Final answer:
The $33 billion from the 2009 economic stimulus plan was designated for healthcare providers to adopt interoperable electronic medical records (EMRs) systems by 2015, which would help to lower healthcare costs and improve care quality.
Step-by-step explanation:
As part of the $787 billion 2009 economic stimulus plan also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the federal government earmarked $33 billion in incentives for healthcare providers to implement government-certified, interoperable electronic medical records (EMRs) systems by 2015. The move towards EMRs was expected to bring down the cost of health care and increase the quality of the care given. The push for digitalized health records aligns with the broader goals set forth by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which introduced regulations aiming to control healthcare costs and improve efficiency within the healthcare system. By encouraging a switch to EMRs, the aim was to reduce administrative costs and enhance the sharing of digital records among health providers, thus optimizing patient care and streamlining medical workflow.