Medicare Provides Guidance to Healthcare Professionals on New E-Prescribing Initiative

October 23, 2008 – Medicare has recently created a new section on its Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) Web site that highlights an e-prescribing incentive program that was created in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). MIPPA authorized an incentive program for providers who utilize e-prescribing for their Medicare patients. This program replaces the current e-prescribing measure for the 2009 PQRI program. Incentive payments have been established for years 2009-2013. The e-prescribing incentive percent amount for reporting years 2009 - 2010 is 2.0 percent; for reporting years 2011- 2012 is 1.0 percent; and for reporting year 2013 it is 0.5 percent. The legislation also authorizes the reduction of payments by 2 percent for providers who fail to begin e-prescribing in 2011 (with limited exceptions). To view the e-prescribing incentive program, visit the CMS Web site.