Some Medical Devices may not be Y2K Compliant

Several government officials testified that some medical devices have not been tested for Y2K compliance. While manufacturers claim that the equipment is safe, machines with embedded computer chips may not work correctly.

Joel Willmessen, who studies the issue for the General Accounting Office, testified that some defibrillators, machines that deliver doses of medicine to patients, magnetic resonance imaging systems, X-ray machines, pacemakers, and cardiac monitors contain the embedded technology. He said that all items should be individually checked for compliance, with special attention to life-support and critical-care items.

According to Nancy-Ann DeParle, head of the Health Care Financing Administration, the government cannot legally force medical equipment manufacturers to guarantee the equipment is safe.

The FDA is currently posting the manufacturers' information on its Web site so the public can know what devices have been declared safe by the manufacturer.

Willemessen, De Parle, and George Grob, deputy inspector general with the Department of Health and Human Services, also testified that smaller health care companies will not be able to process Medicare reimbursements that are filed electronically. Because the smaller companies will not be compliant before the year is over, they will have to rely on paperwork, which takes a longer time to complete.