The House passed the relief package March 10; the legislation includes tens of billions of dollars to help with vaccine distribution and administration efforts as well as COVID-19 testing and genomic sequencing. Rural healthcare providers will also benefit from the bill, and Americans earning under $75,000 per year will receive $1,400 direct payments.
Here are five ways the relief package will affect tech initiatives:
1. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will get $650 million for cybersecurity risk mitigation, including increasing protections of the vaccine supply chain, according to The Hill.
2. The bill will disperse $140 million to the Indian Health Service for IT, telehealth infrastructure and EHR systems upgrades.
3. The Emergency Connectivity Fund, which supports broadband connectivity capabilities across the U.S., will get $7.1 billion.
4. The U.S. Digital Service, a tech team within the Executive Office of the President, will receive $200 million, and the General Service Administration’s Technology Modernization Fund will get $1 billion to upgrade outdated IT systems.
5. The Federal Citizen Services Fund will receive $150 million to increase its public access and engagement efforts; the fund supports the adoption and implementation of emerging technologies in government programs.
More articles on health IT:
Google Translate should not be relied on for discharge instructions, report suggests
EHRs need improvement for AI to be implemented, researchers suggest
5 recent studies exploring AI in healthcare
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.