In line with the recent focus on prompting the adoption of health IT, Health & Human Services (HHS) has announced new incentive payments to speed the adoption of electronic prescribing.

Beginning in 2009, and during the next four years, Medicare will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals who are successful electronic prescribers.  Eligible professionals will receive a 2 percent incentive payment in 2009 and 2010; a 1 percent incentive payment in 2011 and 2012; and a one half percent incentive payment in 2013.

Beginning in 2012, eligible professionals who are not successful electronic prescribers will receive a reduction in payment. Eligible professionals may be exempted from the reduction in payment, on a case-by-case basis, if it is determined that compliance with requirement for being a successful prescriber would result in significant hardship.

More information is available at Health & Human Service's Value-Driven Health Care page.

Source: HHS.