NAM applauds Rep. Dingell's leadership on Health IT.
Press Release Summary:
At news conference marking 1-year anniversary of Health IT Now!, NAM President and CEO John Engler stated that manufacturers are grateful for Rep. Dingell's leadership in moving forward with legislation to accelerate use of health information technology. U.S. currently lacks infrastructure to shift from paper to electronic health records, but Rep. Dingell's bill, along with Kennedy-Enzi legislation in Senate, organizes infrastructure needed to fully realize benefits of Health IT.
Original Press Release:
NAM Applauds Rep. Dingell's Leadership On Health IT
Manufacturers Urge Bipartisan Congressional Action on Health IT Bill This Year
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 5, 2008 - The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) today praised Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) for his leadership in supporting health information technology (Health IT) legislation to modernize the health care system.
"Manufacturers are grateful for Rep. Dingell's leadership in moving forward with critical legislation to accelerate the use of health information technology," said NAM President and CEO John Engler at a news conference today marking the one-year anniversary of Health IT Now! -- a coalition of patients, doctors and employers. He applauded the House Energy and Commerce Committee for holding a hearing on health IT legislation this week.
"With health care costs increasing at three times the rate of inflation, we can't move fast enough to pump some digital efficiency into our health care system. Rising health care costs are one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers and their employees. It's nearly impossible to expand a business and create jobs when insurance rates for employees are climbing higher and higher.
"It's going to take a collaborative effort to fix our health care system - and the implementation of health IT is a big part of that solution. Major U.S. corporations are moving ahead, but the Federal Government can be helpful.
"Although shifting from paper to electronic health records would greatly benefit patients and health care providers, we currently lack the infrastructure to make this much-needed transition," Engler continued. "Rep. Dingell's bill, along with the Kennedy-Enzi legislation in the Senate, organizes the infrastructure needed to fully realize the benefits of health IT all across America.
"We want to see a bipartisan Health IT bill that will bring some real efficiency to America's health care system passed and signed into law this year," Engler concluded.
The National Association of Manufacturers is the nation's largest industrial trade association, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the NAM has 11 additional offices across the country. Visit the NAM's award-winning web site at www.nam.org for more information about manufacturing and the economy.
