Eligible Professional Incentives

Can’t Complete the Stage 2 MU Summary of Care Measure 3 Test with a CMS Designated Test EHR? CMS Issues New FAQ on Alternative

Kathie McDonald-McClure Electronic Health Records, Eligible Professional Incentives, Health Information Technology, HITECH Law, Hospital EHR Incentives, Meaningful Use , , ,

HCP with stethoscope using phone while on laptopOn January 22, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated previously posted FAQ No. 11666 to help guide providers who are striving to meet Stage 2 Meaningful Use criteria under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs implemented by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009. The updated FAQ addresses the problem providers are having in meeting Measure 3 under the Stage 2 Summary of Care objective. The question posed is:

“When reporting on the Summary of Care objective in the EHR Incentive Programs, how can eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) meet measure 3 if they are unable to complete a test with the CMS Designated Test EHR (NIST EHR-Randomizer Application)?”

The CMS answer is as follows: Continue reading →

THE HIPAA SECURITY RISK ANALYSIS

Margaret Young Levi Electronic Health Records, Eligible Professional Incentives, Federal Law Resources, Health Information Technology, HITECH Law, Hospital EHR Incentives, Meaningful Use, Physician EMR Stimulus , ,

businessman looking over his glasses with clipboard on hand - frUnder the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH Act), eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals and eligible professionals must make a “meaningful use” of “certified electronic health technology” or face reductions in Medicare reimbursement. Conducting or reviewing a security risk analysis is a core objective in the meaningful use requirements of the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (“EHR”) incentive programs. These security risk analyses have been Continue reading →

KHIE issues June Newsletter

Kathie McDonald-McClure EHR Certification Standards, Electronic Health Records, Eligible Professional Incentives, Health Information Technology, HITECH Law, Hospital EHR Incentives , ,

HCP with stethoscope using phone while on laptopThe Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE) has issued its June 2014 Newsletter, The KHIE Connection.  This month’s issue includes a summary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that, if finalized, would allow providers to meet Stage 1 or Stage 2 Meaningful Use with electronic health records (EHRs) that are certified to HHS ONC’s 2011 or 2014 Edition criteria or a combination of both Editions.  Comments to the NPRM must be received by July 21, 2014.  The newsletter also addresses Medicare’s scheduled payment adjustments for 2015 that will impact eligible hospitals and providers who do not timelyattest to Meaningful Use of certified EHRs.  Guidance on attesting to Meaningful Use also is included.

CMS Issues EHR Meaningful Use Hardship Exceptions for Health Care Providers Subject to 2015 Medicare Reimbursement Reduction (Includes Automatic One-Year Reprieve for 2013 Meaningful Users)

Margaret Young Levi EHR Certification Standards, Electronic Health Records, Eligible Professional Incentives, Health Information Technology, HITECH Law, Hospital EHR Incentives, Hospital EHR Stimulus, Meaningful Use, Physician EMR Stimulus , , , ,

EHR Meaningful Use Hardship ExemptionOn February 28, 2014, we posted an article about ICD-10 and Stage 2 Meaningful Use (MU) announcements by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the 2014 HIMSS annual conference.  At that conference, while CMS refused to extend the deadlines for ICD-10 and Stage 2 MU, it promised to be more flexible about providing hardship exemptions on Stage 2 MU for providers and vendors truly struggling to meet the incentive program’s requirements.  CMS said that guidance would be forthcoming.  Yesterday, March 10, 2014, CMS issued such guidance.  The Guidance is directed solely at providers experiencing EHR vendor issues.  Importantly, the Guidance gives an automatic, one-year reprieve for certain providers who demonstrated MU for 2013. Continue reading →

No Further Extensions for ICD-10 and MU Stage 2

Margaret Young Levi EHR Certification Standards, Eligible Professional Incentives, Health Information Technology, HITECH Law, Hospital EHR Incentives, Hospital EHR Stimulus, Meaningful Use, Physician EMR Stimulus , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

strike before midnightUpdate:  On April 1, 2014, President Obama signed into law the “Doc Fix” bill, Public Law 113-93, which extends the deadline for ICD-10 for an additional year.  Section 212 of this law prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from adopting ICD-10 code sets prior to October 1, 2015.

Everyone is a-twitter (pun intended) about the announcement on Thursday, February 27, 2014, from Marilyn Tavenner, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), that the deadline for adoption of ICD-10 will not be extended. Tavenner was the keynote speaker at the HIMSS14 conference, and numerous tweets from HIMSS attendees highlighted her assertion that CMS will stand firm on the October 1, 2014 deadline. All entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) must be prepared to use ICD-10 codes on transactions by this date.

Tavenner also affirmed that the deadlines for Stage 2 Meaningful Use (MU) will not be extended. Providers who are not meaningful users of Certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) Technology under the Medicare EHR Incentive Programs will face a penalty, in the form of Medicare payment adjustments. These payment adjustments will be applied beginning on January 1, 2015. Continue reading →