Comments on: Financial Returns from E-Prescribing – Saving Medicare $2.1 billion http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/ A Forum for Discussing and Analyzing Healthcare Issues Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:42:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: BJ MD http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1098 BJ MD Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:47:19 +0000 http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1098 >We will get less call-backs from pharmacies and less errors. Why on Earth would you take calls from pharmacies? Waste of time. Not billable. Hang up on them. >We will get automatic requests for refills without a phone call - electronically querying us if we agree with this refill. Refills require billable visits. > We will see the real-time formulary for the patient online and have much fewer calls for meds not being on formulary. Formulary? It seems to me that a doctor's mandate and sacred duty is to prescribe the BEST drug, not the formulary drug. I have no idea what is on any formulary, nor do I care. >We will get less call-backs from pharmacies and less errors.

Why on Earth would you take calls from pharmacies? Waste of time. Not billable. Hang up on them.

>We will get automatic requests for refills without a phone call - electronically querying us if we agree with this refill.

Refills require billable visits.

> We will see the real-time formulary for the patient online and have much fewer calls for meds not being on formulary.

Formulary? It seems to me that a doctor’s mandate and sacred duty is to prescribe the BEST drug, not the formulary drug. I have no idea what is on any formulary, nor do I care.

]]> By: Health Care Tips » Blog Archive » New Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Feature Highlights Recent Blog Entries http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1072 Health Care Tips » Blog Archive » New Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Feature Highlights Recent Blog Entries Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:28:14 +0000 http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1072 [...] Miller of Health Care Policy and Communications blog estimates the amount of Medicare reimbursements a physician would need to break even when [...] […] Miller of Health Care Policy and Communications blog estimates the amount of Medicare reimbursements a physician would need to break even when […]

]]> By: Rob http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1022 Rob Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:17:17 +0000 http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1022 Yes, we are fully "paperless." I think the business case for doing so is becoming increasingly compelling. Things like this are just another reason to computerize the medical office. I worry about there being funding from outside sources, as there are always strings attached. I don't recommend for people doing EMR to do so with the hospital's help. Hospitals are not really aware of the function of a medical office. I actually did an interview with the AMA on EMR adoption: http://www.ama-assn.org/go/hit Yes, we are fully “paperless.” I think the business case for doing so is becoming increasingly compelling. Things like this are just another reason to computerize the medical office.

I worry about there being funding from outside sources, as there are always strings attached. I don’t recommend for people doing EMR to do so with the hospital’s help. Hospitals are not really aware of the function of a medical office.

I actually did an interview with the AMA on EMR adoption: http://www.ama-assn.org/go/hit

]]> By: Michael D. Miller MD http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1021 Michael D. Miller MD Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:41:09 +0000 http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1021 Rob - thanks for expanding the discussion on this. Does your use of technology include some form of electronic medical record that incorporates or somehow links to the e-prescribing system? It seems to me that some of the functions you mention would provide the greatest benefits as part of that type of integrated package. Also, great to know that United is looking into the 5% bonus for e-prescribing - that certainly could make the financial ROI calculation look better. I'm also wondering if some local government, community or foundation groups are looking at funding the purchase and start-up costs of e-prescribing the same way the state gov. is doing here in MA with EMR systems. Or perhaps they are just exploring support for the full EMR packages. Anyone know? Rob - thanks for expanding the discussion on this. Does your use of technology include some form of electronic medical record that incorporates or somehow links to the e-prescribing system? It seems to me that some of the functions you mention would provide the greatest benefits as part of that type of integrated package.

Also, great to know that United is looking into the 5% bonus for e-prescribing - that certainly could make the financial ROI calculation look better. I’m also wondering if some local government, community or foundation groups are looking at funding the purchase and start-up costs of e-prescribing the same way the state gov. is doing here in MA with EMR systems. Or perhaps they are just exploring support for the full EMR packages. Anyone know?

]]> By: Rob http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1010 Rob Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:01:44 +0000 http://www.healthpolcom.com/blog/2008/07/23/financial-returns-from-e-prescribing-%e2%80%93-saving-medicare-21-billion/#comment-1010 Counterpoint: We are going to e-prescribing without this in mind. We are doing it because it will save us money. We will get less call-backs from pharmacies and less errors. We will get automatic requests for refills without a phone call - electronically querying us if we agree with this refill. We will see the real-time formulary for the patient online and have much fewer calls for meds not being on formulary. In short: the business case for e-prescriptions does not rest on what Medicare does. If an office is smart and knows how to use technology, the benefits are very high. Oh yes, and United healthcare is looking into a 5% bonus on the entire fee schedule for having several electronic processes in place, one of which is e-prescribing. Slam dunk. Counterpoint: We are going to e-prescribing without this in mind. We are doing it because it will save us money. We will get less call-backs from pharmacies and less errors. We will get automatic requests for refills without a phone call - electronically querying us if we agree with this refill. We will see the real-time formulary for the patient online and have much fewer calls for meds not being on formulary.

In short: the business case for e-prescriptions does not rest on what Medicare does. If an office is smart and knows how to use technology, the benefits are very high.

Oh yes, and United healthcare is looking into a 5% bonus on the entire fee schedule for having several electronic processes in place, one of which is e-prescribing.

Slam dunk.

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