eScriptSM — True Electronic Prescribing

Easy Business Software offers RelayHealth eScript electronic prescription service which helps streamline prescription writing and refill authorizations. Using RelayHealth, your office can instantly transmit new prescriptions and renewals to virtually any pharmacy in the U.S. Automatically screen for drug interactions, reduce pharmacy call-backs by checking formulary compliance prior to submission, and dramatically reduce time spent feeding fax machines.

RelayHealth eScript enables you to:

  • Process renewal requests in one queue

  • Approve renewal requests with one click

  • Transmit renewal requests and authorizations electronically to virtually any pharmacy

  • Reduce time phoning and faxing the pharmacy

  • Improve patient safety through automatic interaction checking

  • Increase patient satisfaction and outcomes by involving the patient in the process

  • Minimize prescription errors

Medicare Incentives and Penalties

Medicare has authorized a 2% incentive program for physicians who utilize e-prescribing. Participation available with SOAPware and the e-prescribing functionality.

The reporting of any one of three G codes (below) for at least 50 percent of Medicare patient encounters meets the requirements for the incentive bonus.

Practices that meet the e-prescribing criteria will be eligible for a 2 percent bonus in 2009 and 2010, a 1 percent bonus in 2011 and 2012 and a 0.5 percent bonus in 2013. Practices not e-prescribing will face a 1 percent cut in 2012 and 2013. That cut will grow to 2 percent in 2014 and beyond. 

In order to participate, physicians simply add one of three G codes to their Medicare claims for patient encounters:

Shortcut                               G-Code                  Description                                               
eRx1                                        G8443                Prescription sent by e-prescribing system

eRx2                                        G8445                Prescription not generated at encounter    

eRx3                                        G8446                Some prescriptions handwritten or phoned  

By submitting any one of these three G codes on claims to Medicare, this indicates that an electronic prescribing system has been adopted. 

Notes:
 - E&M services must be at least 10% of total allowed Medicare charges.
 - The bonus  is based on total Part B payments and not just E&M
 - The Average bonus is around $1600/physician/year (e-prescribing is only $500/physician/year)
 - This eRx bonus  is in addition to other bonus programs such as the PQRI. 

Medicare's website for e-Prescribing http://www.cms.hhs.gov/eprescribing/

or Medicare's E-Prescribing PDF http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/Downloads/PQRIEPrescribingFactSheet.pdf