On Thursday, HHS announced that CMS has issued two final rules that would update technical standards for the electronic prescribing program and streamline other regulations for hospitals and health care providers, Modern Healthcare reports (Zigmond, Modern Healthcare, 5/10).
Changes to E-Prescribing Technical Requirements
One of the proposed rules, called the Medicare Regulatory Reform rule, aims to eliminate duplicative, unnecessary and outdated regulations for health care providers. CMS estimates that the new rule would generate $200 million in savings in its first year (HHS release, 5/10).
The rule includes numerous provisions, including one related to the Medicare e-prescribing program. The rule states that CMS has "retired older versions of e-prescribing transactions for Medicare Part D and adopted the newer versions to be in compliance with the current e-prescribing standards" (CMS final rule, 5/10).
Revision to Medicare Conditions of Participation
The other final rule would update the Medicare Conditions of Participation for critical access hospitals and other hospitals (HHS release, 5/10). CMS estimates that the new rule would generate more than $900 million in savings annually (Modern Healthcare, 5/10).
Acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said, "These changes cut burdensome red tape for hospitals and providers and give them the flexibility they need to improve patient care while lowering costs" (HHS release, 5/10).