AHIC advocates that HHS supports e-prescribing

WASHINGTON The American Health Information Community, an advisory body to the Department of Health and Human Services, will recommend that HHS secretary Michael Leavitt seek authority from Congress to mandate electronic prescribing “pursuant to standards defined by the Medicare Modernization Act for e-prescribing.”

AHIC members on Nov. 27 accepted and amended a letter of recommendations from its electronic health records workgroup. One change deleted language that would mandate e-prescribing “as a condition of participation in Medicare Part B.” But, the reference to the Medicare Modernization Act, which authorized the Medicare Part D drug benefit program remained intact.

Electronic prescribing currently is not mandated under Medicare Part D, but drug benefit payers must support the technology.