Obama's timetable for electronic medical records

crimeandpunishment writes: The Obama administration Tuesday rolled out its timetable for converting doctors and hospitals to computerized medical records....and it's an ambitious one. Five years. The government will offer federal funds beginning next year to help offset the cost of switching over. And for added incentive, providers who don't comply by 2015 will see cuts in Medicare payments. The White House says the conversion will save money and help save lives through the streamlining of medical care. But it could come with a cost tag of hundreds of billions of dollars.