Health IT Now's Opioid Safety Alliance estimates the Every Prescription Conveyed Securely Act (H.R. 3528) could save taxpayers $13 billion over the next 10 years, according to its independent cost analysis.
Health IT Now is a coalition of patient groups, provider organizations, health payers and health IT companies. It launched the Opioid Safety Alliance in January 2018.
Here are five things to know about the alliance's cost estimate.
1. Reps. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., introduced the legislation, which would require electronic prescribing for controlled substances within Medicare's prescription drug program — Medicare Part D — with certain exceptions.
2. While the bill would limit the EPCS mandate to Medicare, Health IT Now believes the EPCS capability could be used by prescribers for Medicaid and private insurance transactions involving controlled substances.
3. The estimate, prepared by Health IT Now's Chief Economist Jeff Lemieux, who formerly served as a senior analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, was based on results of a similar electronic prescribing law in New York that was implemented in March 2016.
4. Health IT Now estimates the bill would reduce the total amount of prescriptions for controlled substances by about 4 percent, which would subsequently reduce some related inpatient hospital and emergency department visits.
5. "The bill would reduce federal spending by about $13 billion over the 10-year budget window from 2019 through 2028. National Health Expenditures would be reduced by about $22 billion cumulatively over that period," the estimate states.
Click here to read Health IT Now's estimate.
More articles on opioids:
Healthcare executives react to proposed opioid crisis response act of 2018
Trump administration extends opioid public health emergency for 2nd time
Poll: 80% of New Yorkers blame physicians for opioid crisis