EHR Incentive Programs
Are you a behavioral healthcare professional and still wondering whether or not you are eligible to participate in the Meaningful Use Programs? Is you answered yes, be sure to check out this presentation on eligibility:
Join CMS on Thursday, March 29, for a National Provider Call on the EHR Incentive Programs
CMS is holding a National Provider Call on Thursday, March 29, from 3:00 – 4:30 pm EDT for eligible professionals (EPs) to discuss program basics for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The call will help EPs learn if they are eligible for the programs.
As of February 29, 2012, more than $3.8 billion in Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payments have been made; and more than 211,000 EPs, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals are actively registered. Remember, this is the last year that EPs can participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and still receive the maximum incentive payment..
The call will focus on EP participation in the EHR Incentive Programs. More information on eligibility requirements can be found on the Eligibility page of the CMS EHR website.
The call will cover general program topics, including:
• Are you eligible?
• How much are the incentives and how are they calculated?
• How do you get started?
• What are major milestones regarding participation and payment?
• How do you report on meaningful use?
• Where can you find helpful resources?
• A question and answer session
Registration Information:
In order to receive call-in information, you must register for the call. Registration will close at 12pm on the day of the call or when available space has been filled; no exceptions will be made, so please register early..
The presentation for this call will be posted at least one day beforehand. In addition, the presentation will be emailed to all registrants on the day of the call..
Attention Meaningful Users!
I know we are all very interested in what exactly is required for CORE Measure 15 “Protect electronic health information created or maintained by the certified EHR technology through the implementation of appropriate technical capabilities.” HITECH Answers has a guest speaker who will be doing a broadcast on March 27, 2012. If you have time, please join that broadcast!
National Council Awards of Excellence Winners
Congratulations to three of our customers who have been recognized by the National Council for excellence & achievement.
The National Council is pleased to announce the 2012 Awards of Excellence and Reintegration Awards honorees. National Council Awards of Excellence honorees reflect the most innovative and inspirational achievements in behavioral healthcare organizations across the country — staff, board leadership, volunteers, consumers, families, and community partners who are changing the lives of children, adults, and families with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. The Lilly Reintegration Awards celebrate the achievements of those in the community who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses, and the achievements of those living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who battle tremendous odds to improve their own lives and the lives of their peers.
NATIONAL COUNCIL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
Winners of the 2012 Awards of Excellence in each category receive a grant in the amount of $10,000 to be donated to the organization of the recipient’s choice
Winner: Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, Philadelphia, PA
Winner: Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center, Montrose, CO
LILLY REINTEGRATION AWARDS
Winners of the 2012 Reintegration Awards in each category receives a grant in the amount of $10,000.
Category: Clinical Medicine
Winner: Trilogy’s Integrated Healthcare Program, Chicago, IL
C3 2012 Picture Gallery
See the fun you missed at the CareLogic Community Conference or reminisce about your experience at the event with these photos!
C3 Users’ Conference Begins Today!
It’s a beautiful day in downtown Nashville as we begin to welcome hundreds of users to our National C3 Conference!
EPs Who Work in Multiple Locations & “The 50% Rule”
Part of an Eligible Professional being able to demonstrate the meaningful use of a certified EHR (“meet the measures”) includes the 50% rule. An EP who practices in multiple locations or works in an agency where some of the medical records are kept in a certified EHR while others are not, is subject to the 50% rule.
The rule: EPs who practice in multiple locations must have 50 percent or more of their patient encounters during the reporting period at a practice/location or practices/locations equipped with certified EHR technology . An EP for who does not conduct 50 percent of their patient encounters in any one practice/location would have to meet the 50 percent threshold through a combination of practices/locations equipped with certified EHR technology (Final Rules, page 44329).
What does this mean?
•If an EP works in one location, full time, and all medical records are kept in the certified EHR, they would have met the 50% rule because more than 50% of the EPs encounters take place in a clinic/agency/or practice that has a certified EHR.
•If an EP works in more than 1 location and more than 50% of their patient encounters take place in a clinic (s)/agency (cies)/practice (s) that has a certified EHR they meet the requirements of the 50% rule. Furthermore, according to the final rules (Final Rules, page 44329) , as long as an EP has certified EHR technology available for 50 % or more of their patient encounters during the EHR reporting period they only have to include those encounters (for the measures) where certified EHR technology is available at the start of the EHR reporting period.
•If an EP works in more than 1 location and 50% or more of their encounters take place in a clinic (s)/agency (cies)/practice (s) without a certified EHR, this EP cannot demonstrate meaningful use
In summary:
When beginning the reporting period for demonstrating the meaningful use of a certified EHR, if an EP works in more than one location, they would have to consider all of their encounters across locations because the incentive program ties to the practices of the provider, not any one single agency. If you want to learn more about what kinds of encounters should be included in the calculations for each measure, watch our website for information on our upcoming webinar on this topic in April 2012.
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