After a final vote, Montana's Senate has agreed to keep $35 million in federal funding that would go toward helping healthcare providers transition to electronic medical records, according to a news report by The Republican.
The lawmakers debated for nearly 14 hours, revising the state Republican budget plan which sought to turn away federal funding for EHRs. Other changes to the Republican budget include more government spending or a shift in government spending. Throughout the Senate debate, Republicans voiced their outrage at the moves to add more spending to the budget.
Opponents of the Republican budget say spurning federal funding does not help the federal budget because the money would simply go to other states. Meanwhile, proponents of the measure believe federal funding is inherently tied to "expectations for the state," according to the news report.
Read the news report about Montana's budget.
Read other coverage about healthcare spending:
- Montana Republican Budget Seeks to Turn Away $35M in ARRA Incentives
- Blue Cross Board Members' Pay Suspension Will Not Fix Rising Healthcare Costs
- Report: U.S. Hospitals Billed $1.2 Trillion in 2008
The lawmakers debated for nearly 14 hours, revising the state Republican budget plan which sought to turn away federal funding for EHRs. Other changes to the Republican budget include more government spending or a shift in government spending. Throughout the Senate debate, Republicans voiced their outrage at the moves to add more spending to the budget.
Opponents of the Republican budget say spurning federal funding does not help the federal budget because the money would simply go to other states. Meanwhile, proponents of the measure believe federal funding is inherently tied to "expectations for the state," according to the news report.
Read the news report about Montana's budget.
Read other coverage about healthcare spending:
- Montana Republican Budget Seeks to Turn Away $35M in ARRA Incentives
- Blue Cross Board Members' Pay Suspension Will Not Fix Rising Healthcare Costs
- Report: U.S. Hospitals Billed $1.2 Trillion in 2008