DOD, VA request $2.8 billion for health IT projects

The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have requested a combined $2.8 billion for health IT projects in the 2011 federal budget. The Department of Defense (DoD) is asking for $1.5 billion while the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is asking for $1.3 billion.

The DoD is seeking to dedicate $147 million to its EHR Way Ahead program with $120 million to “fund DoD/VA pilot projects that start to implement a service oriented architecture with Nationwide Health Information Network protocols to meet requirements being established by the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel.”

According to the VA, for the medical investment request of $1.3 billion, $346.6 million is committed to continue to develop the HealtheVet system which will supplement the current VisTA system with more flexibility, improved security and the infrastructure designed for data sharing among providers within and outside of the VA.

The VA is additionally requesting $52 million to allow the VA and DoD to jointly implement the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record, which will enable the VA to maintain a complete health record for each veteran and to deliver care and benefits to veterans with efficiency and accuracy.

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