Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

AMA working to improve e-prescribing incentives and help physicians adopt health IT

Cecil B. Wilson, MD
Tech
August 11, 2011
Share
Tweet
Share

A guest column by the American Medical Association, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

Health IT holds the promise of improving the efficiency of a physician’s practice, but physicians can easily become overwhelmed by the broad range of products and the multiple, varying federal incentive and penalty programs currently underway. The American Medical Association (AMA) continues to be in close contact with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), advocating for changes to the federal health IT programs so that as many physicians as possible can successfully participate and qualify for incentives.

Currently, the AMA is focusing on CMS’ proposal to modify the 2012 e-prescribing penalty program released in June. Some of the modifications proposed by CMS are those that the AMA and other medical societies called for late last year. We are glad to see those changes, but more must be done.

In a recent letter to CMS the AMA, along with 92 state and specialty medical societies, acknowledges that modifications to the e-prescribing program and additional exemption categories to avoid 2012 penalties are helpful. However, the group notes that requiring reporting the year before the penalty program starts and introducing last minute modifications creates confusion and does not allow enough time for physicians to figure out what they need to do to meet program requirements and avoid penalties in 2012.

To counter the unfair penalty that will be applied to physicians in 2012 based on the last-minute reporting requirements for this year, the AMA is advocating for an increase in the number of exemption categories, enough time for physicians to apply for an exemption, an additional reporting period in 2012, and not applying penalties until 2013 to give physicians more time to comply with the program requirements.

The AMA also continues to urge CMS to better align the federal IT programs to increase physician participation so that the goal of these programs – to successfully support widespread health IT adoption that enables practice efficiencies and improves patient care – can be realized.

CMS has an opportunity now to make needed changes to the 2012 e-prescribing penalty program that are directly in line with President Obama’s recent call on federal agencies to reassess and streamline regulations.

Physicians are working hard to adopt health IT, including e-prescribing, and the AMA is here to help them with the resources and tools they need. The AMA’s website offers a variety of free resources, including online modules to help physicians lay out their path to adoption and educational webinars. Physicians can learn more about the AMA’s health IT solutions platform AMAGINE and sign-up for a free practice assessment.

The AMA is committed to successful health IT adoption by physicians and will continue working to ensure that this can be achieved in a manageable way.

Cecil B. Wilson is Immediate Past President of the American Medical Association.

Submit a guest post and be heard on social media’s leading physician voice.

Prev

Women with these 5 pelvic symptoms should call their doctor

August 11, 2011 Kevin 0
…
Next

What this doctor learned when he was a patient

August 11, 2011 Kevin 24
…

Tagged as: Health IT, Patients

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Women with these 5 pelvic symptoms should call their doctor
Next Post >
What this doctor learned when he was a patient

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Cecil B. Wilson, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    AMA: Revisions, clarity needed before physicians form Medicare ACOs

    Cecil B. Wilson, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    AMA: Individual responsibility for health insurance helps America’s patients, pocketbooks

    Cecil B. Wilson, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    AMA: Getting the best value for our health care dollars

    Cecil B. Wilson, MD

More in Tech

  • AI is not a threat to radiologists. It’s a distraction from what truly matters in medicine.

    Fardad Behzadi, MD
  • Why interoperability is key to achieving the quintuple aim in health care

    Steven Lane, MD
  • How Mark Twain would dismantle today’s flawed medical AI

    Neil Baum, MD and Mark Ibsen, MD
  • 9 domains that will define the future of medical education

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

    Sandra Johnson
  • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

    David Carmouche, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • When credibility is your only asset: the cautionary tale of DrKoop.com [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Medicalizing burnout misses the real problem

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How robotics are reshaping the future of vascular procedures

      David Fischel | Conditions
    • Why gambling addiction is America’s next health crisis

      Safina Adatia, MD | Conditions
    • The man in seat 11A survived, but why don’t our patients?

      Dr. Vivek Podder | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • When credibility is your only asset: the cautionary tale of DrKoop.com [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why sleep is the missing pillar in modern health care

      Carlos Nunez, MD | Conditions
    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • The food-drug interaction risks your doctor may be missing

      Frank Jumbe | Meds
    • Beyond the TikTok hype: Rebuilding trust in evidence-based weight loss medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • When credibility is your only asset: the cautionary tale of DrKoop.com [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Medicalizing burnout misses the real problem

      Jessie Mahoney, MD | Physician
    • How robotics are reshaping the future of vascular procedures

      David Fischel | Conditions
    • Why gambling addiction is America’s next health crisis

      Safina Adatia, MD | Conditions
    • The man in seat 11A survived, but why don’t our patients?

      Dr. Vivek Podder | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why recovery after illness demands dignity, not suspicion

      Trisza Leann Ray, DO | Physician
    • Physician patriots: the forgotten founders who lit the torch of liberty

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Physician
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
  • Recent Posts

    • When credibility is your only asset: the cautionary tale of DrKoop.com [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why sleep is the missing pillar in modern health care

      Carlos Nunez, MD | Conditions
    • How a family’s strength led to a successful kidney transplant

      C. Nicole Swiner, MD | Conditions
    • The food-drug interaction risks your doctor may be missing

      Frank Jumbe | Meds
    • Beyond the TikTok hype: Rebuilding trust in evidence-based weight loss medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • The weaponization of rules: How regulatory overreach puts physicians and health care at risk

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...