Murray, Cantwell Push for Health Information Technology to Help Rural Seniors

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray
(D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to Donald Berwick, Administrator
of Medicare and Medicaid Services at the Department of Health and Human
Services, urging the department to allow eligible professionals practicing in
independent rural health clinics to receive funding under the Medicare program
for health information technology. Currently, eligible professionals in
independent rural health clinics can qualify for incentive payments through
Medicaid to invest in health information technology however, they are
currently excluded from receiving incentive payments through the Medicare
program.

“We are concerned that this exclusion from Medicare incentive
payments will limit the ability of rural providers who care for elderly
patients to purchase health information technology. We are worried how this
will affect rural patients’ access to electronic health records and their
corresponding improvements to the delivery of health care. There is an
increasing shortage of rural physicians. Failure to fix this exclusion in the
regulations may hasten that rural shortage,” the Senators wrote.

The full text of the letter
appears below:

Donald Berwick, MD, Administrator
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201 

Dear Dr. Berwick:

We are writing in response to the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Service’s Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Final
Rule, which was published in the Federal Register on July 28th, 2010 that
excludes eligible professionals practicing in independent rural health clinics
from the Medicare incentive program.

As you know, health information technology has the potential to
improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of health care.  A nationwide
health information technology system will give doctors more information to make
better-informed decisions and coordinate care.  Increased use of
electronic health records could save our health care system billions by cutting
waste and eliminating the need to repeat medical tests.  In addition, this
technology has the potential to save lives by reducing medical errors. 

We were proud to support the $19 billion included in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act for health information technology.  This
program was the largest-ever federal investment in adopting widespread use of
electronic health records.  A majority of this funding will be available
to eligible professionals through Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.

While we understand and appreciate that eligible professionals
practicing in rural health clinics can qualify for these incentive payments
through the Medicaid program, we are troubled that eligible professionals in
independent (that is, not provider based) rural health clinics are currently
excluded from incentive payments through the Medicare program. 

We are concerned that this exclusion from Medicare incentive
payments will limit the ability of rural providers who care for elderly
patients to purchase health information technology.    We are
worried how this will affect rural patients’ access to electronic health
records and their corresponding improvements to the delivery of health
care.   There is an increasing shortage of rural physicians. 
Failure to fix this exclusion in the regulations may hasten that rural
shortage.

As Senators from a large, rural state, one of our goals is to
improve health care in rural communities by both expanding access and improving
the quality of care.  Health information technology has the potential to
further these goals and rural areas should not be excluded from the benefits
this technology can provide. 

We do not believe it was Congress’ intent to exclude physicians in
independent rural health clinics from the Medicare incentive program. 

We encourage you to investigate if there is a regulatory solution
to this exclusion, possibly through the Office of the General Counsel, to allow
independent rural health clinics to access health information technology
incentive payments through the Medicare program.

Please inform us when you believe this issue might be resolved.