What is ARRA?

ARRA is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This Act, commonly referred to as ‘the Stimulus’ or ‘The Recovery Act,’ was passed by Congress on February 17, 2009. ARRA was the government’s response to the economic crisis. The Act includes a number of projects and programs but its immediate goals were the following:  

• Stimulate economic activity and invest in the nation’s long-term growth
• Provide assistance to those most impacted by the economic recession
• Produce new jobs and protect existing jobs
• Increase levels of accountability and transparency in government spending

ARRA contains general incentives related to health care information technology in, such as the creation of a national health care infrastructure, and specific incentives designed to encourage the adoption of certified electronic health record (EHR) systems among hospitals and providers. In addition to the programs related to the healthcare industry, ARRA also addresses tax incentives for individuals and companies, and programs related to education, infrastructure, transportation, energy infrastructure, housing, scientific research, government buildings and facilities, etc.

To read more about ARRA and track the spending related to this Act, visit http://www.recovery.gov/.