No Funding Increase for Federal Health IT Office in 2008 Budget

Funny, almost everyone else is increasing budgets...perhaps one good reason we could use a geek at the top of the helm instead of folks who do not understand the actual brass tactics of technology.....but yet there is the pressure to convert health care to new technology...hmmm...wonder why the President took the stand of not allowing more funds, but yet he is pushing technology....catch 22 here...BD 

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's 2008 fiscal year budget of $61.3 million -- the same amount the office received in FY 2007 -- will force some health IT projects to be postponed, according to Robert Kolodner, the national coordinator for health IT, Government Health IT reports.
Efforts to develop the Nationwide Health Information Network will take the biggest hit, Kolodner said. The office has awarded nine community contracts for NHIN trial implementations and planned to add more communities, but the flat funding will curtail those plans for the time being, Kolodner said.

ONC would have received $66.2 million in a House and Senate compromise, but the extra funding was cut after Bush threatened to veto the compromise bill.

No Funding Increase for Federal Health IT Office in 2008 Budget - iHealthBeat