SAN DIEGO, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A member of Congress wants to provide U.S. tax incentives for doctors who purchase equipment for electronic medical records.
Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., urged support for the legislation during a speech Sunday to more than 400 physicians at the 2006 Health Information and Management Systems Society Conference in San Diego.
"Right now, the healthcare sector is woefully behind in using technology to reduce errors," he said. "I can go to Antarctica and get cash from an ATM without a glitch, but should I fall ill during my travels, a hospital there couldn't access my medical records or know what medications I take."
Gingrey introduced the ADOPT HIT Act, HR: 4641, in December 2005, which would provide tax incentives for physicians who implement healthcare technology in their practices.
The legislation calls for an increase in the first year equipment tax deduction from $100,000 to $250,000, and increases the maximum annual total of deductible property from $400,000 to $600,000 for healthcare professionals who purchase an electronic health record system.
