Personal Health Record Act of 2009
Latest action (7 Dec 2009): Introduced
What this bill does
H.R. 4216, the Personal Health Record Act of 2009, would amend the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to promote interoperability between electronic health records (EHRs) and personal health records (PHRs). It would formally define "personal health record" and "electronic exchange" in federal law, require the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to develop guidelines and standards making EHRs interoperable with PHRs, and specify required and optional components of PHRs, such as medical history, medications, allergies, privacy and consent protections, audit trails, and emergency access procedures. It also directs periodic reports to Congress on PHR adoption, security, and privacy issues.
The bill would primarily affect federal health IT policy bodies (the National Coordinator, HIT Policy and Standards Committees), health care providers, hospitals, Medicare and Medicaid providers, and vendors of personal health records. It ties compliance with these new PHR interoperability standards to existing Medicare and Medicaid "meaningful use" payment incentive programs for electronic health records, meaning providers seeking those incentive payments would need to show that patients can access and use personal health records tied to their EHRs. Patients and consumers would be affected as intended beneficiaries of improved access to their own health information.
The bill was introduced on December 7, 2009, by Rep. Patrick Kennedy and referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. It did not receive a vote and did not advance further in the 111th Congress.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Personal Health Record Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, in developing a nationwide health information technology infrastructure, to allow individuals to access their individually identifiable health information.
Requires the inclusion in the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan objectives, milestones, and metrics related to the interoperability of a personal health record with an electronic health record (EHR).
Directs the National Coordinator to develop guidelines for making EHRs interoperable with personal health records for the purpose of improving health care quality, reducing medical errors, and advancing the delivery of patient-centered medical care and health management.
Requires the National Coordinator to report to the appropriate congressional committees on: (1) personal health records, including the extent to which the use of personal health records improve communication between individuals and covered entities and improve patient health management; and (2) issues related to an individual's control of the personal health record.
Requires the HIT Policy Committee to make recommendations for standards and implementation specifications for the interoperability of personal health records and EHRs.
Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to establish as an eligibility requirement for an incentive payment for the meaningful use of EHR technology that a health professional, hospital, or Medicaid provider must demonstrate the availability of certified EHR technology to and use of such technology by individuals furnished items and services by such professional, hospital, or provider in the form of electronic and personal health records.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 4216 do?
- H.R. 4216, the Personal Health Record Act of 2009, would amend the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to promote interoperability between electronic health records (EHRs) and personal health records (PHRs). It would formally define "personal health record" and "electronic exchange" in federal law, require the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to develop guidelines and standards making EHRs interoperable with PHRs, and specify required and optional components of PHRs, such as medical history, medications, allergies, privacy and consent protections, audit trails, and emergency access procedures. It also directs periodic reports to Congress on PHR adoption, security, and privacy issues. The bill would primarily affect federal health IT policy bodies (the National Coordinator, HIT Policy and Standards Committees), health care providers, hospitals, Medicare and Medicaid providers, and vendors of personal health records. It ties compliance with these new PHR interoperability standards to existing Medicare and Medicaid "meaningful use" payment incentive programs for electronic health records, meaning providers seeking those incentive payments would need to show that patients can access and use personal health records tied to their EHRs. Patients and consumers would be affected as intended beneficiaries of improved access to their own health information. The bill was introduced on December 7, 2009, by Rep. Patrick Kennedy and referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. It did not receive a vote and did not advance further in the 111th Congress.
- Has H.R. 4216 become law?
- Not yet. As of 7 Dec 2009, H.R. 4216 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 4216?
- H.R. 4216 was sponsored by Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D-RI1, 1995-2010] (Democrat-RI), with 2 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 4216?
- Introduced (7 Dec 2009).
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