By Sarianne Gruber, Senior Consultant, Encore Health Resources Twitter: @subtleimpact Without interoperability of health technologies, a comprehensive exchange of health data does not exist. Yet,…
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the most recent numbers for the EHR Incentive programs. Here are some Program-to-date highlights from this latest CMS report – October.
Health spending continued to grow at a slow rate last year the Office of the Actuary (OACT) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported. In 2013, health spending grew at 3.6 percent and total national health expenditures in the United States reached $2.9 trillion, or $9,255 per person.
Announcements made from companies and organizations on the hiring and appointments in the healthcare and health IT industry.
The December HIT Standards Committee included a review of the draft Federal Health IT Strategic Plan, recommendations about identity management from the Transport and Security Workgroup, an overview of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, and a discussion of upcoming task force work as we all prepare for the publication of the ONC interoperability roadmap and the Meaningful Use Stage 3 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
It sounds fairly simple and straight forward. Medicaid and Medicare eligible professionals (EP) who have achieved and attested to meaningful use (MU) can assign their incentive payment to another entity. CMS lays it right out there “However, under Medicare, eligible professionals (EPs) may choose to assign their incentive payments to their employer or entity with which the EP has a contractual arrangement.
Interoperability is the current health IT buzzword because it’s the essential ingredient in creating a system that benefits patients, doctors and hospitals. Almost everyone in healthcare is pressing for it and is frustrated, though probably not surprised, that Meaningful Use did not get us there.
In the months following my hospitalization, I walked away with paperwork and access codes to five different patient portal sites, including my PCP, surgeon, the initial hospital where I received emergency treatment, the hospital where I had surgery, and in addition (not related to my injury) my OB/Gyn, and recently, my dentist!
CMS is extending the deadline for eligible hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program 2014 reporting year from 11:59 pm EST on November 30, 2014 to 11:59 pm EST on December 31, 2014.