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.