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1 AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HOUSE OF DELEGATES 2 3 4 Resolution: 221 5 (A-09) 6 7Introduced by: Virginia Delegation 8 9Subject: MIPPA Electronic Prescribing Provisions 10 11Referred to: Reference Committee B 12 (Monica C. Wehby, MD, Chair) 13 14 15Whereas, In addition to preventing drastic overall cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates, the 16Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) also contains 17provisions that focus on increasing the use of electronic prescribing technology by health care 18providers; and 19 20Whereas, MIPPA includes incentive payments for physicians when they E-prescribe for 21Medicare patients; and 22 23Whereas, Physicians who are eligible for incentive payments but fail to adopt E-prescribing will 24face penalties beginning in 2012, consisting of percentage-based decreases in total Medicare 25payments; and 26 27Whereas, Such penalties may cause physicians to discontinue treating Medicare patients and 28further erode the ability of Medicare beneficiaries to access quality health care services; and 29 30Whereas, There are currently, and likely will continue to be in the future, significant barriers for 31many physicians and independent pharmacies to adopt electronic records and specifically 32E-prescribing; therefore be it 33 34RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association support the concept of electronic 35prescribing, as well as the offering of financial and other incentives for its adoption, but strongly 36discourage a funding structure that financially penalizes physicians that have not adopted such 37technology. (New HOD Policy) 38 39Fiscal Note: Implement accordingly at estimated staff cost of $1,859. 40 41Received: 05/04/09