The recently published final "meaningful use" regulations make it clear that hospitals must be careful in how they report charity care on their Medicare cost reports if they want to maximize their incentive payments for using EHR. The amount a hospital receives in EHR incentive payments is calculated based on the hospital’s Medicare and Medicaid
Meaningful Use
Meaningful Use At A Glance
By William Maruca on
Posted in Meaningful Use
The following is a chart summarizing the 15 "core" objectives which must be met, the menu from which 5 additional objectives must be selected, and the standards by which achievement of these objectives will be measured in order to qualify for EHR funding under the HITECH Act based on the final rules published on July 13, 2010…
Final “Meaningful Use” Criteria for EHR Subsidies Released
By William Maruca on
Posted in Meaningful Use
On July 13, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services released a pair of final regulations (one from CMS, one from the Office of National Coordinator for HIT ) detailing the “meaningful use” criteria which will determine whether users of electronic health records will qualify for the government subsidies under the HITECH Act during…
“Unrealistic expectations and unachievable timelines”
By William Maruca on
Posted in Meaningful Use
Even the most technologically advanced health systems and physician organizations in the U.S. would struggle to meet the proposed standards for "meaningful use" of electronic medical records, according to a Jun 7, 2010 article in the New York Times. Doctors and Hospitals Say Goals on Computerized Records Are Unrealistic. (registration required).
Some unlikely players…
Hey, CMS, not so fast!
By William Maruca on
Posted in Meaningful Use
The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, and numerous other stakeholders are raising concerns that the timelines for adoption of EHR features that must be met in order to meet the proposed HITECH "meaningful use" criteria are unrealistic. The AHA’s comment letter stated:
"…[R]ational timelines are needed. We recommend a lead time of one year …
Getting Meaningful with EHR
By William Maruca on
Posted in HITECH Act, Meaningful Use
The Health InformationTechnology for Economic and Clinical Health Act or the “HITECH Act” provides incentive payments for adoption and meaningful use of HIT and qualified EHRs. CMS published a proposed rule defining "meaningful use" on December 30. It’s 566 double-spaced pages long, and can be found here: http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2009-31217_PI.pdf.
An eligible physician or other…
Certifying EHRs for “Meaningful Use”
By Fox Rothschild LLP on
On November 2, 2009, the Texas-based Drummond Group Inc. announced in a Press Release that it will submit to become a certifying body upon the release of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) requirements for certifying bodies for Electronic Health Records (EHR). ONC is currently working on the scope and definition…
Relationship of “Meaningful Use” of EHR, and the Department of Veterans Affairs
By Michael Kline on
[Installment 5 – Governance Considerations from HIT for the Board and Other Hospital Stakeholders]
This is the fifth in a series of blog posts that relate to the governance concerns surrounding developments in HIPAA, HITECH and HIT.
The other week, two separate and apparently unrelated events occurred on consecutive days with respect to electronic health records…
Will Too Much “Meaning” = Not Enough Use?
By Elizabeth Litten on
When I first reviewed the Matrix and other documents released by the HIT Policy Committee’s “Meaningful Use” Workgroup, my initial reaction was “When did defining ‘Meaningful Use’ of EHR morph into attempting to use EHRs to ‘meaningfully’ reform the entire healthcare delivery system.”? More simply put, the Workgroup’s initial recommendations seemed to me to …
“Meaningful Use” Comments Due June 26th
By Fox Rothschild LLP on
Posted in HITECH Act, Meaningful Use
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is seeking comments on the preliminary definition of “Meaningful Use,” as presented to the HIT Policy Committee on June 16, 2009. Comments on the draft description of Meaningful Use are due by 5:00 pm EST June 26, 2009. Below are links to the HIT…