AMIA Applauds Omnibus Funding Bill

AMIA applauds the bipartisan work of Congress to deliver a comprehensive funding bill that will enable data-driven discovery and accelerate healthcare’s transformation through informatics. By fully funding ONC, AHRQ, CDC, FDA, and by providing a $3 billion boost to the NIH, this spending package makes good on the promises articulated in the 21st Century Cures Act.

While there continues to be a tug-of-war between White House and Congressional funding and policy priorities, this budget will give HHS agencies and offices a few months of consistency. The need to address ongoing challenges related to interoperability, patient data access, and health IT safety continues to grow as more data about more individuals moves across more systems for care and research. We also have numerous emerging and promising areas to explore, including real-world evidence, data science, machine learning, and cryptography.

This funding package is a demonstration of much-needed leadership in Washington. And we look forward to the work that lies ahead.