Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: I heard that physicians may receive bonuses for e-prescribing. What codes would we report for this program?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: Physicians who adopt e-prescription systems are eligible to earn a bonus of 2 percent of their total Medicare allowed charges. The physician does not have to register to be considered for the 2 percent bonus from e-prescribing. The physician must report e-prescription activity on 50 percent of the Medicare patients he sees. Reporting includes three G codes, which indicate one of three conditions:

" G8443 -- All prescriptions created during the encounter were generated using a qualified e-prescribing system

" G8445 -- No prescriptions were generated during the encounter, provider does have access to a qualified e-prescribing system

" G8446 --Provider does have access to a qualified e-prescribing system and some or all of the prescriptions generated during the encounter were printed or phoned in as required by state or Federal law or regulations, patient request, or pharmacy system being unable to receive electronic transmission; OR because they were for narcotics or other controlled substances.

Medicare is offering the bonus because E-prescribing can greatly reduce the number of medication errors that jeopardize the health and safety of Medicare patients and waste precious health care dollars treating conditions that never should have happened, according to CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems.

You can find more information online at www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/Downloads/E-PrescribingMeasureSpecifications.pdf.

--  Reader Questions and You Be the Coder were reviewed by Heidi Stout, CPC,CCS-P, director of orthopedic coding services at The Coding Network LLC; and Bill Mallon, MD, orthopedic surgeon and medical director at Triangle Orthopaedic Associates in Durham, N.C.