PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 18, 2002
Efficiency in Health Care (eHealth) Act of 2002 - Establishes a timetable for the implementation of certain electronic systems for billing, consumer information and services, and physician orders by health care facilities and group health plans and health insurance issuers offering health insurance that are covered by the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to certain health care facilities for electronic billing systems and for computerized physician order entry systems.Requires, as a condition of their continuing eligibility to receive payments from Federal health plans, that all health care facilities have an electronic billing system and a computerized physician order entry system.Requires that group health plans and health insurance issuers have: (1) an automated, integrated system for efficient adjudication of claims and detection of fraud in real time; (2) a system using the Internet or a toll-free number which can provide certain information and capabilities to the consumer, including statements of account, Internet enrollment, explanation of benefits, referrals and authorizations, prescriptions, patient claim history, and statements to health care providers; and (3) a system to provide financial transaction services such as electronic transfer of payments and automatic payments.Requires the Secretary to establish technical standards for computerized physician order entry systems with an emphasis on interoperability with existing systems and the protection of health record confidentiality.
People & committees
Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] · D–MA
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5706-5707)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Feb 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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