AHIMA Meaningful Use White Paper Series
Paper no. 3

The second paper in this series began an overview of the provider requirements within the notice of proposed rulemaking on meaningful use, published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on January 13, 2010. This paper continues that overview with a look at the proposed payment methods and program requirements.

After describing the criteria for the meaningful use of EHRs, the NPRM addresses the incentive payments themselves, broken down among the Medicare Fee for Service (FFS), Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicaid programs.

FFS Payments to Providers

CMS takes the definition of physician to mean one of five types of professionals: a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, a doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine, a doctor of podiatric medicine, a doctor of optometry, or a chiropractor. Hospital-based physicians do not qualify for an incentive payment (pp. 1904–7). (more…)

AHIMA Meaningful Use White Paper Series
Paper no. 2

The first paper in the series offered a general overview of the notice of proposed rulemaking on meaningful use, published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on January 13, 2010. This paper begins a more detailed, two-part review of the proposed rule.

The meaningful use program established by ARRA is initially an incentive program, not an entitlement program. No healthcare organization—provider or hospital—is required to apply for or participate in the program for the first five years.

To receive incentive payments an entity or provider must participate in Medicare Fee-for-Service, Medicare Advantage, or a state Medicaid program, with some restrictions. Beginning in 2016, however, the program becomes punitive. ARRA established that providers in Medicare programs will be penalized if they do not meet the meaningful use requirements. (more…)

AHIMA Meaningful Use White Paper Series
Paper no. 1

On January 13, 2010, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking on the “meaningful use” EHR incentive program. On the same day, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a companion interim final rule describing the certification criteria for EHRs that qualify for the meaningful use program. Together, these two documents make up the basis for the incentive program called for under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

This is the first paper in a series in which AHIMA will take a closer look at the incentive program and its impact on the health information management profession and on healthcare providers that choose to participate. These brief white papers will focus on the meaningful use proposal, with references to the certification criteria.

This paper offers an introduction and general overview to the meaningful use rule. The next paper provides greater detail on the NPRM’s requirements. (The entire schedule appears at the end of this paper.) (more…)

Official publication of CMS’s notice of proposed rulemaking defining the “meaningful use” of EHRs and describing the provisions governing the incentive programs appeared today in the Federal Register. This is a considerably shortened version from the prepublication version that was released December 30 (see story), though the content of the proposal itself has not changed.

With its publication today, the 60-day public comment period begins. All comments are due to CMS by 5 p.m. on March 15. 

ONC also officially published its interim final rule describing related requirements and technical specifications for EHR technology today. Again, this is an abbreviated version, though the contents of the rule itself have not changed.

Comments to ONC are also due by 5 p.m. on March 15.

The social media site Facebook had become more than just a way for staff at Innovis Health to catch up with friends.

In November 2008, nurses at the Fargo, ND–based healthcare system began using Facebook to provide unauthorized shift change updates to their co-workers. What once would have been a conversation became an update on their personal Facebook pages.

It was a convenient tool, because the nurses had “friended” each other through Facebook and thus could quickly read what each other wrote on their pages. They did not use patient names, but they did post enough specifics about patients so that the incoming nurses could prepare for their shift.

The problem was that everyone else “friended” to their Facebook pages could also read the information. (more…)

The January cover story outlines the process for testing HIPAA version 5010 standards before the end of the year. Upgrading the standards is necessary to support the industry’s migration to ICD-10-CM/PCS by 2013. Other features examine what leadership means in the HIM field and effective communication skills for HIM professionals. (more…)

CMS and ONC released proposed and interim regulations on meaningful use and EHR certification late yesterday as the year wound down.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a 556-page notice of proposed rulemaking defining the “meaningful use” of EHRs and describing the provisions governing the incentive programs. [January 13 update: official publication occurred in the Federal Register today.]

The program details, discussed and anticipated through much of the year, enable vendors and providers to begin working toward eligibility for EHR adoption and use incentives described in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Payments to eligible providers begin in late 2010.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released an interim final rule describing related requirements and technical specifications for EHR technology. Providers must use certified EHRs to participate in the incentive program. The releases were announced in a joint CMS-ONC press conference late yesterday due to their close connection. [January 13 update: official publication occurred in the Federal Register today.]

ONC’s interim final rule will go into effect 30 days from its official publication in the Federal Register. The CMS notice is a proposal, intended to solicit public comment before rulemaking progresses. Publication of both is expected by mid-January. (more…)

The AHIMA Board of Directors announced Tuesday that it has selected Alan F. Dowling, PhD, to serve as CEO of the American Health Information Management Association.

Dowling has more than 35 years experience in health informatics, with a broad-based background that includes information systems leadership, hospital and academic experience, and corporate and nonprofit work. He will take office on January 13, 2010.

“Dr. Dowling has a deep understanding of the complexity of issues facing our association, our members, and our industry as a whole,” said AHIMA president Vera Rulon, in a press release. “His experience in the areas of health information and informatics and healthcare delivery systems gives him a keen insight into what will be vital to the next decade of health information management and technology. He is the ideal person for the job ahead.” (more…)

Confusion and disagreement about the proper use of consultation codes has persisted since their development in 1990. Now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has a solution: cancel them.

CMS finalized its decision to eliminate the use of all consultation codes with the exception of telehealth consultation G codes. CMS will not reimburse for consultation codes submitted on Medicare claims beginning January 1, 2010. Physicians should cease submitting consultation codes on their Medicare claims and employ the appropriate visit code in their place.

CMS published the change in the Medicare physician fee schedule updates for 2010. Read more in the latest issue of AHIMA CodeWrite e-newsletter.

Paper doesn’t get the publicity these days, but maintaining current and legacy paper-based health records continues to be important to day-to-day HIM operations. Understanding how to file, retrieve, and maintain paper records—especially across multiple locations, such as offsite storage—remains a core function in many departments.

Most HIM departments file by terminal digits, which is the only way to keep files expanding at an even rate. In a terminal digit filing system the last two, three, or four digits of the file number are treated as a single number. Since all numbers in the file are sorted by their ending digits, each section contains approximately the same number of folders, so the file shelves are divided for easy expansion.

A new, free toolkit from AHIMA offers best practices in terminal digit filing. Managers can use the kit to train new or existing staff by having employees review the kit and complete the exercises.