Senatorial bi-partisan support for e-prescribing

John Kerry and Newt Gingrich are making their pitch for e-prescribing.

Besides Kerry, there are other sponsors for the "Medicare Electronic Medication and Safety Protection (E-MEDS) Act of 2007" of both parties in the House and the Senate.

According to Healthcare IT News:

Kerry is among the sponsors of bi-partisan legislation that would require physicians who treat Medicare patients to use electronic prescribing, starting Jan.1, 2011.

The bill would authorize Medicare bonus payments to e-prescribing physicians. The bonuses would begin in 2008. The bill also calls for a 1 percent bonus payment for claims that include e-prescribing.

 

Gingrich has a for-profit organization, the Center for Health Transformation, through which he discusses solutions to the problems of heathcare.

This sets the tone for more gov't-provided financial incentives to pull clinicians into the use of technology to streamline healthcare delivery. Push strategies in the form of mandates are falling by the wayside.