President Obama’s stimulus bill has passed and now we must hope that it is implemented with some oversight and accountability (the same accountability we want the banks and others receiving bail out dollars to uphold).
As with all bills that pass the House and Senate, this one too will include many items that cannot please all of us. But one item I am happy about in the Economic Stimulus bill, and think all seniors and caregivers should celebrate, is this one:
“Making the immediate investments necessary to ensure that within five years, all of America’s medical records are computerized.”
Many seniors and their family members have walked into the office of a new doctor – usually a specialist for a new diagnosis such as cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s Disease, only to find they must fill out pages and pages of paperwork to provide information about their medical history and insurance. And we are the country that invented the internet? We can drive past a toll booth without tossing a dime into the basket because of technology and we can pay all of our bills with a few clicks on a computer. But walk into a hospital and they have no way to access your medical records, no way to find out what medications you are taking and no idea what Medicare insurance plan you are on.
It is time for our medical care to get up to speed with technology. It is possible to do this in a safe and secure way (we transfer millions of dollars a day from one bank account to another via online bill payment).
This seems especially important knowing the senior population will more than double within the next 20 years. With many industries already communicating information via cell phones, it is time for health care to at least be able to communicate via computers in preparation for a wired society. This will be a massive benefit for seniors and their family members who often do not live in the same city and need a way to monitor the care.
You may learn more about the health care initiatives included in the stimulus plan on the White House website. Definitely check in with your local Congressman and Senator to share any concerns you may have with them. Corporations know that when you track all of your activity, you increase profitability and performance —- definitely healthcare will benefit in many ways beyond just convenience by the computerization of medical records.
