The “Get Connected” program aims to help prescribers understand their readiness to e-prescribe and take advantage of a new Medicare e-prescribing incentive program.
Beginning in 2009 and during the four years that follow, Medicare will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals who are successful electronic prescribers as defined by the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). Eligible professionals will receive a 2 percent incentive payment in 2009 and 2010; a 1 percent incentive payment in 2011 and 2012; and a 0.5 percent incentive payment in 2013.
Plus, as of January 1, 2012, prescribers will no longer be able to send Part D prescriptions to pharmacies by computer-generated fax. If an EMR or e-prescribing system is not enabled to send prescriptions to pharmacies electronically by this date, Part D prescriptions must be printed and handed to patients or manually faxed.
The focal point of the Get Connected program is www.GetRxConnected.com, where prescribers can follow a step-by-step process designed to help them transition from paper-based prescribing to e-prescribing with clinical decision support and pharmacy connectivity.
Prescribers who use technology to prepare prescriptions should make sure they have access to clinical decision support (formulary, pharmacy benefits eligibility, medication history information) and be sure that they can transmit prescription information directly to pharmacies that are e-prescribing capable (also called EDI transmission) and not by computer-generated fax. Over 75% of the nation’s pharmacies process prescriptions electronically.
Electronic prescribing, or “e-prescribing,” enables more informed prescription decisions, replaces handwritten, printed, or faxed prescriptions and is seen as a more accurate and efficient means of prescribing medications. And because it is paperless, e-prescribing is also regarded as a secure alternative to paper prescriptions, which can be stolen, copied, forged, or otherwise manipulated.
Created under the auspices of The Center for Improving Medication Management (founded by the AAFP, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Humana Inc., Intel Corporation, the MGMA, and SureScripts-RxHub), GetRxConnected.com contains urgent information and guidance for prescribers looking to adopt full electronic prescribing connectivity, including an estimated 150,000 prescribers located throughout the U.S. who are currently using electronic medical records (EMRs).
Not only does computer-generated faxing of prescriptions prevent prescribers from achieving the gains in practice efficiency and patient safety associated with e-prescribing, but these faxes cannot be counted as eligible e-prescriptions under MIPPA. Many EMR users believe that they already send prescriptions to pharmacies electronically; i.e., they are unaware that their EMR is probably generating faxes that arrive on paper at pharmacy fax machines. To be eligible for incentive payments under MIPPA, prescribers also must use technology that provides electronic access to formulary, pharmacy benefits eligibility, and medication history information at the time of prescribing.
Following the completion of a brief self-assessment, visitors to GetRxConnected.com can receive a free, personalized report that indicates the certification status of their existing software for these services and steps to take with their vendor to ensure access to them. This is important for those prescribers that are interested in participating in the E-Prescribing Incentive Program offered through MIPPA. Prescribers should confirm with their vendor that their prescribing system meets the definition of a “Qualified E-prescribing System” under MIPPA and that the prescriber has access to all appropriate services through the technology they have deployed in their practice.
The Get Connected program is intended for both prescribers and practice management professionals who have yet to invest in EMR or other clinical software. The portal provides guidance on how to evaluate and acquire technology that supports e-prescribing. GetRxConnected.com also helps prescribers and practice management professionals assess the financial impact of e-prescribing with an interactive feature that allows them to calculate an estimated value of the time and resources their practices are currently dedicating to the manual processing of prescriptions.