Healthcare IT Update

5 Reasons Why ‘Getting Technical’ With Your Patient Records Pays Off

Not an EP? Here are other ways EMR can save you cash if you know the ropes. If you haven’t witnessed or lead a conversion from paper records to an electronic medical record (EMR) system, you’re at least aware that the process is a huge undertaking — that often results in even lower productivity and more confusion. So, is making the change really worth it? Experts agree that yes, going electronic is worth it. Here are a few reasons why: 1. You Open More Cash Inlets Many research studies pull their data via electronic records. So, if you can’t tune in to participate, opportunities for cash perks will fly by. “Grant money and incentive programs are available, for example, and they want data in the electronic form,” points out Francine Wheelock, PT, MPA, manager of clinical systems for MaineGeneral Health. Just look at the nationwide push for value-based purchasing and outcome…

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Non-Physician Providers Aren’t Considered ‘EPs’ in Medicare EHR Incentive Program

Don’t miss out on this EP list, plus the latest HIT lingo from CMS CMS reps want to make sure healthcare providers optimize your chances of collecting from the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program, which could net an eligible professional (EP) $44,000 over a five-year period. The agency’s proposal regarding the incentive program spells out who can participate, and what type of  EHR you’ll have to use, according to a Feb. 21 CMS-sponsored Physicians, Nurses, and Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum. You should know …

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EHRs Can Earn a Physician $44,000

You can collect incentive payments by participating with either Medicare or Medicaid — not both. CMS is still ironing out details of its electronic health record (EHR) bonus program, which could net an eligible professional (EP) $44,000 over a five-year period — if you know the rules. The agency’s proposal regarding the incentive program includes several important points that you should keep in mind as you create your EHR program, according to a Feb. 2 CMS-sponsored Physicians, Nurses, and Allied Health Professionals Open Door Forum.

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What You Need To Do To Get ARRA’s EHR Adoption Incentive Money

Having trouble plodding through the 555-page HITECH reg? Our experts spell out the basic requirements for collecting cash. If you help to run a hospital or a physician’s office that sees Medicare and Medicaid patients, you might think you know red tape. Well, if you plan on seeing any of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 incentive money for adopting electronic health records technology, get ready for a whole new world of red before you see any green. On Dec. 30, 2009, CMS issued a proposed rule that would implement the incentive payment provisions of ARRA. Payments will be offered to Medicare and Medicaid providers and facilities that adopt and “meaningfully use” electronic health record technology, and this proposed rule is the first indication of how CMS plans to define ARRA’s requirements. The most anticipated part of the reg…

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It’s Here: CMS’s Proposed Rule Implementing the HITECH Act

We’ve got the links to help you learn more about the rule. Well, it looks like CMS meant what it said and said what it meant, despite the skeptics out there. Like a particularly deft limbo dancer, the agency made its end-of-2009 deadline for a proposed rule implementing the HITECH Act. The 555-page document landed online with a ‘thud’ on December 30th. Those of you who want to save this heavy reading project until after your New Year’s revelries can go here for some fact sheets. You’ll learn nifty new HIT acronyms like ‘EP,’ which should make you the hit of any cocktail party. The public comment period for the rule is 60 days. Stay tuned to HIT News for in-depth analysis of the rule, as well as a roundup of what healthcare providers are saying about it.

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