Latest News | EHR

Health IT Chief Disputes Study On EHR Testing, Costs

From: Kaiser Health News – 3/7/12

Article Excerpt:

A study published in the journal Health Affairs this week found that doctors who use electronic health records may order more diagnostic testing, and therefore drive up the cost of health care, despite claims to the contrary by the federal government and health IT industry.

Now, Dr. Farzad Mostashari, national coordinator for health information technology, is pushing back.  In a post on the ONC’s HealthITBuzz blog, Mostashari wrote a point-by-point take-down of the Health Affairs study. The post, as first reported by Politico Pro, argues that the study “tells us little about the ability of electronic health records (EHRs) to reduce costs” and “nothing about the impact of EHRs on improving care.”

The study’s conclusions, Mostashari writes, were based on electronic viewing of imaging results, rather than EHRs, and the authors did not consider electronic tools that help doctors make clinical decisions about whether or not to use a certain test, or the ability to exchange information electronically. The study’s authors also did not look at whether the additional tests ordered were medically necessary and may have actually improved the quality of care, reducing costs in the long term. “This study focused on the numbers, while ignoring the patient,” he writes.

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From: Associated Press – 2/29/12

Article Excerpts:

The Texas doctor accused of “selling his signature” to process almost $375 million in false Medicare and Medicaid claims went unnoticed for half a decade by a fraud detection system that some critics say is broken.

Authorities say Jacques Roy and six others indicted for health care fraud certified 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries through more than 500 home health providers over five years. Those numbers would have made Roy’s Medicare practice the busiest in the country. But an investigation into Roy and his business practices didn’t begin until about a year ago, officials said.

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Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program – Stage 2

Proposed Rules CMS-0044-P; Filed 2/23/12; FR Publication 3/7/12

CMS Summary:

This proposed rule would specify the Stage 2 criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to qualify for Medicare and/or Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments. In addition, it would specify payment adjustments under Medicare for covered professional services and hospital services provided by EPs, eligible hospitals, and CAHs failing to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology and other program participation requirements. This proposed rule would also revise certain Stage 1 criteria, as well as criteria that apply regardless of Stage, as finalized in the final rule titled Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program published on July 28, 2010 in the Federal Register. The provisions included in the

Medicaid section of this proposed rule (which relate to calculations of patient volume and hospital eligibility) would take effect shortly after finalization of this rule, not subject to the proposed 1 year delay for Stage 2 of meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

CMS-0044-P 2 Changes to Stage 1 of meaningful use would take effect for 2013, but most would be optional until 2014.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Announces Major Progress in Doctors, Hospital Use of HIT

From: HHS News Release – 2/17/12

News Release Excerpt:

Kansas City, MO – Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the number of hospitals using health information technology (IT) has more than doubled in the last two years.  She also announced new data showing nearly 2,000 hospitals and more than 41,000 doctors have received $3.1 billion in incentive payments for ensuring meaningful use of health IT, particularly certified Electronic Health Records (EHR). 

CMS Updated the EHR Information Center – New Self-Service Options

From: CMS E-mail – 2/9/12

Text of E-mail

Following months of review and collective input, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Information Center Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system has been enhanced to provide users with an increased number of options and services to make accessing and reviewing data easier than ever before.

For eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, or critical access hospitals (CAHs), the revised functionality vastly improves the efficiency in obtaining desired information, while also offering a more varied amount of information and options for callers. CMS is proud to announce that providers can now obtain information through an extensive IVR Self-Service option. Included in this option is a reinforced privacy protection module that requires your individual National Provider Identifier (NPI), the last five digits of your Tax Identification Number (TIN), and your EHR registration ID. Once accepted, this newly enhanced Self-Service tool allows you to:

• Obtain registration status
• Acquire attestation status
• Review payment information
• Check progress towards meeting the $24,000 threshold amount

Users may access these new options by dialing 888-734-6433, pressing 3 for Self-Service, and entering the authentication elements. These options will be available on the IVR effective Thu Feb 16.

EHR Information Center Hours of Operation: 7:30am-6:30pm CT, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. (Note that General Information and Self-Service options may be reached via IVR 24 hours a day, except during periods of planned system maintenance or upgrades).

Supplementary information on the program may also be viewed by visiting the FAQs sectionof the EHR Incentive Programs website, where users can search for any questions they have about the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs? Make sure to visit the EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates on the EHR Incentive Programs.

Study: Few Hospitals Qualify for Digital Funds

From: The New York Times – 11/1/11

Article Excerpts:

Though hospitals are eligible for billions of dollars in federal stimulus money to bring their facilities into the digital age to save money and improve the quality of health care, just one in 10 is ready to meet government standards to qualify for the funds, a new analysis shows. 

A study by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), based in Chicago, shows just 10 percent of the nation’s hospitals are “now ready” to address all 14 core measures the government is requiring before they can get extra payments from the federal Medicare health insurance program for the elderly or Medicaid health insurance for the poor.

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EHR Registration Reminder

CMS E-mail – 10/13/11

Text of E-mail:  

CMS wants to remind eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) of the key registration dates for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, and provide information to help them successfully register and start their path to payment for 2011.

Important Registration Dates to Remember

• Wednesday, November 30, 2011 – Last day for eligible hospitals and CAHs to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for FY2011.
• Wednesday, February 29, 2011 – Last day for EPs to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for CY2011.

When Should Providers Register?
CMS encourages providers to register for the Medicare and/or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program(s) as soon as possible to avoid payment delays.  Note that not all states have launched a Medicaid EHR Incentive Program yet; providers will not be able to complete their registration for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program until their state’s program has launched and that state’s site has opened.  Providers should check their state’s status. 

Note, also, that provider can register before they have a certified EHR and can also register if they do not have an enrollment record in PECOS.

CMS E-mail Release

Text of CMS E-mail:

Sun July 3 marks an important deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) – the last day that eligible hospitals and CAHs can begin their 90-day reporting period in FY2011 for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.  For hospitals, this means that they must begin their consecutive 90-day reporting period by Sun July 3 if they still want to successfully demonstrate meaningful use and receive an incentive payment for FY2011.

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