This week the AASM sent a letter to CMS requesting that sleep specialists be exempt from the penalties associated with the 2012 Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Program. CMS has received stakeholder feedback outlining concerns about the difficulty of successful participation in the eRx program since publication of the 2011 Physician Fee Schedule, which outlined proposed payment adjustments beginning in 2012. In response, CMS published a proposed rule June 1 outlining modifications to the program. The proposed modifications give providers added opportunities to request exemption from the eRx Program.
The AASM’s letter outlines the potential difficulties that sleep specialists will run into when prescribing hypnotics and stimulants in states that do not allow these medications to be prescribed electronically. The letter also highlights that many durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers are not equipped to accept electronic prescriptions, thereby making it difficult for a sleep specialist to meet the minimum number of successful e-prescriptions necessary to avoid penalties. Read the complete AASM letter to CMS for additional details.
Coding Corner articles are archived on the Coding Page of the AASM website for future reference.
