Coding classes – sign up now!!

Meet your coding, reimbursement and compliance goals in 2013.

Topics covered include the following coding manuals:- 2013 CPT Professional - 2013 HCPCS - 2013 ICD-9 -

Coding Certificate Bootcamp in Alamosa, CO

March 19, 20 & 21, 2013

Ramada Inn & Conference Center/333 Sante Fe Ave, Alamosa, CO

Click here to register

Billing and Coding Workshop in Rifle, CO.

May 21, 22 & 23, 2013

Grand River Hospital Conference Center/501 Airport Rd, Rifle, CO

Click here to register

Questions? Contact Danette Swanson ds@coruralhealth.org

Registration Assistance: Samantha Hiner at 720.248.2757

Attention: CAH EHR Survey!

HIMSS Analytics would like to collect data regarding the challenges that critical access hospitals face in implementing electronic health records to achieve meaningful use.

Click HERE to complete this important survey!

This brief survey focuses on the following topics:

• challenges your hospital is experiencing related  to electronic health record implementation (e.g. access to capital, IT workforce, and broadband),
• participation in Federal and State broadband assistance programs,
• current and planned Health Information Technology capabilities, and
• internet access, speed, and monthly costs.

The results of this survey will be used for Federal programs to support enhanced outreach, to better understand the needs of critical access hospitals, and to assess the effectiveness of current health IT programs and grants.

Upon completion of the survey, HIMSS Analytics will send a document referencing Federal broadband funding opportunities designed specifically to fund projects that improve health and development in rural areas by increasing access to internet technologies. If you have any questions, please contact Patti Harris, Senior Director, Data Collection and Quality at patti.harris@himssanalytics.org.

CME/CNE Credits Available! Web Conference on Practical Models to Improve Patient-Clinician Communication Using Health IT

This Webinar will identify ways health IT can be used to support the delivery of patient-centered care by supporting more effective patient-clinician communication within the medical encounter.

Date:  December 18, 2012

Time:  2:30-4:00 p.m., EST

To Register:

1. Go to: https://ahrqnrc-conferences.webex.com/ahrqnrc-conferences/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=998987728

2. Select "Register."
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then select "Submit."
Once the host approves your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to join the event. For assistance:  Contact Jennifer Webb by email at jrwebb@rti.org or by phone at

(919) 541-6746.

Overall Purpose:

Through multiple mechanisms, including the judgment of the continuing education (CE) planning group, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has identified a gap in a health care/public health practitioner’s competency within the health IT environment. This series of Webinars is designed to increase practitioners’ competencies to improve health care decisionmaking, support patient-centered care, and improve the quality and safety of medication management. This Webinar will identify ways health IT can be used to support the delivery of patient-centered care by supporting more effective patient-clinician communication within the medical encounter. The projects presented will discuss how these approaches impact care delivery including preventive care, cancer survivorship planning, and medication management.

Confirmed Speakers:

William Adams, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Director of BU-CTSI Clinical Research Informatics, Boston University School of Medicine

Dr. Adams has no conflict of interests to report.

Elizabeth Hahn, M.A., Associate Professor, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

Ms. Hahn has no conflict of interests to report.

Michael Wolf, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor and Associate Division Chief, General Internal Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

Dr. Wolf has no conflict of interests to report.

Moderator:

Teresa Zayas-Cabán, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Dr. Zayas-Cabán has no conflict of interests to report.

Learning Objectives:

1)      Describe how use of an interactive voice response system can impact patient-clinician communication in pediatric care settings.

2)      Discuss how use of a low literacy multimedia information system can enhance the quality of communication between cancer patients and their providers.

3)      Identify health IT strategies that impact medication management through enhanced patient-clinician communication.

Target Audience: ambulatory care practices, physicians, nurses, government agencies, health IT vendors, patients and consumers, health care policymakers, and researchers interested in patient-clinician communication

How to Obtain CME/CNE Credit

Participants will earn 1.5 contact credit hours for their participation if they attended the entire Web conference. Participants must complete an online evaluation in order to obtain a CE certificate. A link to the online evaluation system will be sent to participants who attend the Web Conference within 48 hours after the event.

There is no involvement of commercial or sponsor support for this Web conference series.

Disclosure Policy

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality strives to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its educational programs. All planners, faculty members, moderators, discussants, panelist and presenters participating in this program have been required to disclose any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest that may have a direct bearing on the subject matter of this program. This includes relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers or other corporations whose products or services are related to the subject matter of the presentation topic. The intent of this policy is to identify openly any conflict of interest so that the attendees may form their own judgments about the presentation with full disclosure of the facts. In addition, faculty is expected to openly disclose any off-label, experimental and/or investigational uses of drugs or devices in their presentation. Disclosures, Conflict of Interest (COI) and Resolution of COI policies are available here.

Physician Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The APHA is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The APHA designates this web-based educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit (s)^™.  

Nurse Accreditation Statement

This continuing nursing education activity was approved by APHA/PHN, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Non Endorsement and Disclaimer
As an Accredited Provider of Continuing Education (CE) Credits for Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Medicine (CME), and Public Health (CPH) the American Public Health Association Learning and Professional Development Programs (LPDP) Unit and its respective Continuing Education accrediting organizations do not endorse any products or services that are displayed or referred to in conjunction with this activity and are not responsible for the actual presentation of content during scientific sessions.  The APHA education planning committee has determined that CE sessions meet the accreditation criteria for all four disciplines

Planning Committee for this Webinar Series CE activity:

Angela Nunley, AHRQ - Ms. Nunley has no conflicts of interest to report.

Jonathan Wald, M.D., M.P.H., CME planner, RTI - Dr. Wald has no conflicts of interest to report.

Carolyn Padovano, Ph.D., R.N., CNE planner, RTI- Dr. Padovano has no conflicts of interest to report.

Stephanie Rizk, RTI- Ms. Rizk has no conflicts of interest to report.

Jennifer Webb, RTI- Ms. Webb has no conflicts of interest to report.

HRSA presents a HITQ Webinar

Health Resources and Services Administration 

Health Information Technology and Quality Webinar 

“Meaningfully Using Computerized Order Entry for Safety Net Providers” 

Friday, December 14, 2:00 PM ET

This webinar provides an understanding of how inpatient and ambulatory safety net providers can meaningfully use computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) defines CPOE as “the provider’s use of computer assistance to directly enter medication orders from a computer or mobile device. The order is also documented or captured in a digital, structured, and computable format for use in improving safety and organization.”

CPOE, a mandatory core measure for meaningful use for the CMS Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, can provide many benefits and challenges to safety net providers. These include increased patient safety, accurate communication between healthcare providers, and greater capturing of services for billing. Webinar speakers will discuss how they successfully implemented CPOE in their provider settings and how they overcame CPOE challenges in order to reap its benefits. (Registration Below)

Presenters Include:

· Raymond Parris, Chief Information Officer of Golden Valley Health Centers, Merced, CA
· Robbie Dewberry, Chief Executive Officer of Mitchell County Hospital District, Colorado City, Texas

Register here: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=3b12yzdojkqz

Questions for presenters are welcome ahead of the event and may be emailed to healthit@hrsa.gov

Previous HRSA Health IT and Quality Webinars can be access at HRSA Health IT and Quality Webinar website:  http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/webinars/index.html

Important News for CRHC CAHs and Hospitals Attesting for Medicaid EHR Incentives

Colorado Medicaid (HCPF) has extended the sixty day deadline after the end of the 2012 federal fiscal year for submission of either AIU or 90 day attestation. The new deadline is December 29, 2012. The attestation MUST BE submitted by this date which provides a 30 day additional grace period. Some of our CAHs have been anxiously awaiting the ability to submit their 90 day MU reporting for Medicaid and this will be welcome news since the attestation site is still not ready to accept 90 day reporting. A few of our CAHs have waited to submit their Medicaid AIU for 2012 until this week and they too will have a grace period. If you have questions, please contact our Senior Advisor David Ginsberg at dg@coruralhealth.org.

Notice: December Webinar Cancelled

The webinar scheduled for December 13th "THE Consortium Webinar - Stage 2 Meaningful Use Continued" has been cancelled. Have a happy holiday season! See you next year.

Meaningful Use Stage I: Everything You Need to Know as an Eligible Professional

So what is Meaningful Use? How does it apply to you and your organization? Is there money out there waiting for you?

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provide financial incentives for the “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology to improve patient care. To receive an EHR incentive payment, providers have to show that they are “meaningfully using” their EHRs by meeting thresholds for a number of objectives.

To date, CMS has paid $2.6 billion to eligible providers under both incentive programs, but there's still money on the table. This webinar will break the program down into manageable pieces so you feel confident moving forward.

Click here to register for this FREE webinar presented by CORHIO on Thursday, December 6, 2012, 12:00 noon - 12:45 pm (MT). View the event flyer here.

Registration Deadline Extended to Monday November 26!

ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: November 28-30

Colorado Rural Health Center is hosting the ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: Coding Certification for Rural Healthcare Facilities.  The 3 day event will begin November 28 at the Double Tree Hotel (13696 East Iliff Place, Aurora, CO 80014).

Presenters will include John Beard and John Burns, both of ARHPC.  They will provide valuable information needed to meet your coding, reimbursement and compliance goals for 2013.  Upon successful completion of this bootcamp, attendees will be eligible to take the online coding certification test through ARHPC at no addition cost.

Registration for this event can be found here.

A Message from Our Friends at CFMC

Check out the Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC) Weekly Provider and Practice News, an electronic newsletter designed to help you get the most out of your electronic health record (EHR). Each week we collect information including important news and updates, upcoming events, learning opportunities, and best practices about everything from incentive programs to Medicare quality reporting to include in one concise package for your use. You can check out previous editions of the newsletter by visiting this site.

The newsletter also includes information about our EHR User Groups that we have established for a number of EHR systems. As part of our User Group program, we offer free webinars with vendor representatives to answer your questions and also facilitate discussion among fellow EHR users! Current participants tell us that this is a very valuable opportunity as they listen, learn, and problem solve with their peers using the same products.

Contact our team member, Ann Williams, at awilliams@cfmc.org to sign up for our newsletter and EHR-specific User Groups or feel free to call her at 303-784-5792 with any questions.

ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: November 28-30

Colorado Rural Health Center is hosting the ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: Coding Certification for Rural Healthcare Facilities.  The 3 day event will begin November 28 at the Double Tree Hotel (13696 East Iliff Place, Aurora, CO 80014).
Presenters will include John Beard and John Burns, both of ARHPC.  They will provide valuable information needed to meet your coding, reimbursement and compliance goals for 2013.  Upon successful completion of this bootcamp, attendees will be eligible to take the online coding certification test through ARHPC at no addition cost.
Registration for this event can be found here.

REMINDER: THE Consortium November Webinar - Stage Two Meaningful Use & New Federal Guidelines on CORE

Please join us for THE Consortium webinar on Thursday, Novebmer 8, 2012 from 12:00pm - 1:15pm where we'll start our discussion on Stage 2 Meaningful Use and review the new Federal guidelines on Eligibility and Claims Status (CORE).  Tammie Harrington from CMR will also join us as a guest speaker during this time.

You can register for the November webinar here.

ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: November 28-30

Colorado Rural Health Center is hosting the ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: Coding Certification for Rural Healthcare Facilities.  The 3 day event will begin November 28 at the Double Tree Hotel (13696 East Iliff Place, Aurora, CO 80014).
Presenters will include John Beard and John Burns, both of ARHPC.  They will provide valuable information needed to meet your coding, reimbursement and compliance goals for 2013.  Upon successful completion of this bootcamp, attendees will be eligible to take the online coding certification test through ARHPC at no addition cost.
Registration for this event can be found here.

CRHC REMINDER: ICD-10 Training

• Too busy to go to ICD-10 training?
• Perhaps, you’ve attended ICD-10 Workshops, but would love additional training?
• Is your budget stretched thin already -- and you wish you could find an unbelievable bargain for your staff to learn ICD-10 and how to become proficient with the rules and regulations of the future?
• If you answered yes to any of the above questions, CRHC can help now!!

Take advantage of this opportunity to enroll in the following online courses that will prepare you and your organization for the successful transition to ICD 10. These courses will provide you with history, structure, functions, guidelines and the terminology needed to ensure accurate and efficient billing processes. Whether you are a new coder, an advanced coder with years of experience, or a health care provider -- you will find value in this timely information. For more information on a specific course, please click on the links below. 

If you are employed by a Colorado Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or a rural PPS hospital with less than 49 beds, you are currently participating in the FY2011 SHIP Grant Program – and -- your online classes are FREE to all hospital staff!!! Click here to get started now! 

If you are a Rural Health Center (RHC) or other rural health care facility in Colorado, please click here for a class listing and the opportunities available to you! 

CEU’s are available for all classes. Don’t wait…get started today! 

For more information or questions, please contact Danette Swanson, HIT Program Coordinator, at ds@coruralhealth.org.

CRHC REMINDER: ICD-10 Training

• Too busy to go to ICD-10 training?
• Perhaps, you’ve attended ICD-10 Workshops, but would love additional training?
• Is your budget stretched thin already -- and you wish you could find an unbelievable bargain for your staff to learn ICD-10 and how to become proficient with the rules and regulations of the future?
• If you answered yes to any of the above questions, CRHC can help now!!

Take advantage of this opportunity to enroll in the following online courses that will prepare you and your organization for the successful transition to ICD 10. These courses will provide you with history, structure, functions, guidelines and the terminology needed to ensure accurate and efficient billing processes. Whether you are a new coder, an advanced coder with years of experience, or a health care provider -- you will find value in this timely information. For more information on a specific course, please click on the links below.

If you are employed by a Colorado Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or a rural PPS hospital with less than 49 beds, you are currently participating in the FY2011 SHIP Grant Program – and -- your online classes are FREE to all hospital staff!!! Click here to get started now!

If you are a Rural Health Center (RHC) or other rural health care facility in Colorado, please click here for a class listing and the opportunities available to you!

CEU’s are available for all classes. Don’t wait…get started today!

For more information or questions, please contact Danette Swanson, HIT Program Coordinator, at ds@coruralhealth.org.

ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: November 28-30

Colorado Rural Health Center is hosting the ARHPC Coding Certification Bootcamp: Coding Certification for Rural Healthcare Facilities.  The 3 day event will begin November 28 at the Double Tree Hotel (13696 East Iliff Place, Aurora, CO 80014).

Presenters will include John Beard and John Burns, both of ARHPC.  They will provide valuable information needed to meet your coding, reimbursement and compliance goals for 2013.  Upon successful completion of this bootcamp, attendees will be eligible to take the online coding certification test through ARHPC at no addition cost.

Registration for this event can be found here.

Colorado Medicare Claims Transition from Trailblazers to Novitas Solutions

As of October 19,  Trailblazers stopped receiving all mail and requests in their role as the Medicare Contractor and forwarded these to Novitas Solutions. All future communication must go through Novitas. Since Novitas has prior experience as a MAC for a number of eastern states, CMS anticipates that the transfer to a new MAC will go smoothly, with few disruptions for Medicare beneficiaries or providers. However, providers should prepare for possible delays and implementation glitches.

THE Consortium November Webinar - Stage Two Meaningful Use & New Federal Guidelines on CORE

Please join us for THE Consortium webinar on Thursday, Novebmer 8, 2012 from 12:00pm - 1:15pm where we'll start our discussion on Stage 2 Meaningful Use and review the new Federal guidelines on Eligibility and Claims Status (CORE).  Tammie Harrington from CMR will also join us as a guest speaker during this time.

You can register for the November webinar here.

Reminder: Last week to register for Annual Conference

We would like to remind our REC and Consortium colleagues that this is the last week to register for Colorado Rural Health Center's 2012 Annual Conference in Colorado Springs.  The conference will be held at the Antlers Hilton October 25-26. 

For those of you who plan to attend, you can find this year's agenda here.  We are very much looking forward to CRHC's Senior HIT Adviser, David Ginsberg, to host two breakout session on topics very pertinent to EHR.  We hope to see you there!

To register for the conference, click this link.

The ICD-10 Planning Checklist

Last week, CMS released an ICD-10 Planning Checklist to assist providers, payers and vendors inpreparation for the ICD-10 transition set for October 1, 2014. Whether you've already started or are just beginning your ICD-10 transition, you will need to thoughtfully plan for the transition and then communicate those strategies to internal staff and external partners. Below are a few steps to help guide your planning process:

• Seek Resources on the ICD-10 transition. CMS and professional and membership organizations have developed information and resources to guide you through ICD-10 implementation.
• Establish an ICD-10 Project Team. This team will be responsible for overseeing the ICD-10 transition, and will vary based on the size of your organization. Larger practices should have a team with representatives from different departments (e.g., executive leadership, physicians, and IT). Smaller practices may only have one or two individuals responsible for helping the practice make the switch to ICD-10.
• Develop an ICD-10 Communication and Awareness Plan. This plan will map out how your organization will communicate with internal staff and external partners about ICD-10 throughout the transition.
• Revisit and Revise Your Implementation Timeline. Since the ICD-10 compliance deadline is now October 1, 2014, your timeline for ICD-10 implementation activities will need to be updated.
• Share Your Implementation Plans and Timelines. Discuss the new ICD-10 compliance deadline and share your revised implementation plans and timelines with internal staff and external partners to ensure transition activities are coordinated.

Communication and collaboration will help organizations as they transition to ICD-10. As you continue planning, share lessons learned and best practices with CRHC and others in your area. You can do this through organization newsletters and social media as well as at conferences, workshops, and other educational events. Remember, ICD-10 will affect everyone currently using ICD-9 codes!

HHS Announces Corrections to ICD-10 and Health Plan Identifier Final Rule

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a notice listing corrections of technical errors made in the recently published final rule that marks the ICD-10 compliance date as Oct. 1, 2014 and mandates a health plan identifier. It also lists the correct identifier compliance dates for most health plans, small health plans and all covered entities. Read the full Federal Register notice.

CMS Delays in Responding to Hospital Meaningful Use Attestations

Several of our hospitals who recently attested to Medicare meaningful use have reported it taking longer than expected to receive notification from Trailblazers confirming their attestation submission and requesting cost date for the CAH incentive payment. Over the last year most hospitals received the letter within two to three weeks of attestation; they then have 10 days to complete and return the incentive calculation materials (we would like to remind all CAHs that are reading this blog to use the workbook we developed for this purpose as it has a high success rate in terms of approval and closely follows recently released CMS audit guidelines).

Just this week, Trailblazers told one of our CAHs that they receive the attestation file from CMS only on a monthly basis-thus hospitals who attest early in the month can wait up to four weeks to receive their notification letter!

Trailblazers also noted that attestations done in September will be handled initially by them in terms of sending the notification letter and receiving the cost data-but this will then be turned over to Novitas for processing. Please alert us to any issues you are seeing with the Novitas transition for incentive payments.

THE Consortium October Webinar: POSTPONED

Due to scheduling conflicts and the overall time frame as we move closer to the CRHC Annual Conference, THE Consortium webinar on Thursday, October 18, 2012 at12:00pm has been postponed.  The next webinar will be November 8th with information provided by our special guest, Tammie Harrington from CMR.

We apologize for any inconvenience.  We are certainly excited, however, to have CRHC's Senior Adviser, David Ginsberg, provide HIT insight during 2 breakout sessions at this year's conference.

To register for the conference, click here.

THE Consortium October Webinar: Stage 2 Meaningful Use

Please join us for THE Consortium webinar on Thursday, October 18, 2012 from 12:00pm - 1:15pm MDT where we'll discuss "Stage 2 Meaningful Use - How Soon Should You Begin Preparations?"

Many hospitals and provider clinics are faced with a continuation to meet Stage 1 as well as consider options for Stage 2. As a result it isn't too early to begin to strategize, especially because some Stage 1 requirements are eliminated in 2013.

To register for the webinar, click here.

CRHC Reminder: ICD 10 Online Workshops

·         Too busy to go to ICD-10 training?

·         Perhaps, you’ve attended ICD-10 Workshops, but would love additional training?

·         Is your budget stretched thin already -- and you wish you could find an unbelievable bargain for your staff to learn ICD-10 and how to become proficient with the rules and regulations of the future?

·         If you answered yes to any of the above questions, CRHC can help now!!

Take advantage of this opportunity to enroll in the following online courses that will prepare you and your organization for the successful transition to ICD 10.  These courses will provide you with history, structure, functions, guidelines and the terminology needed to ensure accurate and efficient billing processes. Whether you are a new coder, an advanced coder with years of experience, or a health care provider -- you will find value in this timely information. For more information on a specific course, please click on the links below. 

If you are employed by a Colorado Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or a rural PPS hospital with less than 49 beds, you are currently participating in the FY2011 SHIP Grant Program – and -- your online classes are FREE to all hospital staff!!! Click here to get started now!

If you are a Rural Health Center (RHC) or other rural health care facility in Colorado, please click here for a class listing and the opportunities available to you!

CEU’s are available for all classes. Don’t wait…get started today!

For more information or questions, please contact Danette Swanson, HIT Program Coordinator, at ds@coruralhealth.org

ICD-10 Online Training for Coders, Billers, Auditors, & All Healthcare Professionals

·         Too busy to go to ICD-10 training?

·         Perhaps, you’ve attended ICD-10 Workshops, but would love additional training?

·         Is your budget stretched thin already -- and you wish you could find an unbelievable bargain for your staff to learn ICD-10 and how to become proficient with the rules and regulations of the future?

·         If you answered yes to any of the above questions, CRHC can help now!!

Take advantage of this opportunity to enroll in the following online courses that will prepare you and your organization for the successful transition to ICD 10.  These courses will provide you with history, structure, functions, guidelines and the terminology needed to ensure accurate and efficient billing processes. Whether you are a new coder, an advanced coder with years of experience, or a health care provider -- you will find value in this timely information. For more information on a specific course, please click on the links below. 

If you are employed by a Colorado Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or a rural PPS hospital with less than 49 beds, you are currently participating in the FY2011 SHIP Grant Program – and -- your online classes are FREE to all hospital staff!!! Click here to get started now!

If you are a Rural Health Center (RHC) or other rural health care facility in Colorado, please click here for a class listing and the opportunities available to you!

CEU’s are available for all classes. Don’t wait…get started today!

For more information or questions, please contact Danette Swanson, HIT Program Coordinator, at ds@coruralhealth.org

THE Consortium September Webinar: Summer Happenings

Please join us for THE Consortium webinar on Thursday, September 20, 2012 from 12:00pm - 1:15pm MDT where we'll discuss Stage 2 Final Rule Summary and updates on other significant changes released this summer!

To register for the webinar, click here.

CORHIO Meaningful Use Boot Camp

CORHIO is sponsoring a half day Meaningful Use Boot Camp on Thursday, September 27th from 1:00 - 4:30 pm at the DoubleTree Hotel in Thornton, CO.

One of the speakers will be CRHC's Senior Advisor to THE Consortium, David Ginsberg.

If you would like more information or would like to register, click here.

Now Available: Stage 2 Overview Tipsheet

On August 23, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule for Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The rule provides new criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet to successfully participate in the EHR Incentive Programs.

CMS developed a Stage 2 Overview Tipsheet, a resource that provides a summary of the Stage 2 final rule and highlights key changes to the EHR Incentive Programs, including:

• Stage 2 Timing – The earliest eligible hospitals and CAHs will demonstrate meaningful use of Stage 2 criteria will be fiscal year 2014, or calendar year 2014 for EPs. Providers who were early demonstrators of meaningful use in 2011 will meet three consecutive years of meaningful use under the Stage 1 criteria before advancing to the Stage 2 criteria in 2014.
• Stage 2 Core and Menu Objectives – Stage 2 retains the Stage 1 core and menu structure for meaningful use objectives. Although some Stage 1 objectives were either combined or eliminated, most of the Stage 1 objectives are now core objectives under the Stage 2 criteria.
  To demonstrate meaningful use under Stage 2 criteria:
• EPs must meet 20 measures (17 core and 3 of 6 menu).
• Eligible hospitals must meet 19 (16 core and 3 of 6 menu).

The end of the tipsheet contains a complete list of the Stage 2 core and menu objectives for both EPs and eligible hospitals and CAHs.

• Reporting Periods in 2014 – All providers, regardless of their stage of meaningful use, are only required to demonstrate meaningful use for a three-month EHR reporting period. CMS is permitting this one-time, three-month reporting period in 2014 only so that all providers who must upgrade to 2014 certified EHR technology will have adequate time to implement their new Certified EHR systems.
• Clinical Quality Measures in 2014 – Beginning in 2014, all providers, regardless of their stage of meaningful use, will report on CQMs in the same way.
• All Medicare EPs and eligible hospitals beyond their first year of demonstrating meaningful use must electronically report their CQM data to CMS.
• All Medicaid providers that are eligible only for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program will electronically report their CQM data to their state.
• Additionally, all providers will complete this number of CQMs in 2014:
• EPs must report on 9 out of 64 CQMs
• Eligible hospitals and CAHs must report on 16 out of 29 CQMs.

The tipsheet is available on the CMS website and should be reviewed in its entirety to effectively prepare for Stage 2 requirements. 

Register for the September 13 CMS National Provider Call on Stage 2

On August 23, 2012, CMS issued the final rule for Stage 2 of the EHR Incentive Programs, which builds upon the initial progress of the Incentive Programs, while introducing new criteria that are designed to improve patient safety and quality of care.

On Thursday, September 13, 2012, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM MDT, CMS will host a National Provider Call on the final rule of Stage 2 to help providers learn about the new program criteria and successfully receive their incentive payment.

Agenda
The call will cover:

• The extension to Stage 1 of meaningful use
• Changes to Stage 1 criteria for meaningful use
• Proposed Medicaid policies
• Stage 2 meaningful use overview
• Stage 2 clinical quality measures (CQMs)
• Medicare payment adjustments and exceptions
• Questions and answers about the EHR Incentive Programs

Registration:
To register for this call, visit the CMS Upcoming National Provider Calls webpage.

Registration closes at 12:00 p.m. ET on the day of the call, or when available space has been filled.

Presentation:
A link to the slide presentation will be available on the CMS National Provider Calls and Events page.

3 HRSA Webinars: Health Information Technology Week and Meaningful Use Stage 2 Final Rule

Tuesday, September 11, 2012 – 8:00 AM (MDT)

ONC- HRSA Webinar: “Demo of the New ONC Privacy and Security Training Game and Program Update for Safety Net Providers”

This webinar will feature a new training tool from the Office of National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) Privacy and Security Group.  ONC will demo an interactive training game for providers and staff on the “do’s and don’ts” of privacy and security issues regarding health IT. This training tool can be used to help fulfill a safety net provider’s HIPAA privacy training requirements. In addition, ONC will provide a privacy and security update on recent program changes and how they affect safety net providers.

Presenters include:

·         Laura Rosas, JD, MPH, Policy Analyst, ONC

·         William Phelps Policy Analyst, ONC

Register here: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=74744813

Friday, September 14, 2012 – 12:00 PM (MDT)

“Leadership Tips During a Health IT Implementation”

This webinar focuses on the importance of leadership in successfully steering an organization through a health IT implementation. It features established leaders who have conducted more than 70 health IT implementations in health centers, rural health clinics, and critical access hospitals. The presenters will also focus on how leadership is important in helping staff, clinicians, patients, a safety net providers’ board, and partners adjust to and overcome the barriers that typically accompany a health IT implementation and impede success. Lastly, the presenters will provide leadership examples of unique health IT implementation situations such as meeting meaningful use objectives, changing vendors, and implementing health IT in multiple provider sites. 

Presenters include:

·         Terry Hill, MPA, Executive Director and Joe Wivoda, Chief Information Officer, National Rural Health Resource Center 

·         Greg Wolverton, Chief Information Officer, White River Rural Health Center, Arkansas

·         Doug Smith, Executive Director, Greene County Healthcare, North Carolina

Register here: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=98650758

Tuesday, September 18, 2012, 11:00 AM (MDT)

“Overview of Meaningful Use Stage 2 Final Rule for Safety Net Providers”            

With the recent release of the proposed final rule for Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has taken the next step toward supporting more coordinated patient-centered care.

This exclusive webinar will feature lead staff from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, who will provide an overview of the Meaningful Use Stage II Final Rule and how it affects safety net providers like health centers, rural providers, critical access hospitals, and Ryan White clinics.  CMS staff will be available to address specific questions from safety net providers. This webinar will also present staff from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, who will provide a brief overview of the Standards and Certification Criteria Final Rule. HRSA encourages all safety net providers to participate in this call to learn more about these proposed final rules. 

Register here:http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=15142458

New CMS Resource Available: Payment Adjustment & Hardship Exceptions Tipsheets for Eligible Hospitals and Eligible Professionals

CMS has developed new tipsheets to help providers learn more about congressionally mandated payment adjustments that will be applied to Medicare eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) that do not demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology under the EHR Incentive Programs. Click here to download the tipsheet for EPs and here for the tipsheet for eligible hospitals and CAHs.

Key takeaways from the tipsheets include:

Medicare EPs

• Payment Adjustment Amount: 1% per year, cumulative for every year that an EP is not a meaningful user. The maximum cumulative payment adjustment is 5%.
• Timing:Payment adjustments begin on January 1, 2015.

Medicare Subsection (d) Eligible Hospitals

• Payment Adjustment Amount:Applicable to the percentage increase to the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rate. Hospitals that do not demonstrate meaningful use will receive a lower payment than the IPPS standard amount. The payment adjustment is cumulative for each year that a Medicare Subsection (d) eligible hospital does not demonstrate meaningful use.
• Timing: Payment adjustments begin on October 1, 2014.

Critical Access Hospitals

• Payment Adjustment Amount: This payment adjustment for CAHs applies to their Medicare reimbursement for inpatient services during the cost reporting period in which they did not demonstrate meaningful use. If a CAH has not demonstrated meaningful use, its reimbursement would be reduced from 101% of its reasonable costs to 100.66%.
• Timing: Payment adjustments will begin with the fiscal year 2015 cost reporting period.

Hardship Exceptions
Hardship exceptions will be granted to EPs, eligible hospitals and CAHs only under specific circumstances. Providers must demonstrate to CMS that those circumstances pose a significant barrier to achieving meaningful use. Information on how to apply for a hardship exception will be posted on the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website in the future.

If you have any questions on any of the material in this posting, please contact David Ginsberg, Senior Advisor to THE Consortium.

Join CMS for a Webinar Providing a Detailed Look at Stage 2 of the EHR Incentive Programs on August 30

We apologize for the late notice, but CMS sent this at 8:50am MDT and it was posted as soon as possible.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Physicians Practice are holding a free and open webinar on Stage 2 of the Medicare & Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs on August 30 from 11:00 – 12:00 pm MDT.

Description:
Understanding the latest set of regulations for the EHR Incentive Programs will help providers successfully participate, receive incentive payments, and refine and integrate EHRs into their practices. CMS expert Robert Anthony, will review the Stage 2 rule and how the new requirements differ from the Stage 1 requirements. There will also be a Q&A session.

Presenter:
Robert Anthony, a Health Specialist in the Office of E-Health Standards and Services at CMS, will present on details about Stage 2 requirements. He contributes to policy development and implementation of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

Registration:
To register for this webinar, visit this Physicians Practice website and click on the registration link.

Visit the New Stage 2 Web Page on the EHR Incentive Programs Website

On August 23, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule for Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The rule provides new criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to successfully participate in the EHR Incentive Programs.

CMS recently updated the EHR Incentive Programs website with a new Stage 2 section, which provides helpful information on the Stage 2 final rule and how it affects the EHR Incentive Programs. The Stage 2 page includes an overview of the final rule and links to Stage 2 resources:

• Stage 2 Overview Tipsheet – Provides an overview of the rule, including important dates, basic requirements, new audiences, and additional Stage 2 resources
• Stage 1 vs. Stage 2 Comparison Tables – Compares basic requirements of Stage 1 versus Stage 2 for both EPs and eligible hospitals
• Stage 1 Changes Tipsheet – Outlines major changes to Stage 1 included in the rule
• Payment Adjustments & Hardship Exceptions Tipsheets – Details the schedule and percentages of the payment adjustments, as well as information about hardship exemptions for both EPs and eligible hospitals
• 2014 Clinical Quality Measures Tipsheet – An overview of the 2014 CQM requirements that will apply to all providers, regardless of their stage of meaningful use

CMS will continue to provide resources for providers on Stage 2 rule and the EHR Incentive Programs. Visit the Stage 2 page to view upcoming webinars and sessions discussing Stage 2 and the different changes occurring.

CMS Releases Stage 2 Meaningful Use Final Rule/ONC Releases Certification Rule

For those of us waiting with baited breath for the final rule, CMS and ONC obliged with a release of two documents today-one provides the final rule for Stage 2 Meaningful Use and the other provides the requirements and specifications for certification and related standards.

CRHC will be intensely studying these rules and provide a comprehensive review at our next Consortium Webinar on Thursday, September 20th. We will also have a session on Stage 2 at our Annual Meeting October 25-26th.

For those of you brave enough to read over 1100 pages of the two rules, there links can be found at:

· CMS - http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2012-21050_PI.pdf 

· ONC - http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2012-20982_PI.pdf 

A fact sheet on CMS's final rule is available at http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp. 

A fact sheet on ONC's standards and certification criteria final rule is availableathttp://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/meaningful-use-stage-2-0