EHR Audits Q&A

With the news that CMS has started conducting pre-payment audits to monitor meaningful use payments, some providers have been worried about what it means if they get a letter in the mail. Rob Anthony, Deputy Director of the HIT Initiatives Group, Office of E-Health Standards and Services at CMS, sat down with EHRIntelligence to discuss how CMS is handling its audits of potential meaningful users, and to give some tips to providers about what to have on hand if an auditor comes knocking on the door.

Click here to read more about:

• What’s the purpose of meaningful use audits, and how do they help CMS and providers?
• The OIG made some strong recommendations last year about how CMS should improve their oversight of EHR Incentive Payments. How are you addressing these concerns?
• What are somethings to look for, and how can providers satisfy the audit requirements? 
• What advise do you have for providers who might be nervous about the audit process?  

Register Now for HRSA Webinar - Using EHRs for HIE and Interoperability for Safety Net Providers

Health Resources and Services Administration
Friday, April 26, 2013, 2 PM ET

This webinar will focus on how safety net providers can electronically exchange health information and achieve interoperability using electronic health records (EHRs). Exchanging electronic health information with other providers is a requirement under Stage 2 of Meaningful Use and has been shown to reduce costs and duplication of services, increase patient engagement, enhance patient safety, and improve healthcare quality. Follow this link to find out what presenters for this webinar will focus on.

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

Webinar: THE Consortium

Please join us for THE Consortium webinar on Thursday, April 25, 2013 from 12:00pm - 1:15pm where we will discuss what you should ask your vendors regarding Stage 2 and ICD10 - using our evaluation form. Please click here to register for the webinar.

Webinar: Using an Electronic Health Record for Health Information Exchange and Interoperability for Safety Net Providers

Health Resources and Services Administration
Health Information Technology and Quality Webinar and Technical Assistance Resources
Friday, April 26, 2013, 2 PM EDT 


This webinar will focus on how safety net providers can electronically exchange health information and achieve interoperability using electronic health records (EHRs). Exchanging electronic health information with other providers is a requirement under Stage 2 of Meaningful Use and has been shown to reduce costs and duplication of services, increase patient engagement, enhance patient safety, and improve healthcare quality. Presenters for this webinar will focus on the following topics:
How providers can meet the health information exchange (HIE) objectives of Meaningful Use;
How providers can access and utilize State and local HIE networks; and How providers can overcome barriers to achieve HIE and interoperability


Participants can register here.

SEED and MJJ Grant Deadlines

Reminder – SEED grant applications are due April 30th. The SEED/MJJ Review Committee will be meeting the first week in May to review all the SEED and MJJ applications that CRHC has received by April 30, 2013. The review and awarding process should be complete by Mid May and all applications will be notified via email.

If you have any questions please contact kb@coruralhealth.org.

CMS Clarifies Sequestration Reduction for Medicare EHR Incentive Payments

Office of Management and Budget on Sequestration:

CMS has clarified that incentive payments for reporting periods prior to April 1 2013 will not be subject to the sequestration reduction! This is welcome news to our many hospitals who attested for a reporting period in 2012 an have yet to be paid due to the delays with Novitas assuming the Medicare contractor role.

Click here for exact language. If you have any questions, please email our Senior Adviser David Ginsberg at dg@coruralheatlh.org.

Free Boot Camp in Durango: EHR & Meaningful Use

Interested in learning how you can optimize the use of your EHR?
Want to avoid incurring Medicare penalties?

Attend the free EHR & Meaningful Use Boot Camp and learn how to incorporate Meaningful Use objectives into your practice to increase efficiency, improve patient outcomes and make the most of the expense and time you put into your EHR adoption. Click HERE for more information.

ICD-10 News: Medicare Fee-For-Service National Provider Call – Registration Now Open

Registration Open for the Medicare National Provider Call on Transitioning to ICD-10 in 2013

Will you be ready for ICD-10 on October 1, 2014? Join CMS experts on April 18 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. ET as they discuss ICD-10 planning and preparation strategies. Following the presentation, CMS representatives will be available for a question and answer session.

Agenda:
Planning for transition to ICD-10
Claims processing
National implementation issues
National Coverage Decisions
Outreach

The target audience for this call includes medical coders, physicians, physician office staff, nurses and other non-physician practitioners, provider billing staff, health records staff, vendors, educators, system maintainers, laboratories, and all Medicare FFS providers

For more information on Registration and Information click HERE.

HIT Meaningful Use Services

The journey to meeting meaningful use and receiving Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Payments can be complicated. CRHC offers assistance to help hospitals and their provider-based clinics throughout this process. For more information about services and pricing contact CRHC’s Senior Advisor, David Ginsberg at dg@coruralhealth.org.

FY2013 Window Now Open

Eligible health care providers (HCPs) can begin the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program application process for Funding Year (FY) 2013 by filing FCC Form 465, Description of Services Requested and Certification Form, for the Telecommunications and Internet Access programs started April 8.

FY2013 starts July 1, 2013, and ends June 30, 2014. FCC Forms 466 and 466-A will be available at 9:00 AM July 1.
Apply now using My Portal.
Click here for help with My Portal.
New to the RHC Program? Visit the Getting Started page on our website.
For information about the FCC Form 465, visit the Online Learning Library.

Need Help or More Information, Click HERE

Important for Physicians / Clinics / and Staff!

Now is the time to get your ICD-10 transition started – with the Colorado ICD-10 Training Coalition. Click HERE for more information.

SHIP Hospital Webinars

Friendly reminder that SHIP eligible hospitals should register for the upcoming SHIP hospital webinars: http://www.ruralcenter.org/ship/webinar/registration

OVERVIEW OF LEAN
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm Central Time

ICD-10 CODING AND COST REPORTING
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm Central Time

SHIFTING TO A VALUE-BASED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Tuesday, August 6, 2013 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm Central Time

Coding Certification Bootcamp 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

Is your Community Working to Improve Health?

Is your community taking bold steps to create a culture of health? Tell us how by applying for the annual RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize.

Prize-winning communities each receive $25,000 to honor their outstanding community efforts to help people live healthier lives. Interested communities are invited to join an informational webinar on April 2 at 1 p.m. EST to learn about the prize, including how to apply and how winners will be chosen.

• Register for the webinar.
• View the call for applications. Phase I applications are due on May 23, 2013.

The RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize is part of the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

FREE HIPAA Boot Camp, Durango

WHEN: 

May 1, 2013 

11:30am-5:00pm EHR & Meaningful Use Boot Camp

5:00pm-6:30pm Health Information Exchange Community Celebration & Reception

WHERE: 

Durango DoubleTree Hotel

501 Camino Del Rio

Durango, CO 81301

Interested in learning how you can optimize the use of your EHR?

Want to avoid incurring Medicare penalties?

Attend the free EHR & Meaningful Use Boot Camp and learn how to incorporate Meaningful Use objectives into your practice to increase efficiency, improve patient outcomes and make the most of the expense and time you put into your EHR adoption.

FREE EVENT! REGISTER ONLINE AT:

http://bit.ly/XRkMl4

Or call CORHIO at 720-285-3200

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quarterly System Release – Claim Hold

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has identified technical issues with certain parts of the April 2013 quarterly systems release. For claims with dates of service or “Through Dates” on or after April 1, 2013, the issues affect (1) all Home Health final claims, (2) outpatient Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Rural Health Clinic (RHC) claims where dollars have been applied to the beneficiary deductible, and (3) the remittance advice summary payment amount forMedicare Advantage inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) claims with indirect medical education (IME). Actual payments and the claim-level payment amounts on the remittance advice are correct for these Medicare Advantage IPPS IME claims. Final home health, outpatient CAH and RHC, and Medicare Advantage IPPS IME claims with dates of service or “Through Dates” prior to April 1, 2013, are unaffected. To read more click here.