Palm Beach County Medical Society

Health Care IT

Avoiding the 2012 eRx Payment Adjustment:

An eligible professional can avoid the 2012 eRx Payment Adjustment if he or she:

• Is not a physician (MD, DO, or podiatrist), Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant as of June 30, 2011, based on primary taxonomy code in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES);
• Does not have prescribing privileges and reports G-code G8644 (defined as not having prescribing privileges) at least one time on an eligible claim prior to June 30, 2011;
• Does not have at least 100 cases containing an encounter code in the measure’s denominator;
• Becomes a successful electronic prescriber (submits required number of electronic prescriptions (10 for individual) via claims and reports this to CMS before June 30, 2011); or 
• Claims a hardship as described below

A group practice that is participating in eRx GPRO I or GPRO II durning 2011: 

• Must become a successful electronic prescriber (sumit required number of electronic prescriptions via claims before June 30, 2011); (Depending on the group's size the group practice must repost the eRx measure for 75-2,500 unique eRx via claims for patients in the denomiator of the measure.) 

If an eligiable professional or selected graoup practice wishes to request an exemption to the eRx Incentive Program and the payment adjustment, there are two "hardship codes" that can be reported via claims if one of the following situations apply: 

• G8642 - The eligible professional pratices in a rural area without sufficient high speed internet access and requests a hardship exemption from the application for the payment adjustment under section 1848(a)(5)(A) of the Social Security Act. 
• G8643 - The eligible professional practices in an area without sifficient avalication pharmacies for electronic prescibing and requests a harship exemption from the application of the payment adjustment under section 1848(a)(5(A) of the Social Security Act. 

South Florida Regional Extension Center

The South Florida Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) serves Broward, Dade, Indian River, Monroe, Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach and Okeechobee Counties

The combined strength of Health Choice Network, as the non-profit operational lead, and the SFHIE as the non-profit administrative and governance lead, will result in a highly successful REC that will ensure bringing the meaningful use of EHR to South Florida. Both organizations have a long and successful history of supporting primary care providers and health information technology. The SFHIE is a convening organization that involves multiple stakeholders as partners in the development of a community health information organization that focuses on improving health care efficiency and quality and enhancing patient safety and care. Its mission is to create and maintain an economically sustainable community health information exchange that will meet the needs of patients, providers, payers, employers and policymakers in South Florida’s metropolitan area. Health Choice Network, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, has more than 15 years’ experience in successfully implementing EHR/EOHR with more than 400 providers resulting in 1.9 Million patients with an electronic health record in primary care settings.

Please visit www.southfloridarec.org or call 1-866-628-9193 to learn more how this organization can help your practice.