Registration and Attestation System and EHR Information Center are Unavailable This Weekend; July 3rd is an Eligible Hospital Deadline

Attestation and Registration System and EHR Information Center Availability

The Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs Registration and Attestation System will be affected by planned system maintenance starting Friday, June 29th, 12:00 AM ET, through Monday, July 2nd, 7:00 AM ET. Throughout this maintenance window, eligible professionals and eligible hospitals will not be able to register or attest for the EHR Incentive Programs.

Because of this system maintenance, the EHR Information Center staff will be unable to assist incoming calls relating to registration, attestation, and payment statuses. However, the recently enhanced Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system will be available. The IVR is able to provide registration, attestation and payment status along with a growing list of other self-service options.

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Registration and Attestation System and the EHR Information Center will resume regular operations on Monday, July 2 at 7:00 AM ET.

Deadline Reminder
Tuesday, July 3rd, is the last day for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. Visit the Attestation page for more information.

2013 eRx Payment Adjustment Update

On Thursday March 1, CMS reopened the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page <https://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt/community/communications_support_system/234> to allow individual eligible professionals and CMS-selected group practices the opportunity to request a significant hardship exemption for the 2013 Electronic Prescribing (eRx) payment adjustment.  The Communication Support Page will accept hardship exemption requests now through Sat June 30, 2012.

The Quality Support Page User Manual

<https://www.qualitynet.org/imageserver/pqri/documents/2012_PQRS_eRx%20Communication%20Support%20Page%20User%20Manual.pdf> is available to assist individual eligible professionals and CMS-selected group practices in submitting their request for a hardship exemption and can also be accessed from the “Help” icon on the Communication Support Page.

For additional information on the 2013 eRx payment adjustment, including who is subject to the payment adjustment and how to avoid the payment adjustment, visit the eRx Incentive Program website at http://www.cms.gov/eRxIncentive%3chttp:/www.CMS.gov/eRxIncentive>.  Specifically, eligible professionals should review MLN Matters Article SE1206: “2012 eRx Incentive Program: Future Payment Adjustments <http://www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/Downloads/SE1206.pdf>.”

HIPAA Privacy and Security are Essential for Meaningful Use!

The 15th Core Objective for Eligible Providers and the 14th Core Objective for Eligible Hospitals clearly requires HIPAA Privacy and Security with the specific measure defined as:

"Conduct or review a security risk analysis per 45 CFR 164.308(a)(1) and implement updates as necessary and correct identified security deficiencies as part of the EP, eligible hospital or CAHs risk management process."

Attesting without having done both the security risk analysis and requisite updates / corrections is Medicare Fraud!  Anecdotal reviews show that many providers have attested without sufficiently completely this step.

Unfortunately, conducting a Security Risk Analysis is not easy; it cannot be done by a checklist alone (although there are many good checklists or guides - including ones provided by CO-REC, our Statewide Regional Extension Center, that we work with).

The steps require extensive internal analysis and reviews of policies and procedures as well as a review of physical, technical and administrative HIPAA Security controls. The HIPAA Security Rule has 42 items ("Standards or Implementation" specifications) that need to be addressed as part of the risk analysis process.

And once the analysis is done, you need to identify deficiencies and determine which one must be corrected prior to attestation.

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services will be auditing providers and hospitals after attestation. We encourage everyone reading this blog to consider your liability if you have not completed this key requirement.

The Colorado Rural Health Center is offering an affordable risk analysis service to its members in conjunction with PrivaPlan Associates, Inc. This service is unique in is understanding and experience with small and solo medical practices, rural providers, community funded safety net providers and small-community hospitals.

For more information on these services, click here.

Special Invitation to Join Health IT Leaders in Denver

Complimentary Passes are available to join Banner Health, Denver Health, Catholic Health Initiatives & More in Denver

The Institute for Health Technology Transformation (iHT²) and Colorado Rural Health Center are pleased to once again extend a special invitation to all qualified members to join us at one of the most exclusive and high-level health IT summits in 2012. The iHT² Health IT Summit in Denver, taking place July 24-25, 2012 at The Brown Palace Hotel will bring together national thought leaders and decision makers addressing the most pressing issues surrounding health care and information technology. Click Here to View the Summits Website.

Qualified CRHC members can register today for a complimentary pass by using PROMO CODE: CRHC12. Click Here to Register. Qualified members include: All CRHC Board Members & Staff, healthcare providers, payers, hospital employees, non-profit employees, educational institutions, government employees, academic medical centers, etc. Please note this offer is not valid for vendors or consultants.

Full Registration Link – https://iHT2Denver2012.questionpro.com

Speaker Faculty Includes: Banner Health, American Telemedicine Association, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Denver Health, Tennessee Office of eHealth Initiatives, Mayo Clinic, Denver Health, Catholic Health Initiatives, Capital BlueCross, Centura Health, Unity Health Center, Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO), CentraState Healthcare System, University of Cincinnati, and many more.

To learn more please contact Matthew Raynor at matt@ihealthtran.com or 561-748-6281. This offer is not available anywhere else online, and is not available to current registrants. Limited supply is available. Registration is subject to approval. Vendors/Consultants can contact Matthew Raynor for a discounted pass.

CMS and ONC Announce Over 100,000 Providers Have Been Paid Under the EHR Incentive Programs

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced that over 100,000 health care providers have been paid under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs.

Only three months ago, CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner and National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, wrote a blog post, 2012: The Year of Meaningful Use, which declared the goal for getting 100,000 health care providers to adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs by the end of 2012.

According to Acting Administrator Tavenner, "Meeting this goal so early in the year is a testament to the commitment of everyone who has worked hard to meet the challenges of integrating EHRs and health information technology into clinical practice."

Register for CMS and ONC's Joint National Provider Call on Using Certified EHR Technology to Meet Meaningful Use

CMS and ONC are holding a joint National Provider Call on Wednesday, June 27, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET for eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals to hear an overview of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, and learn about the use of certified EHR technology to meet meaningful use. 

Topics that will be covered on the call include:

• Overview of the EHR Incentive Programs
• Different types of certification and what it tests
• Which EHR products are certified
• Helpful resources
• Questions and answers with CMS and ONC experts

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.

In order to receive the 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. 

Medicare Fee-For-Service to Reject Version 4010 Electronic Transactions July 1, 2012

Effective July 1, 2012 only ASC X12 Version 5010 (Version 5010) or NCPDP Telecom D.0 (NCPDP D.0) formats will be accepted by Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS). Providers that are still conducting one or more of the Version 4010 transactions electronically, such as submitting a claim or checking claim status, or rely on a software vendor, billing service or clearinghouse to do this on their behalf, are affected by this change. Now is the time to contact your software vendor, billing service or clearinghouse, when applicable, if you have not done so already to ensure you are ready. Transactions conducted by Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), fiscal intermediary (FI) or carrier telephone interactive voice response (IVR) systems, Direct Data Entry (DDE) and Internet Portals, for those contractors with Internet Portals, are not impacted.

Claims (837 I and P)

All claims received after normal close of business cutoff times on June 29, 2012 must be sent as ASC X12 Version 5010 or NCPDP D.0.  Any Medicare FFS claims received in version 4010 format after normal close of business on June 29 will be rejected back to the submitter. The specific message you receive if a claim is rejected will depend on your MAC.  A detailed list of 4010 rejection error messages by MAC can be found on the Important 4010 - 5.1 Rejection Information Page.

Claim Status (276/277)

The last Claim Status Inquiry will be accepted in version 4010 at the end of the business day on June 29, 2012. Following that date, all Claim Status activity will be in ASC X12 Version 5010.

Remittance Advice (835)

During the transition period Medicare FFS experienced issues with the Remittance Advice (835); therefore Medicare FFS will be allowing an additional 30 days to complete the 835 transition. Information will be forthcoming concerning the final cutoff and cycle timing for the Remittance Advice.

Coordination of Benefits (837)

CMS has directed its MACs, FIs, and carriers to begin sending all claims to the Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC) in version 5010 as of June 29, 2012. This will ensure that all claims that the COBC will issue to COB payers as of its July 2, 2012 evening crossover claims cycle will be properly transmitted in the version 5010 format. Therefore, all COB payers will have to be in version 5010 COB production by June 29, 2012.   

Medicare FFS will continue to coordinate additional outreach and education activities and messages throughout June. In addition, Medicare FFS will be participating in a series of Regional Webinars on Wednesday, June 20. Please watch for listserv messages on registering for these calls.

For more information on ASCX12Version 5010 and NCPDP D.0, please visit the Versions 5010 and D.0 website.

HRSA Webinar: Health IT Project Management 101: How to Avoid Failure

Friday June 22, 12:00 PM MT

Since implementing a health IT system is often sensitive and complex, utilizing effective project management is important for ensuring that it is on time, within scope and sensitive to costs, resources, and staff.  This webinar focuses on the basic concepts and knowledge areas of project management as they apply to a health information technology (IT) implementation.

Presenters include a project management specialist from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Innovation Program Management Center, who will focus broadly on project management. The other two presenters work in rural inpatient and health center environments. These presenters will share lessons learned and provide useful tips on how project management concepts and tools were used to avert failure.

Presenters include:

·    Ms. Anita Griner, MBA, PMP

Director, Division of Innovation Program Management Center                                                

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

·    Ms. Karrie Ingram, PMP

Project Manager, Information Systems

Citizens Memorial Healthcare, Bolivar, Missouri

·     Ms. Amy Cooper MPH,

      Director of EPIC Systems Installation

OCHIN, Inc., Portland, Oregon

Register here: http://webcast.streamlogics.com/audience/index.asp?eventid=94741456

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

 

Save the Date: Version 5010 – Are You Ready?

June 20, 2012
2:00 - 3:00 pm MDT

Hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Office

Please join CMS staff for an informative webinar for healthcare providers, clearinghouses and vendors on Version 5010.

Version 5010 refers to the standards that HIPAA-covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and certain health care providers) must use when electronically conducting certain health care administrative transactions, such as claims, remittance, eligibility, and claims status requests and responses.

All covered entities should have been fully compliant with Version 5010 by January 1, 2012; however, an enforcement delay is in effect until June 30, 2012.

To register go to: http://registration.intercall.com/go/cms2

This webinar will cover:

Current Conversion Statistics

Final Preparations for 5010/D.0 Cutover

Operational Concerns

Future of EDI Communications

Resources and Contact Information

THE Consortium June Webinar - Preparing for the Summer

Please join us for THE Consortium webinar on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 from 12:00pm - 1:15pm where we will discuss preparing for the Summer by reviewing key upcoming changes that affect medical practices and hospitals. Topics will include:

·         What to expect with the Final HITECH HIPAA Rule

·         What to expect with the Final Meaningful Use Stage 2 Rule

·         Updates on 5010 and the required eligibility and claims status operating rules

·         Updates on Medicaid and Medicare attestation

To register, click here.