Most think of Massachusetts as a pioneer, good or bad, when it comes to health care and insurance reform. They were the first, and still are, to pass a universal health insurance law that requires just about every resident to have coverage.

Ever since Massachusetts passed that law, they have been on the forefront of news topics. The most recent note of interest is their largest insurance company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, demanding that all network physicians use e-prescriptions within the next 2 years.

BCBS of Massachusetts says this will streamline prescribing drugs- reducing medical errors, avoiding harmful drug interactions, and reducing pharmacy costs.

Physicians are required to make this change by 2011 or they will not be eligible for BCBS bonus payments. BCBS of Mass. chief physician executive, Dr. John Fallon says, “Our incentive [e-prescription] programs are designed to reward doctors for taking steps to improve the quality of outcomes for patients, and e-prescribing has certainly proven to increase quality of care.”

The only drawback for doctors switching is the fee of up to $3,500 for switching to e-prescriptions. To combat that, BCBS says they will assist some of the network’s physicians with that cost, reports the Boston Globe. The Globe also reports that they will face a few obstacles, including the fact that federal law prohibits the electronic prescription of controlled substances.