May 23, 2007 - U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. recently introduced H.R. 2377, the ADOPT HIT Act, a legislation that give an incentive to physicians to adopt health information technology, like electronic medical records (EMRs) and e-prescriptions.
“As a physician, I understand both the need for health IT and the barriers that exist to implementing its wide-spread use,” said Gingrey. “A recent RAND study found health IT could save the American healthcare system more than $162 billion a year. But if a doctor can’t afford it, patients can’t benefit from it. By allowing our tax code to help offset the substantial initial cost, my legislation will deliver this critical technology to physicians and patients across America.”
The ADOPT HIT Act includes provisions to: amend the Internal Revenue Code to increase the deduction allowed for the purchase of qualified health care information technology by health care professionals; more than double the first year deduction of rapid depreciation for qualified Health IT equipment from $100,000 to $250,000 and increase maximum purchase costs for qualifying equipment from $400,000 to $600,000 in any given year, allowing physicians to include other medical equipment purchases in the same year they purchase Health IT systems.