Porter Introduces E-Prescribing Legislation
December 5, 2007
Washington, D.C. – In an effort to save lives and eliminate adverse medical reactions due to preventable prescription errors Congressman Jon Porter and Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) introduced legislation today encouraging the use of e-prescribing. E-prescribing involves prescriptions being sent electronically from the healthcare provider to the pharmacy, as opposed to the use of paper scripts. The goal of the bill, the E-MEDS Act of 2007, is to eliminate the medical errors, injuries, hospitalizations, and 7,000 deaths annually that can result from illegible prescriptions and bad drug interactions.
A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Senators Kerry (D-Mass.), Ensign (R-Nev.), Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Martinez (R-FL) earlier today.
The bipartisan legislation encourages physicians to use e-prescribing in Medicare by providing a substantial one-time payment bonus to physicians for the initial cost of purchasing e-prescribing technology. The bill also provides an extra 1% percent bonus for the administrative costs attached to every Medicare prescription a doctor writes electronically. In order to ensure widespread adoption of e-prescribing, the bill also establishes financial penalties for Medicare physicians who do not begin using e-prescribing by 2011.
“E-prescribing is a necessary and constructive step to move our health care system into the 21st Century,” Porter said. “With the adoption of e-prescribing technology many lives will be saved, fewer errors will occur and the quality of patients’ care will drastically improve.”
The bill has widespread support from patient advocates, the medical community, consumer, labor and business groups.
Organizations and businesses that support mandatory e-prescribing:
AARP, Consumers Union, Families USA, National Consumers League, National Partnership for Women & Families, SEIU, AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers, America’s Health Insurance Plans, HR Policy Association, The ERISA Industry Committee, Aetna, The Corporate Health Care Coalition (CHCC), The National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Pension Plans, Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System, The Public Sector HealthCare RoundtablePacific Business Group on Health, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Walgreens, RxHub, The Coalition for a Competitive Pharmaceutical Market, Apotex, and the Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
Bill provisions:
Provide permanent Medicare funding for one-time grants to physicians to help offset the start-up costs to physicians of acquiring and implementing e-prescribing technology.
Provide permanent Medicare funding for payment bonuses to physicians for use of e-prescribing. For every Medicare prescription that is written electronically, physicians will be paid an extra 1% bonus.
Starting on Jan 1, 2011, physicians will be required to write their Medicare outpatient prescriptions electronically. Physicians that continue to write prescriptions by hand will face a per-claim financial penalty.
The Secretary of HHS will be given authority to grant one- or two-year hardship waivers for physicians who face particular difficulties in acquiring and implementing e-prescribing – especially those from rural areas or very small (or solo) practices.
GAO and CMS will be directed to report within two years on the status of e-prescribing adoption within Medicare.
