On January 3rd, Representative Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY) introduced the “Working Families Access to Health Innovations Act of 2013” that would amend the Small Business Act. The bill would provide loan guarantees up to 90 percent of the loan to help eligible professionals in solo and small group practices acquire health IT.
As the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Small Business, Velazquez has made access to capital for entrepreneurs one of her signature priorities.
The loans may not exceed $350,000 for any single qualified eligible professionals or exceed $2,000,000 to any single group of affiliated qualified eligible professionals. Velazquez noted, “Widespread adoption of health information technology can improve the quality of care and make our healthcare system more efficient.”
The bill would also enable Small Business Development Centers to include health IT training and also provide for a network of small health IT companies to help professionals in low income and underserved areas purchase, use, and maintain health IT.
For more information, go to http://thomas.loc.gov.
