ST. LOUIS, Mo.—The AOA-backed Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008 (H.R. 6331) authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to pay a bonus to physicians for successful electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) beginning in 2009.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) has provided e-prescribing educational materials to members and will supply more information, when it becomes available, about the requirements to receive a bonus payment. Recently, AOA partnered with the GetRXConnected program to assist members with implementing e-prescribing and has a factsheet about e-prescribing on its Web site, www.aoa.org.

In 2009 and 2010, the AOA reports, physicians who successfully e-prescribe may receive a bonus payment of 2 percent of their overall Medicare reimbursement. In 2011, however, the reward for e-prescribing will begin to phase out, while a penalty for not e-prescribing begins in 2012.