HHS Encourages Physician E-prescribing Through Financial Incentives and Penalties

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new steps to tie adoption of health information technology (IT) to payment. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt held a media conference call on July 21 to discuss steps towards the adoption of electronic prescribing (“e-prescribing”) in its efforts to encourage physicians to adopt such systems. The HHS plan will…