The obstacles behind the government’s push for electronic health records. “Paying for the network will be the first major hurdle. Many cash-strapped hospitals and small-practice doctors have no interest in footing the bill for a medical Internet. One key reason is the mismatch between costs and savings: While health-care providers bear the cost of tech investments, Medicare and private insurers reap almost all the savings. Pamela R. Kushner, a family medicine physician in Long Beach, Calif., says the estimated expense to upgrade her three-doctor office is $130,000. ‘I’m supposed to take the burn for the initial outlay, the installation, and the transition? No, thank you,’ Kushner says.”

With the upcoming cut in Medicare reimbursement, expect fewer physicians to take up the EHR cause.

Prev
Next