Washington Agenda

MGMA and other health care industry organizations recently issued recommendations to the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) concerning the development of standards for electronic prescribing. The Medicare Modernization Act mandated that the NCVHS develop electronic prescribing standards for review and adoption by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The proposals included a recommendation that the standards be flexible enough for the wide variety of clinical settings and specialties affected. In addition, the groups advised the government to release the final rule as quickly as possible after pilot testing. This will encourage vendors to develop or update appropriate products in a timely fashion.

The groups suggested staggered implementation dates to enable adequate systems preparation by pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers. They reminded the NCVHS that physicians must see clear benefits to their patients and practices before they make capital investments in new technology.

President Bush recently appointed David J. Brailer, MD, PhD as the nation's first national health information technology (HIT) coordinator. HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced the appointment at a Washington, D.C. summit of the nation's 100 leaders in health care information technology.

As the HIT coordinator, Brailer will provide leadership for reaching the 10-year goal of automated medical records. His office will support efforts across government and in the private sector to develop the standards and infrastructure to allow more effective use of information technology to promote higher-quality care and reduce health care costs.

One of the office's first tasks will be to study options to create incentives in Medicare and other programs in HHS to encourage the private sector to adopt interoperable electronic health records.

MGMA was represented at the summit by President and CEO William F. Jessee, MD, FACMPE. Summit participants discussed speeding the development and implementation of electronic health records and local health information infrastructures.