I have written before about electronic medical records (EMR) and why the federal government shoved this down American medicine’s throat….partly to line the pockets of the big corporations in this industry (Newt Gingrich was the lobbyist for the largest of these companies) and also to put into place a mechanism for the collection of private health records of all whose information goes into these systems. ”Meaningful Use,” part 1, involved collecting patient data. ”Meaningful Use,” part 2 involves transmitting this confidential data (without the patient’s consent) to D.C. bureaucrats.
Some physicians I know took taxpayer money at gunpoint to implement these systems in their offices, knowing that subsequent cuts to their Medicare payments if they didn’t comply would mean they would not be able to deal with Medicare at all. The Unaffordable Care Act (TUCA) made the purchase of these EMR systems “voluntary,” but refusal to purchase meant increasing cuts in Medicare physician pay. The systems were priced above any sane market price, so the doctors were promised federal subsidies (courtesy of the taxpayers) to buy these systems.
Many of the doctors that have complied are now having second thoughts. The idea of betraying their patient’s confidentiality with complying with “Meaningful Use,” part 2 is weighing heavily on them. Anticipating the doctor’s cold feet, TUCA provided for audits and penalties for those having second thoughts. Here again is Matt Kent, offering a course to doctors who are in this position.
G. Keith Smith, M.D.
Good Morning,
Many physician practices and hospitals have taken advantage of the financial incentives offered by Medicare and Medicaid to establish an electronic health record system (EHR). Now Medicare has started prepayment as well as post-payment audits to evaluate whether incentive recipients fulfill the standards for EHR money, including compliance with the “meaningful use” requirements. Failure to substantiate the standards will result in lost incentive money and even worse penalties, such as loss of Medicare certification. States have also initiated audits with respect to Medicaid EHR incentives. Providers who do not adopt EHR systems that meet MU standards also face reductions in payment rates. At the same time, Stage 2 requirements require more modifications to existing systems as well as training to implement new features. Incentive money will soon be tied to Stage 2 compliance, so providers need to be familiar with the differences in the new standards in comparison to the Stage 1 requirements.
Join us tomorrow Thu, Jul 11, 2013 at 1 pm ET | 12 pm CT | 11 am MT | 10 am PT for this Live Audio conference – “Meaningful Use Audits And New Standards: Be Prepared” presented by nationally recognized expert, Wayne J. Miller, Esq., to discuss the EHR incentive audit program in detail and what providers need to do to be prepared. He’ll also discuss the new Stage 2 standards, as well as the areas of critical focus to ensure that EHR systems will comply with the new requirements.
Highlights of the session :
- What happens in a Meaningful Use audit?
- Critical documents to have ready for an audit
- Conducting an EHR security risk assessment
- Security Risk Assessment & Audit Procedure
- Specific Documentation Requirements
- Adverse Finding Appeals and Possible Penalties
- What does Stage 2 require as opposed to Stage 1?
- Areas of focus for an EHR to comply with Stage 2
- Meaningful Use Stage 2 – Stage 2 Additions, Stage 2 Objectives, Stage 2 Menu Items, Stage 2 CQMs
- Incentive program, MU standards
- MU audit program
- Preparing for audit: substantiation
- Options for negative findings
- MU Stage 2 considerations
- CMS Reviews Pending
- And much more…
Exclusive Q&A session following the live event to get advice unique to your situation, directly from our expert speaker.
If interested, please click the following link to register and get your early bird discount :-
Please apply discount code “SAVE20” at checkout to get an additional $20 discount on registration.
Looking forward to your participation here.
Thanks,
Matt Kent