2010 Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program Payment Update

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that incentive payments for the 2010 Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program has begun for eligible professionals who met the criteria for successful reporting. Distribution of 2010 payments Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive is scheduled to be completed by August 31, 2011. If you are not on this program, you're missing out – I just had a client receive $52,000 for eRX!!

Effective January 2010, CMS revised the manner in which incentive payment information is communicated to eligible professionals receiving electronic remittance advices. CMS has instructed Medicare contractors to use a new indicator of LE to indicate incentive payments instead of LS. LE will appear on the electronic remit. In an effort to further clarify the type of incentive payment issued (either PQRI or eRx incentive), CMS created a 4-digit code to indicate the type of incentive and reporting year. For the 2010 eRx incentive payments, the 4-digit code is RX10. This code will be displayed on the electronic remittance advice along with the LE indicator. For example, eligible professionals will see LE to indicate an incentive payment, along with RX10 to identify that payment as the 2010 eRx incentive payment. Additionally, the paper remittance advice will read, “This is an eRx incentive payment. ” The year will not be included in the paper remittance. 

Who to Contact for Questions? 

If you have questions about the status of your eRx incentive payment (during the distribution timeframe), please contact your Provider Contact Center. The Contact Center Directory is available at:

http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/CallCenterTollNumDirectory.zip, on the CMS website. 

The QualityNet Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. CST at 1-866-288-8912 or via qnetsupport@sdps.org. The help desk can also assist with program and measure-specific questions. 

The following CMS resource is available to help eligible professionals understand the 2010 eRx Incentive Payments, view A Guide for Understanding the 2010 eRx Incentive Payment [PDF 57 KB], on the CMS website.

About the Author

Reed Tinsley CPA

This article is written by Reed Tinsley, a Houston, TX-based CPA with over 30 years of experience advising physicians and medical practices across Texas and the United States. Reed holds certifications as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Certified Healthcare Business Consultant (CHBC), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP), specializing exclusively in the healthcare sector. He is a published author, nationally recognized speaker, and trusted advisor to physicians on accounting & tax, practice management, and financial planning. Schedule a Free Consultation.