BOSTON — Senate lawmakers are backing a bill to rein in health care costs to help pay for the state's landmark health care law.
The bill would require the state to adopt a statewide system of electronic medical record keeping and set up uniform billing among health care providers and insurance companies.
The reforms are expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars.
The bill would also clamp down on the practice of doctors accepting gifts from representatives of pharmaceutical companies. Penalties include a civil fine of up to $5,000.
The bill requires pharmaceutical representatives be licensed by the Department of Public Health and disclose the value, nature and purpose of anything not prohibited by the ban.
