Senate Passes Economic Stimulus Bill, Includes Health Care Provisions

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed an amended version of H.R. 1, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" (ARRA). The bill, which totals approximately $838 billion in tax cuts and spending, includes funding for health information technology (HIT), additional Medicaid funding and expanded health insurance benefits for the jobless, as well as money for comparative-effectiveness research. The final vote on H.R. 1 was 61-37.

• Roll call vote

The House and Senate are expected to soon begin conference negotiations, with plans to send the final bill to President Obama before the weekend.

Information will be posted to www.asahq.org as it becomes available.