Docs prescribe more radiation if they have financial interest in it; Medicare's new e-prescribing ayment spurs use

Aug 20 2013

Doctors who have a financial interest in prescribing radiation treatment do it more, a congressional study says. In the meantime, new Medicare payment incentives drive a rise in e-prescribing.

The New York Times: Doctors Who Profit From Radiation Prescribe It More Often, Study Finds
Doctors who have a financial interest in radiation treatment centers are much more likely to prescribe such treatments for patients with prostate cancer, Congressional investigators say in a new report (Pear, 8/18).

CQ HealthBeat: Medicare Incentives, Penalties Help Drive Increase In E-Prescribing
Medical providers are increasingly e-prescribing medications since Congress passed legislation in 2008 that created Medicare payment incentives to do so, and experts say the phenomenon is likely to keep growing. Physicians were slow to adopt e-prescribing technology until the 2008 law was enacted, directing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide incentive payments and payment adjustments to encourage electronic prescribing (Khatami, 8/16).