.S. healthcare system and eliminate $500 billion each year in waste. This investment could create the level of systemic change America needs to address a number of serious issues and create a safer, more efficient healthcare network for generations to come.

At Cerner, we recognize that our success is rooted in the value of automating the healthcare process, and we are pleased to see that the Obama Administration and Congress understands an investment in healthcare information technology (HIT) benefits the entire U.S. economy.

Our industry brief, “The ABCs of Systemic Healthcare Reform,” authored by Cerner Chairman and CEO Neal Patterson, illustrates how the rational and systematic application of HIT can slow or reverse the growth in U.S. healthcare spending over the next decade. The brief guides our policy discussions with our partners in Congress and with state legislators. In pursuing these policies, we believe we are working both to reboot the U.S. healthcare system and to create the best possible outcomes for our clients.

With 30 years of HIT experience, Cerner is helping its clients identify how they can fulfill any requirements necessary to reap the maximum benefits from the federal stimulus legislation.

Contact us to see how Cerner can partner with your organization to transform healthcare delivery and become a good steward of this strategic HIT investment. If you are in a physician practice, please click here to get more information about how your organization can benefit from the stimulus legislation.