Medical societies urge CMS to revamp e-prescribing initiative
As the deadline to meet meaningful use criteria looms and physicians work to adopt the proper health IT, the American Medical Association (AMA) and 91 other medical societies submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to advocate changes to the proposed e-prescribing program and eRx penalty program.
Because physicians will begin receiving penalties in 2012 if criteria is not met under the 2012 eRx penalty program, AMA and others have expressed concern with CMS' proposed last-minute 2011 reporting requirement and said that physicians do not have enough time to apply for an exemption from the 2012 penalty.
“The AMA has continually advocated for changes to the e-prescribing program to ensure it’s fair for all physicians and that as many physicians as possible are able to successfully participate,” said Cecil B. Wilson, MD, immediate past president of AMA. “While we appreciate the modifications CMS presented in the proposed rule, they don’t go far enough. More changes are needed, including establishing an additional reporting period in 2012 and not applying penalties until 2013.”
The CMS proposed to modify the 2011 eRx measure for the 2011 incentive and 2012 penalty program; provide additional hardship exemption categories for group practices so that they can request an exemption during 2011 to avoid the 2012 payment adjustment; and extend the deadline for submitting requests for the consideration for two categories in the 2012 eRx payment adjustment.
However, the AMA and societies also expressed concern with the lack of the additional reporting period in 2012 for physicians who could not comply with program requirements in 2011. “Physicians who are or plan to participate in the EHR incentive program would now face separate, duplicate eRx reporting requirements due to CMS’ lack of coordination of these various incentive programs,” according to the AMA. The groups urge CMS to “synchronize the overlapping Medicare incentive programs,” so eligible physicians who participate in the EHR incentive program would be exempt in Medicare eRx penalties.
The societies urged CMS to listen to President Barack Obama’s recent call to federal agencies to “reassess and streamline regulations." Wilson said, “CMS has an opportunity here to make needed changes to the 2012 e-prescribing penalty program that are directly in line with President Obama's commitment to reform the regulatory process in order to reduce unnecessary burdens on physician practices.
“Physicians are working hard to adopt e-prescribing and other health IT and should not be unfairly penalized for practice patterns that do not fit neatly within the current, limited exemption process,” said Wilson.
While the societies did express concern, they did support CMS’ proposal to recognize EHR technology certified under the EHR incentive program as a qualifying system under the eRx initiative.
View the comments in their entirety here.
Because physicians will begin receiving penalties in 2012 if criteria is not met under the 2012 eRx penalty program, AMA and others have expressed concern with CMS' proposed last-minute 2011 reporting requirement and said that physicians do not have enough time to apply for an exemption from the 2012 penalty.
“The AMA has continually advocated for changes to the e-prescribing program to ensure it’s fair for all physicians and that as many physicians as possible are able to successfully participate,” said Cecil B. Wilson, MD, immediate past president of AMA. “While we appreciate the modifications CMS presented in the proposed rule, they don’t go far enough. More changes are needed, including establishing an additional reporting period in 2012 and not applying penalties until 2013.”
The CMS proposed to modify the 2011 eRx measure for the 2011 incentive and 2012 penalty program; provide additional hardship exemption categories for group practices so that they can request an exemption during 2011 to avoid the 2012 payment adjustment; and extend the deadline for submitting requests for the consideration for two categories in the 2012 eRx payment adjustment.
However, the AMA and societies also expressed concern with the lack of the additional reporting period in 2012 for physicians who could not comply with program requirements in 2011. “Physicians who are or plan to participate in the EHR incentive program would now face separate, duplicate eRx reporting requirements due to CMS’ lack of coordination of these various incentive programs,” according to the AMA. The groups urge CMS to “synchronize the overlapping Medicare incentive programs,” so eligible physicians who participate in the EHR incentive program would be exempt in Medicare eRx penalties.
The societies urged CMS to listen to President Barack Obama’s recent call to federal agencies to “reassess and streamline regulations." Wilson said, “CMS has an opportunity here to make needed changes to the 2012 e-prescribing penalty program that are directly in line with President Obama's commitment to reform the regulatory process in order to reduce unnecessary burdens on physician practices.
“Physicians are working hard to adopt e-prescribing and other health IT and should not be unfairly penalized for practice patterns that do not fit neatly within the current, limited exemption process,” said Wilson.
While the societies did express concern, they did support CMS’ proposal to recognize EHR technology certified under the EHR incentive program as a qualifying system under the eRx initiative.
View the comments in their entirety here.