Finance Bill Includes E-Script Mandate

HDM Breaking News, June 9, 2008

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, has introduced Medicare reform legislation that includes several information technology provisions, including mandated e-prescribing.

The bill, S. 3101, is titled the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 and has bi-partisan co-sponsors. As introduced, it would create incentives for providers to use electronic prescribing systems from 2009 through 2013. It also mandates electronic prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries starting in 2011 with payment penalties of up to 2% for providers who do not e-prescribe. Clinicians who write prescriptions infrequently would be exempt.

The bill also would clarify the use of data collected under the Part D drug benefit plan for research and other purposes and require accreditation of providers of the technical component for advanced diagnostic imaging services.

Major non-I.T. provisions include elimination of a 10.1% physician fee schedule cut on July 1 and repeal of the Medicare Laboratory Competitive Bidding Demonstration Project. Full text of S. 3101 soon will be available at congress.gov.

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