Initial Certification of EHR Technology

October 5, 2010 By

The Drummond Group and CCHIT announced this week the certification of EHR technology.  CCHIT certified 33 complete EHRs and modules, click here to access the list.  The Drummond Group certified 3 complete EHRs and modules, click here to access the list.  The certification of these EHRs is significant because meaningfully using certified EHR technology  is required to qualify for the Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments.  Hospitals and eligible providers may use either a complete EHR system to show meaningful use or a set of modules that combine create a complete EHR system.

For more information regarding meaningful use and certification visit the ONC FAQ page.

Filed Under: HITECH, Incentive Payments

Critical Access Hospital Incentive Payments

August 30, 2010 By

CMS has issued a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Tip Sheet to assist CAH’s in evaluating eligibility under the Medicare EHR Incentive Payment program.  Though, CAH’s are now eligible for Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments, this eligibility is similar to all other acute care hospitals.  CAH’s are not entitled to a different calculation formula for Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments.   

To view the Medicare CAH Tip Sheet click here.

To view the Medicaid Tip Sheet for Acute Care Hospitals click here.

If you have questions or need assistance in calculating the estimated Medicare or Medicaid Incentive Payments for your hospital or with achieving meaningful use please contact Elana Zana.

Filed Under: Critical Access Hospital, HITECH, Incentive Payments

CMS Launches EHR Incentive Payment Website

August 18, 2010 By

To help answer questions regarding meaningful use and the EHR incentive payments, CMS has launched an EHR Incentive Program website.  The website provides FAQ’s, CMS presentations, fact sheets, and more.  To view the site click here.

Filed Under: HITECH, Incentive Payments, Medicare

CMS Presentation on Meaningful Use & EHR Incentives Final Rules

July 22, 2010 By

On July 13, CMS issued the Medicare and Medicaid Programs Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Final Rules.  These final rules were published in the Federal Register on July 28th. 

On July 22nd, CMS hosted a conference call to explain the changes in the Final Rules as compared to the Proposed Rules.  Some key changes include:

  • Inclusion of Critical Access Hospitals in the definition of eligible hospital for Medicaid incentives.
  • A revised definition of hospital based eligible professionals to exclude only those physicians that provide 90% or more of their services in either an inpatient or emergency department.
  • Eligible Professionals and Eligible Hospitals may defer 5 optional “menu set” Meaningful Use reporting objectives.
  • Reduction in measure thresholds for Meaningful Use reporting objectives.

To view the CMS slide presentation click here.  ONC has also published a slide deck entitled “Supporting Meaningful Use” that provides helpful guidance.  CMS has also launched an EHR Incentives website which has fact sheets, press releases, general information, and instructions on how to participate, also on the website will be the transcript of the CMS conference call.

In addition, CMS has published the Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for EHR Technology.  For more information on these Standards click here.

If you have questions regarding how these final rules will affect your practice please contact Elana Zana.

Filed Under: Critical Access Hospital, HITECH, Incentive Payments, Medicare

249 Members of Congress Urge CMS to Revise Meaningful Use and Incentive Eligibility

March 18, 2010 By

In a letter submitted to CMS on March 15th, Members of Congress encouraged CMS to revise its proposed definition of meaningful use and the restrictions on the EHR incentive payments.  The letter covered three topics:

1) the definition of Meaningful Use;

2) the definition of Hospital-Based Physician; and

3) the limitation on payments to Multi-Campus hospitals.

Specifically, the letter discussed the application of the meaningful use requirements for both Medicare and Medicaid and urged CMS to relax the restrictions and the broad scope of the definition.  The letter recommends that CMS modify the hospital-based definition to allow incentive payments for physicians that furnish services in hospital-owned ambulatory settings by excluding those physicians from the definition of hospital-based.  Lastly, the letter requests that CMS identify hospitals as discrete facilities regardless of whether the hospital is part of a multi-hospital system operating under the same Medicare provider number.

Filed Under: HITECH, Incentive Payments, Medicare

HHS Issues Meaningful Use & EHR Incentive Payment Proposed Regulations

December 30, 2009 By

The much awaited proposed regulations regarding the ARRA incentive funds and “meaningful use” have finally been released. HHS has issued the proposed rules for the Medicare & Medicaid Programs & EHR Incentive Program (556 pages) and the Health Information Technology Initial Set of Standards, Implementation, Specifications and Certification Criteria for EHR Technology, including the definition of meaningful use (136 pages).

HHS has also released fact sheets to assist in destilling the proposed requirements.  To view these fact sheets click here.

More information regarding the various contents of these regulations will follow in subsequent blog posts.  If you have specific questions please contact Elana Zana or David Schoolcraft.

Filed Under: HITECH, Incentive Payments

HIT Policy Committee Meeting Re: Meaningful Use for Specialists & Smaller Practices/Hospitals

October 19, 2009 By

The Office of the National Coordinator published this recent announcement:

The HIT Policy Committee will be holding a two-day meeting, October 27 and October 28, focusing on specialists, smaller physician practices, small community hospitals, etc. The Recovery Act requires not just adoption of health information technology (HIT) but also meaningful use of the information to improve care. To demonstrate meaningful use, the Policy Committee has chosen to focus on HIT-enabled quality measures that are both process and outcomes oriented. Most of the initial measures proposed for 2011 focused on primary care providers because of the availability of those measures. This hearing seeks input from various groups that may not be adequately addressed by the initial measures proposed, such as specialists, non-physician practitioners, smaller physician practices, safety net providers, and small community hospitals.

For more information click here.

Filed Under: HITECH, Incentive Payments

Final Meaningful Use Matrix

October 14, 2009 By

Recently, Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, issued a press release regarding “meaningful use” and the recommendations of the HIT Policy Committee.  The HIT Policy Committee was charged with making recommendations regarding the definition of meaningful use and certification and adoption standards.  As part of its recommendation, the HIT Policy Committee submitted a matrix of health outcomes and objectives to be achieved in 2011, 2013 and 2015.  To view the matrix click here.

The health outcome policy priorities described in the matrix include:

  • Improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce health disparities;
  • Engage patients and families;
  • Improve care coordination;
  • Improve population and public health; and
  • Ensure adequate privacy and security protections for personal health information.

Though the date is still to be determined, the HIT Policy Committee plans on having an informational hearing regarding its recommendations in October.  HHS plans on releasing the proposed rule in December and will have a public comment period in early 2010.

Filed Under: HITECH, Incentive Payments
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