EPN - Electronic Prescribing News

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 2005--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28727) has announced the addition of Proposed Medicare E-Prescribing Rules: Briefing for Stakeholders, Live Audio-Conference on CD-ROM to their offering.

Payers and providers will be affected by the proposed new standards that will be the foundation for electronic prescribing starting in January 2006. The proposed Federal rules are the first set of what will be uniform standards for an electronic prescription drug program under the Medicare Modernization Act. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes to make the compliance date for the foundation standards January 1, 2006, so that they will be ready for immediate use when the Medicare drug benefit begins.

"The Proposed Medicare E-Prescribing Rules: Briefing for Stakeholders," a new executive-level tele-briefing was held on Thursday, May 5, 2005.

Working on input for the proposed standards, the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) developed recommendations for uniform standards for e-prescribing to promote patient safety and quality health care by taking testimony from 65 witnesses and other industry experts.

The proposed e-prescribing regulations could be adopted as final standards. That's why this special tele-briefing was organized for all those who have a stake in these developments: prescribers and dispensers, payers, hospitals, physician organizations, prescription drug plan sponsors, Medicare Advantage organizations, pharmacies, PBMs, pharmaceutical companies and other organizations.

The goal of "The Proposed Medicare E-Prescribing Rules: Briefing for Stakeholders," is to help all affected organizations become familiar with and get ready to meet the requirements of the new e-prescribing standards.

Speaker Panel:

• Avishay Erlich, Project Manager, WellPoint Pharmacy Management
• Maria Friedman, Senior Advisor, Office of HIPAA Standards, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Paul T. Smith, Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Program Agenda:

• The coming widespread use of e-prescribing nurtured by Federal mandates
• What the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) says about e-Prescribing
• Standards, regulations and processes
• Process timeline
• Where CMS is with regard to e-prescribing
• General overview of public comments (some conflicting; many in agreement)
• Issue of compliance with aggressive timelines
• State of industry readiness - from the health plan side
• Moving beyond Part D
• Issue of compliance with aggressive timelines
• State pre-emptions
• Who do the rules apply to; and under what circumstances do they apply
• How the rules fit within HIPAA
• Fraud & Abuse issues

Plus a live Question and Answer Session

Who Will Benefit From The CD-Rom Of This Audio Conference?

Health plans and providers, pharmaceutical and disease management companies, PBMs, CEOs, CFOs, hospital pharmaceutical managers, pharmacists, human resource benefit managers, medical directors, employer health plan decision makers, network development and provider services directors, strategic planners, utilization management, MCO plans, healthcare management, TPAs, network managers, physician practice management company executives, medical management directors, PHO and IPA leadership, analysts, implementer consultants, account services and administration executives and ancillary products managers.

"Attend" this program right in your office and enjoy significant savings - no travel time or hassle; no hotel expenses. It's so convenient! Invite your staff members to participate.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28727

Research and Markets
Laura Wood
Fax: +353 1 4100 980
press@researchandmarkets.com