EPN - Electronic Prescribing News: Highmark Inc. Contributes $26.5 Million to Fund Organization That Encourages Adoption of Health Information Technology

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November 15, 2005

Highmark Inc. Contributes $26.5 Million to Fund Organization That Encourages Adoption of Health Information Technology

Highmark eHealth Collaborative targets electronic prescribing as first
                    initiative for Pennsylvania physicians

    PITTSBURGH, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenneth R. Melani, M.D., Highmark Inc.
president and chief executive officer, announced today that Highmark is
contributing $26.5 million to The Pittsburgh Foundation, which will use the
funds for an electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) initiative. The foundation
has created the Highmark eHealth Collaborative to encourage the adoption of
health information technology used in patient care in order to improve patient
safety and quality while increasing cost efficiency.
    The first major project of the Highmark eHealth Collaborative is to
provide funding to physicians to help reduce the initial cost of acquiring
ePrescribing/eHealth Record technology for their practices.
    "One of the best ways to advance health care is to make a significant
investment in upgrading the infrastructure that puts the best tools in the
hands of physicians," said Dr. Melani. "The widespread adoption of health
information technology will improve patient safety, increase quality of care
and decrease costs."
    An ePrescribing system can help ensure patient safety and reduce medical
expenses by eliminating handwriting interpretation and administrative work
associated with paper processing. This system can also indicate medications
that could adversely interact with other drugs. It's been reported that 8.8
million adverse drug events occur each year.
    In addition, the ePrescribing system will allow physicians to verify that
a particular medication is on a patient's formulary program and is covered for
that patient. The ePrescribing tools may be used by physicians for all their
patients, regardless of their insurance coverage.
    A recognized national leader in health information technology, the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) will receive a total of $8
million to support the ePrescribing aspect of its system-wide implementation
of the electronic health record.
    "The benefits of ePrescribing are that it will provide better information
to clinicians, so that they may safely order medication for patients, and it
will mean greater convenience for the consumer," said Daniel Martich, M.D.,
vice president, eRecord, UPMC. "We at UPMC are appreciative of Highmark's
financial support for this part of our electronic health record enterprise."
    Funding will be used to help physicians acquire and use electronic
technology systems such as a personal computer, a PDA, electronic tablet or
digital pen to generate and transmit electronically a prescription to the
pharmacy.
    The ePrescribing initiative comes in direct response to needs identified
through the Highmark Health Care Cost Summit in 2004, where -- working with
the RAND Corporation -- physician, hospital, business and community leaders
convened to discuss health care cost issues. The implementation of electronic
prescription systems and the adoption of electronic health records were
identified as top priorities.
    To receive funding, physicians in Western and Central Pennsylvania must
first fill out an online application on the Highmark eHealth Collaborative's
Web site at http://www.highmarkehealth.org. Physicians must be licensed to practice
medicine in Pennsylvania and must be a licensed prescriber in order to qualify
for funding.
    The collaborative will pay up to 75 percent of the cost for a physician's
office to acquire, install and implement the electronic technology system, up
to a maximum of $7,000 per physician, with the physician's practice to pay the
remaining balance.
    For more information about the Highmark eHealth Collaborative, visit
http://www.highmarkehealth.org.
    Highmark eHealth Collaborative is not a subsidiary or affiliate of
Highmark Inc. It is a supporting organization of The Pittsburgh Foundation
funded by a major contribution from Highmark Inc. Use of the name "Highmark"
is pursuant to a license agreement.
    Highmark Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans.
For more information about Highmark, visit http://www.highmark.com.