2008-07-24 00:14:03 -

- Ivan Seidenberg, chairman of the Business Roundtable Consumer Health and Retirement Initiative and chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications Inc., issued the following statement on today's review of the Protecting Records, Optimizing Treatment, and Easing Communication Through Healthcare Technology Act of 2008 (PRO(TECH)T Act) by the House Energy and Commerce Committee:

"The Business Roundtable commends the House Energy

and Commerce Committee for its recognition and broad-based support of legislation to establish a national health IT infrastructure. The Committee's ongoing collaboration and development of the PRO(TECH)T Act reflects its belief in the enormous potential health IT offers for reforming America's health care system.

"The PRO(TECH)T Act will help speed the uniform deployment of health IT across the country. Currently, 90 percent of health care transactions are conducted by paper, fax and phone calls, putting the medical system out of sync with the way business is conducted today. Widespread adoption of health IT gives doctors--and patients--secure, private and protected access to complete medical histories, and puts doctors, patients and families in touch with the most up-to-date health care information available."

Business Roundtable President John Castellani added:

"A fortunate few individuals, doctors and companies across the country are already experiencing the benefits and efficiencies that health IT can provide. Today's hearing marks another important step toward the long-overdue upgrade of America's health care system by enacting pioneering yet practical health reform measures. We applaud the Committee for supporting this landmark legislation and hope that today's mark-up will result in the rapid passage of the PRO(TECH)T Act by the House."

Business Roundtable (www.businessroundtable.org) is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with $4.5 trillion in annual revenues and nearly 10 million employees. Member companies comprise nearly a third of the total value of the U.S. stock markets and represent over 40 percent of all corporate income taxes paid to the federal government. Collectively, they returned $114 billion in dividends to shareholders and the economy in 2006.

Business Roundtable
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