Va Electronic Health Record Transparency Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4591, as amended, the VA Electronic Health Record Transparency Act.

Since the very beginning of the Electronic Health Record Modernization, or the EHRM, program, this committee has been requesting accurate and up-to-date lifecycle cost estimates from VA. Despite our requests, VA has never provided a credible lifecycle cost estimate. VA's cost estimates could not withstand even the most basic scrutiny.

This bill would require quarterly reports on the costs of the EHRM program. It would also capture the roughly $5 billion of costs the Inspector General found were unaccounted for and any other costs that VA has not been including.

Of course, cost is not everything. The electronic health record program needs to help the VA medical staff better care for veterans. That is why this bill would also require VA to report on performance and safety metrics. These data points will allow us to evaluate the program and determine whether it is making VA medical centers safer, faster, and better.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the bipartisan work of the Technology Modernization Subcommittee, and I am also pleased to be the original cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support H.R.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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