Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

CMS set to move on several changes.

Heads up, physicians that want to prescribe drugs electronically: The whole ordeal may soon become a lot easier.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a proposed rule that would allow a hospital or other facility to give physicians' offices hardware, software and training services for electronic prescriptions.

Good news: The hospital could provide this help without falling afoul of anti-fraud and anti-kickback laws. Doctors could still refer patients to the hospital, even though the computer equipment and assistance may count as a financial relationship.

Meanwhile, the HHS Office of Inspector General announced it was proposing "safe harbors" for electronic prescriptions. One proposal would set out the rules under which a hospital can give a physician's office hardware, software and help with e-prescriptions.

A second proposal would cover donations of electronic health records. And eventually, hospitals may be able to donate other kinds of technology, once HHS establishes a list of products.
 
In the future, there may be a limit on the total cash value of the technology that one hospital can donate to a physician. Also, CMS will soon issue a final rule with standards for electronic prescriptions.