PWeR, Inc.

10Apr, 2015

Meaningful Use Stage 3 (PART 1)

By: Charity Darby | Tags: “HHS announces proposed rules to support the path, 2105 at exactly 4:19 PM (EST) I received an email blast from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The headline read, eaningful Use 3 is on the way! On March 20

Meaningful Use 3 is on the way! On March 20, 2105 at exactly 4:19 PM (EST) I received an email blast from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). The headline read, “HHS announces proposed rules to support the path to nationwide interoperability” it went on to say: Proposed Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs and 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria rules issued for comment “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Office of the National […]
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3Apr, 2015

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$23 Billion (U.S.D) EHR Global Market by 2020

By: Charity Darby | Tags: $23 Billion (U.S.D) EHR Global Market by 2020

According to a recent report by a U.S.-based market intelligence firm , by 2020 the global electronic health records (EHR) market is expected to grow to $23 billion (U.S.D) in annual revenues, from the latest estimate of $15 billion in 2013. The report denotes that North America is currently leading the market worldwide with about 42% of total global sales. Second in the market was Eurozone, followed by the Asia-Pacific region. The report also notes that Asian countries such as China and India are exhibiting the fastest expansion and will […]
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27Mar, 2015

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Medicare SGR May Finally be Fixed

By: Charity Darby | Tags: Medicare SGR May Finally be Fixed

On March 26, 2015 (10:11 AM EDT), the U.S. House of Representatives by a margin of 402 to 12 passed a bill to fix the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Law. The bill now moves on the U.S. Senate and there is hope that President Obama will sign the final bipartisan legislation. The new bill is intended to permanently fix an annual problem that has been pushed on year to year since 1997 and the Clinton administration. According the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), if this SGR issue was not addressed […]
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20Mar, 2015

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HHS Proposes New ACO Model – More, and Better Technology Will be Critical

By: Charity Darby | Tags: ACOs, EHRs, Telehealth

On March 10, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) via the Center for Medicare Services (CMS), announced a new initiative “the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model of payment and care delivery”. The goal of the program is to “encourage quality improvement and care coordination, helping to move our health care system to one that achieves the Department’s goals of better care, smarter spending, and healthier people.” The release goes on to say- “The ACOs in the Next Generation ACO Model will take on greater […]
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17Mar, 2015

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Days of Fee for Service (FFS) Medicare and Medicaid are Numbered

By: Charity Darby | Tags: capitation., I have been waiting a long time for a headline like this. I have zero doubt that 10 years from now 75% or more of all medical billing will replaced by either value based payment or

A few days ago, the Boston Globe reported that “Blue Cross vastly expands quality-based payment systems”. The article went on to say that “health care industry’s traditional system of paying doctors for every office visit, test, and procedure may be nearing its end”. I have been waiting a long time for a headline like this. I have zero doubt that 10 years from now 75% or more of all medical billing will replaced by either value based payment or, capitation. The reality is, in healthcare today, we spend a great […]
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7Mar, 2015

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Where Is HITECH’s $35 Billion Dollar Investment Going?

By: Charity Darby | Tags: 2013, On April 16

On April 16, 2013, a group of 5 US Senators released a report called “REBOOT: Re-examining the Strategies Needed to Successfully Adopt Health IT”. This report outlined their serious concerns with the implementation of the Health Information Technology and Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Recently, these same US Senators wrote a blog on the Health Affairs website. http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2015/03/04/where-is-hitechs-35-billion-dollar-investment-going/ In this blog they specifically asked: What have the American people gotten for their $35 billion dollar investment? Two years after releasing the white paper, and six years since enactment of […]
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3Mar, 2015

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CMS Extends Deadline for Medicare Eligible Professionals to Attest to Meaningful Use

By: Charity Darby | Tags: 2015, 2015. The alert went on to say:, On February 25, sent out an alert that extended attestation deadline for Medicare Eligible Professional from 2014 to 11:59 ET on March 20, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid via the Office of National Coordinator

On February 25, 2015, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid via the Office of National Coordinator, sent out an alert that extended attestation deadline for Medicare Eligible Professional from 2014 to 11:59 ET on March 20, 2015. The alert went on to say: CMS extended the deadline to allow providers extra time to submit their meaningful use data. CMS continues to urge providers to begin attesting for 2014 as soon as they can. This extension also allows eligible professionals, who have not already used their one “switch”, to switch programs […]
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9Feb, 2015

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Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs

By: Charity Darby | Tags:

Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced their intent to engage in rulemaking to update the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs beginning in 2015. These intended changes are designed to reduce the reporting burden on providers, while supporting the long term goals of the program. Since the first year of the EHR Incentive Programs in 2011, the United States has seen unprecedented growth in the adoption and meaningful use of EHRs. To date, more than 400,000* eligible providers have joined the ranks of […]
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9Feb, 2015

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The Numbers Are In!

By: Charity Darby | Tags: Medicare reimbursements

The Numbers Are In! The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in mid-December 2014, that more than 257,000 doctors (Eligible Providers) will see a 1% cut in their Medicare reimbursements in 2015 for failing to adopt an electronic health record and meet the requirements of the Meaningful Use program. Further, 28,000 of those doctors face a 2% reduction in Medicare reimbursements in 2015 for failing to meet the requirements of both the meaningful use program and the electronic prescribing program, which requires physicians to use e-prescribing technology. CMS […]
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9Feb, 2015

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The Unicorn of EMR- Interoperability.

By: Charity Darby | Tags: for public comment, its shared nationwide roadmap for interoperability., The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has released

Recently, The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has released, for public comment, its shared nationwide roadmap for interoperability. (See link below) This “roadmap” is designed to get everyone on the same path towards what we have always described as a ‘patient centered’ EMR. The goal is to bring both the private and public providers of medical (and wellness) care together, to create an interoperable health IT ecosystem over the next 10 years, according to ONC. We have to head towards that goal today, and 10 years is […]
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