CMS Protects Physicians from “Unscrupulous” Practices of Industry
The rule, published yesterday by CMS and OIG, is a step in the right direction towards broad adoption of eHealth Records and ePrescribing by physicians in the U.S. It will give hospitals, group practices, prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage organizations the ability to provide hardware, software or information technology and training services to healthcare professionals, pharmacies and pharmacists without violating federal anti-kickback law. What it won’t do is allow drug and device manufacturers to do the same. Seems the industry has had some “unscrupulous” actors in the past that spoiled it for the rest of us.
Aren’t you glad that PhRMA and BIO are working so hard behind the scenes to turn the tides of government sentiment in industry’s favor? Oh, I forgot, the most important IT initiative in the history of US healthcare isn’t high on their radar. Silly me. PhRMA and BIO must be too busy making sure Medicare can’t negotiate prices directly with industry.
I apologize for the sarcasm. I’m just getting really tired of the industry’s misguided and ineffectual public advocacy efforts. The life sciences industry should be a key player in the eHealth movement just starting to sweep across the U.S., particularly ePrescribing. What better way is there to demonstrate our industry commitment to addressing inefficiencies and quality deficits in healthcare delivery than to participate in the rollout of technologies aimed directly at those issues? Part of being a key player in this technology rollout involves being able to take advantage of governmental gifts like the gift just given to every major healthcare insurer to get in front of doctors, nurses and pharmacists with innovative technology solutions that cost them little or nothing to adopt or to learn about. PhRMA and BIO just missed an opportunity to put their industries out front of this opportunity, and it’s a real shame. Let’s hope there is a chance to correct this mistake soon.
