Payer Offers Patient Data on CDs

This sounds like some of the data perhaps used for P4P being made available. With the information on the patient prescriptions refills, etc, it tells all about whether or not a patient fills a prescription or note, unless they pay cash for the $4.00 generic brand, in which case that will not show up on the insurance company records, thus they are eliminating some co-pays on medications for chronic conditions so they can have it in the reporting process. Twice a year these come out on CDs and no longer on paper, but in the family practice who might have time to digest and research all of this unless you are getting cut further on payments to a large degree of dollars. If many patients are paying cash for generics at $4.00, the physician stands a good chance on getting dinged on not prescribing enough generic drugs. BD

The CDs indicate whether a patient is in need of a recommended test, procedure or treatment and offer confirmation of tests that have been completed, along with available results. Also included on the CDs is information about patient's "medication persistence," which indicates how often the patient fills their recommended prescriptions and obtains refills in a timely manner.