Bill Overview
Title: Health Care Providers Safety Act of 2022
Description: This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to health care providers for security services and other expenses related to physical security and cybersecurity.
Sponsors: Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16]
Target Audience
Population: Health care providers
Estimated Size: 15000000
- Health care providers include all entities and individuals providing medical services, such as hospitals, clinics, doctors, and nurses.
- There are millions of health care providers across the globe who contribute to the medical field.
- The security and cybersecurity concerns addressed in the bill are universal among health care providers.
Reasoning
- The policy targets healthcare providers, specifically focusing on increasing their security capabilities through grants.
- The policy budget, though significant, needs to target specifically high-risk areas while considering the overall number of entities involved in healthcare and their existing security capabilities.
- Including interviews with healthcare providers at different levels (e.g., hospital administrators, nurses, small clinic doctors) presents a comprehensive view of the impact.
- Covering different geographic areas can showcase regional discrepancies in benefit from the policy.
Simulated Interviews
Hospital Administrator (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The grant will allow us to update our cybersecurity systems, which is crucial given the high volume of patient data we handle.
- I'm optimistic about the potential improvements in physical security, but I hope the funding is sustained.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Cybersecurity Specialist at a Regional Clinic (Chicago, IL)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's great that we can finally afford robust cybersecurity measures.
- I'm concerned about the longer-term sustainability once the grants are depleted.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Nurse at a Private Clinic (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't see a direct impact on my work as a nurse day-to-day, but I know patient data will be safer.
- In our small clinic, we might not get much support, given budget limitations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Doctor at a Community Health Center (Rural Kansas)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The grant might help us with basic security improvements, but I expect urban areas will be prioritized.
- I'm concerned that rural places like us will remain underfunded as usual.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
IT Manager at a Teaching Hospital (Houston, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will definitely strengthen our existing security infrastructure, allowing us to lead going forward.
- I hope the funding scales with our needs, including ongoing updates.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Emergency Room Technician (Miami, FL)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Anything that can improve our safety and the safety of our data is a welcome change.
- I hope the implementation process considers the unique needs of emergency departments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Healthcare Policy Analyst (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The grants must be carefully allocated to maximize impact, which is a bit complex given the broad targets.
- I'm interested in the long-term evaluation of such grants.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Chief Information Officer at Medical Research Facility (Seattle, WA)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Additional funding is key to maintaining our cybersecurity against increasing threats.
- Widespread application will depend on individual facility commitments as well.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Clinic Manager (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our clinic can't make big improvements with just these grants, we need more investments or state assistance.
- The benefits might show with pooled resources or shared community facilities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Volunteer Coordinator at a Non-Profit Health Center (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's essential that these funds level the playing field for non-profits.
- Protection against cyber threats will ensure the safety of the marginalized communities we serve.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $450000000, High: $550000000)
Year 2: $510000000 (Low: $460000000, High: $560000000)
Year 3: $520200000 (Low: $468400000, High: $572000000)
Year 5: $530000000 (Low: $477000000, High: $583000000)
Year 10: $550000000 (Low: $495000000, High: $605000000)
Year 100: $620000000 (Low: $558000000, High: $682000000)
Key Considerations
- The success of the program depends on effective allocation and use of granted funds.
- Healthcare providers' existing security measures could influence the total cost of implementation immensely.
- The varying sizes and needs of healthcare institutions may cause large cost variability.