Government Relations Committee Mid-Year Report

Medical Library Association
Medical Informatics Section

Government Relations Committee
Mid-Year Report 2008-2009
Submitted by Doug Varner

AMIA Hill Day

On September 11th, 2008 I attended the AMIA Capital Hill Day which provided opportunities for information professionals to meet with U. S. Congressional Staffers.

Approximately 40 people attended the event – I was the only representative from the Medical Library Association.

The day began with a breakfast meeting in which Representative Wu (D-OR) spoke to the group. Rep. Wu has sponsored H.R. 1467 – “10,000 Training by 2010 Act” which is currently passed through the House on the Suspension Calendar. This bill requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants for basic research relating to innovative methodologies for improving health care information systems. In addition the bill provides federally funded grants to improve undergraduate and Master’s degree programs in health care information systems. AMIA supports full passage of this bill.

For the remainder of the day the group was divided into smaller groups of 4-5 people. Each group was presented with a schedule for meeting with staffers from various Senate/House Committees and staffers from the offices of individual congressional members.

My group met staffers from the following Committees/Offices:

o U.S. House Science and Technology Committee
o U.S. House Ways and Means Committee
o Office of U.S. Rep. Van Hollen (D-MD)
o U.S. House Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee
o Office of U.S. Sen. Mikulski (D-MD)
o U.S. House New Democrat Coalition

The meetings consisted of educating staffers on the purpose/activities of AMIA and asking how AMIA would be able to assist staffers and U.S. Congressional members with pending legislation. Members of my group focused on H.R. 6357 – “PRO(TECH)T Act” sponsored by Rep. Dingell (D-MI). One of the provisions of this bill mandates integration of more stringent privacy and security provisions into healthcare information systems and processes and the introduction of consent into most healthcare operations. AMIA does not support the passage of this bill due to a consensus opinion of the majority of AMIA members that requiring individual consent for each and every treatment, payment and health care operation activity would slow the delivery of care, diminish quality and impose enormous new costs in the system – without providing any actual benefit in the safeguarding of health information.

Respectfully submitted,

Doug Varner
Government Relations Committee