House OKs E-Script Incentives

June 25, 2008

The U.S. House of Representatives on a 355-59 vote has passed legislation to revise certain Medicare provisions. The bill also would authorize incentive payments for use of electronic prescribing technology.

The incentive payments would be 2% in fiscal 2009 and 2010, 1% in 2011 and 2012, and 0.5% in 2013. The legislation, H.R. 6331, also would require reporting of any electronic prescribing quality measures established under Medicare’s physician reporting system.

The bill is similar in many respects to S. 3101 being considered in the Senate. Both bills would eliminate a 10.6% cut in Medicare physician fee schedules due to go into effect July 1, with rates holding steady the rest of fiscal 2008 and a 1.1% increase in 2009.

Both bills also call for higher Medicare payments to rural providers, increased funds to expand mental health parity and coverage of preventive services, and an 18-month delay in the durable medical equipment competitive bidding process.

The House bill eliminates cuts to oxygen and wheelchair payments that are in the Senate bill. Text of H.R. 6331 as passed in the House and S. 3101 has introduced in the Senate is available at congress.gov.

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