VA, DoD Get Tighter Leash With iEHR Cash

Congress puts forth stipulations to receive system funding

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill again expressed concern over the botched development and higher-than-expected price tag of creating a seamlessly integrated electronic health record between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, ultimately tacking on project funding restrictions in the House's Omnibus Appropriations Act passed Wednesday afternoon.
 
"The actions of the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs in developing an electronic health record continue to be of concern to the Committees," the bill read. 
 
Original estimates for the iEHR were estimated to be between $4 billion and $6 billion. However, in September 2012, the Interagency Program Office doubled its previous estimates, pegging the final price tag somewhere between $8 billion and $12 billion. However, both estimates proved to be grossly inaccurate, as costs climbed to a whopping $28 billion early last year.