Siemens Unveils Flexible Financing Solutions to Help Providers Achieve Meaningful Use

MALVERN, Pa., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Siemens Healthcare today announced a series of flexible financing solutions to help healthcare providers pursue meaningful use objectives and meet deadlines defined within the HITECH provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Featuring zero-percent interest terms for qualified customers, the solutions enable organizations to defer up-front payments associated with their technology investment while meeting criteria for future government incentive monies.

To provide the greatest possible range of choices for customers, Siemens offers solutions from Siemens Financial Services, Inc. as well as from selected partners, including IBM Global Financing and 3-D Financial Services. These options allow customers to choose a customized financing solution that matches their individual technology acquisition roadmaps, business strategies, financial profiles, and technology needs.

"While the advantages of implementing electronic health records have been recognized by top healthcare policy makers for some time now, ARRA funding has the potential to significantly accelerate the fulfillment of the vision for modernizing the national healthcare infrastructure," said Chris Roth, vice president and controller, Siemens Healthcare. "For many healthcare providers, the biggest obstacle is securing the capital investment needed to meet the aggressive schedules defined by ARRA's HITECH provision, as well as the ability to defer payment until the providers are eligible to receive incentives monies."

By bridging the gap between the project implementation and the receipt of ARRA incentive, Siemens will be providing its customers an option which allows them to optimize their cash flow while maximizing return on investment.

With some 1,900 employees and an international network of financial companies coordinated by Siemens Financial Services GmbH, Munich, the Siemens Financial Services division offers a broad range of financial services. This covers activities from sales and investment financing to treasury services, fund management and insurance brokerage. The division's key customers are internationally active industrial and services companies, as well as public-sector operators. The unit supervises more than 20 equipment financing companies worldwide. Further information: www.siemens.com/finance [1]

Siemens Financial Services, Inc. (SFS Inc.) is a leading provider of business-to-business financial services in the United States. SFS is a committed business ally that combines deep industry expertise with integrated financing solutions to enhance the efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of its customers. The company, based in Iselin, NJ, enables business expansion for thousands of customers in the healthcare, energy, and industrial sectors by providing customized solutions that range from equipment financing and working capital to project and export finance, and insurance solutions. Further information on Siemens Financial Services in the United States: www.usa.siemens.com/finance [2]

IBM Global Financing [3] (IGF), the financing business segment of IBM and the world's premier single-source provider for multivendor IT financing solutions, [4]serves commercial clients ranging from small businesses to the majority of the Global Fortune 100. With assets of $34 billion worldwide, IGF provides project financing, commercial financing and asset-recovery services to 125,000 clients in more than 50 countries.

3-D Financial Services, LLC (a division of 3-D Technology Solutions, Inc.) is a full service independent financial solutions provider dedicated to helping clients solve IT Lifecycle business challenges. Since 2000 3-D has provided project finance solutions to Healthcare providers and Fortune 1000 companies nationwide. For more information please contact us at info@3-dtechnology.com [5].

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source - from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 48,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2009 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 11.9 billion euros and profit of around 1.5 billion euros. For further information please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare [6].

SOURCE Siemens Healthcare