News in brief - Oct. 17, 2011

House Democrats call for Part D negotiations

A group of 78 House Democrats is urging the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to allow the Medicare program to negotiate prescription drug prices.

Democrats on Oct. 5 sent a letter to the committee in support of legislation that gives the Dept. of Health and Human Services the authority to discuss bulk rates with drug manufacturers. Doing so would save the government $156 billion over 10 years, said Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D, N.Y.), one of the group's organizers. "This is the right thing to do, and I think we may have a chance to get it done through the ongoing negotiations over reducing our national debt."

However, Republican lawmakers and conservative groups oppose the idea. The pharmaceutical industry has also opposed government negotiated rates, noting the private Part D plans create market competition to keep prices low while maintaining patient choice.

On Oct. 5, the conservative nonprofit American Action Network announced it would spend $1.6 million on advertising against the Democratic initiative. "This plan would result in higher premiums and higher prescription drug costs for millions of older Americans," said Brian Walsh, president of the network.

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AMA reminds physicians to file Medicare e-prescribing exemptions

Eligible physicians who could not meet Medicare electronic prescribing requirements for 2011 are being urged to file for a hardship exemption before a Nov. 1 deadline, the American Medical Association said.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services required physicians and other health professionals to report at least 10 e-prescriptions on Medicare claims between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2011. Physicians who did not meet the threshold will face a 1% payment reduction in 2012.

"Although we remain concerned that physicians are not being given enough time to comply with the e-prescribing program criteria, the AMA wants to ensure that physicians who are not able to meet program requirements are aware of this upcoming exemption deadline so they can avoid penalties," said AMA Immediate Past President Cecil B. Wilson, MD.

The Medicare agency has created hardship exemptions that allow physicians to prevent penalties. Exemptions include inability to electronically prescribe due to state or federal law, limited prescribing activity and insufficient opportunities to report e-prescribing.

Exemptions for individual physicians must be filed online (www.blueadvocacy.org/plans).

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Blues plans suggest enacting medical liability reform, other changes

The federal government should adopt a number of reforms designed to put the patient at the center of health care, according to 27-page plan released Oct. 4 by the BlueCross BlueShield Assn. called "Building Tomorrow's Healthcare System: The Pathway to High-Quality, Affordable Care in America."

The report includes four categories of recommendations with a total of 20 specific suggestions, including protecting physicians and other health professionals from noneconomic damages awarded in medical lawsuit judgments if they follow practice guidelines. Other recommendations include increasing pay for primary care and care coordination, expanding wellness initiatives in schools, and aligning federal health system reforms with those by the private sector. The Dept. of Health and Human Services has begun several initiatives related to the plan's recommendations.

"We need to put the patient back in the center of health care, and this is going to take a significant collaborative effort between both public and private sectors," said Scott P. Serota, president and CEO of the BlueCross BlueShield Assn. The report is available online (www.blueadvocacy.org/plans).

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GOP activists deliver petition to repeal health reform law

Republican activists on Oct. 5 presented to Congress a petition to immediately repeal the health system reform law. The petition has more than 1.6 million signatures, said conservative organizer and author Ken Hoagland, who coordinated the campaign.

The petition includes nine points against the health reform law, including an assertion that the law will hurt the national economy by adding to the cost of the uninsured as a new taxpayer responsibility. But the primary argument for the petition is the signatories' belief that most Americans do not support the health reform law.

Each person who signed the petition was required to submit his or her name, zip code and email address. More information about the petition is online (www.repealhealthcareact.org).

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