Medicare to pay doctors more if they use health information technology

The Bush administration wants to recruit 1,200 doctors across the country who are willing to remove "the paperwork from their medical practice in return for higher Medicare payments." (Source: "Electronic Health Records Get Boost," Associated Press, Oct. 29, 2007.) During the test project, tasks such as ordering prescriptions or recording lab tests results would be done electronically; those physicians who use the technology most aggressively and score the highest in an annual evaluation would also receive the highest payment increases. According to the article, "Many health analysts believe widespread use of electronic health records will reduce medical errors and could potentially slow soaring health care expenses. Yet only about 10 percent of doctors in solo or small-group practices use such records. Upfront costs for putting in place such computer systems can range from $20,000 to $40,000."