Have You Attested for 2015 yet? You have a week.

A friendly reminder.

Per Medicare's correspondence:

"Eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program must attest using the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System by Friday, March 11, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. ET."

If you do not attest, you are subject to a Medicare payment percentage penalty going forward.

For More Medicare Information:

Visit the Registration and Attestation page on the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website

For ehrThomas Information: Check out our free webinars 

New Webinar Dates - We're Back!

Ok, you've been wondering.... I've got news!

The ICD-10 weekly webinars are BACK! And start tomorrow. Just like last year, the webinars are free, but you do need to register for them. Yes, there will be a live question and answer session at the end. Get ready now by signing up! The link is always available on the "Events" page and on the "ICD-10" page as well.

Yes - if you haven't seen it - New ehrTHOMAS Meaningful Use webinars are up and available for both Stage 1 and Stage to, with additional webinars for Microsoft's HealthVault. These webinars are also free to you, but again, you need to sign up for any you wish to take.

CMS is Being Loud and Proud Right Now

CMS is Loud about a meaningful use attestation date extension:

If you are an eligible professional, you now have until 11:59 pm ET on March 20, 2015, to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program for 2014.

This extension also allows those eligible professionals, who want to use their one "switch", to switch programs (from Medicare to Medicaid, or vice versa) for the 2014 until the end of March 20, 2015 also. After that time, eligible professionals will no longer be able to switch programs.

Remember Medicare eligible professionals must attest to meaningful use every year to both receive an incentive and to avoid a Medicare payment adjustment.

Also note, if necessary, that this Medicare extension doesn’t affect either the Medicaid EHR incentive or the PQRS date which has been extended to March 20, 2015.

And they are Proud about ICD-10 preparation:

Per CMS, they are ready for ICD-10 and prepared thinking they will be ready for ICD-10 on October 1. They claim they’ve had approximately 660 providers and billing companies who’ve submitted about 15,000 test claims.

“This successful week of testing continues to put us on course for successful implementation of this important initiative that better reflects modern practice of medicine by Oct. 1, 2015.”

Here is the link back to the CMS Attestation website.

Don't Forget the Attestation Deadline - Feb 28th, 2015

If you are participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program as an eligible professional, you have until February 28, 2015 to attest and demonstrate meaningful use of the data you collected during your 2014 EHR reporting period. If you participate in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, you need to refer to your state's attestation deadline.

If you were a Medicare eligible professional and you didn't successfully demonstrate meaningful use in 2013 (or 2014 for first-time participants), without a hardship exception for 2015, then on Jan. 1st, 2015 adjustments (reductions) were made to your Medicare payments.  If you do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use in 2014 (or receive a 2016 hardship exception) you will have payment adjustments applied beginning January 1, 2016 as well (yes, they will be cumulative if you miss both years).

For complete attestation information visit CMS's EHR Incentive Programs page.

You should also be attending our Genius EHR Stage 1 and Stage 2 Meaningful Use +, FREE webinars. 

Upcoming Events

Jan 14th
Genius Solutions Focus Group Seminar
@ The City of Warren/Library Building, Warren, MI

For more information or to register *Download the Flier & Registration Form.


Various dates and times January-March
Free Meaningful Use Webinars to prepare for 2015, Stage 1 & 2 reporting

*For more information or to register look at the flier and click on the appropriate date's link to register.

2014 is OVER! 2015 is in Full Swing. Are you?

As of Jan 1, 2015, the 2014 EHR incentive and meaningful use year is finished.  You must attest for 2014 by Feb 28, 2015.

Also, as of Jan 1, 2015, the 2015 EHR incentive and meaningful use year has begun.  This includes the beginning of Stage 2 reporting for those who have completed two years of Stage 1 reporting already.

For more and complete information - please visit the CMS website.

The 2014 Meaningful Use Deadline is Almost Here, Are You Ready?

ehrTHOMAS Users... Notice! You've only got 2 weeks left Are you MU complete?

December 2014 The Deadline is Almost Here, Are You Ready? In preparation for Meaningful Use (Both Stage 1 & Stage 2 attestation) please remember to print out and send reminders to patients for preventative/follow-up care (Core 12). The threshold for this objective is 20%. This objective must be completed ONCE during the reporting period. It is best to complete this right before the reporting period ends on December 31st, 2014. This reminder report should already have been created during your practice’s training period and/or previous attestations. To print it out, go to Reports > Custom Reports > Select a report > Edit > Print > Send Reminder. Please make sure you print out your reports and keep a copy as a supporting document for your attestation. If there is not a report available, please call Genius Solutions to have one set one up. Got a question? If you have any questions, please call EHR support.

CMS Re-Opens 2015 Hardship Exceptions Through November 2014

Per the ONC:

CMS announced that it is going to reopen the submission period for hardship exception applications for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals, allowing them to possibly avoid the 2015 Medicare payment adjustments for not demonstrating (via attestation) EHR meaningful use with Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT).

The new deadline will be November 30, 2014. (The previous application deadline was April 1, 2014 for eligible hospitals and July 1, 2014 for eligible professionals.)

This is especially noteworthy for anyone who missed attesting for stage 1 year 1 attestation last week.
For more information about the payment adjustments or hardship guidelines, visit the CMS page HERE.

Here is the application form.

New EHR Meaningful Use Webinars

New EHR Meaningful Use (MU) Webinars for Stage 1 and Stage 2 users. Click Here for the New Dates and Times. Additionally... We are in the process of putting a page together for "EHR Meaningful User" under "Resources" where we will have a home for all of the information I'm going to list in a minute, up-to-date schedules for webinars, and a place to put evolving information as it becomes available.

• If you are in Stage 1 Year 1 and started reporting your MU numbers on July 1st, please remember that the end of the reporting period is coming up (October 1st). Additionally, you must attest by Oct 1st to avoid payment adjustments. 
• If you did not start your reporting for MU on July 1st, and are still Stage 1-Year 1, you are still able to receive your incentive payment if you start reporting from Oct1st - Dec 31st.
• If you are Stage 1- year 2,  or Stage 2- year 1, your last reporting period this year is Oct 1st - Dec 31st. If you are a Stage 2 office, it is important that you read up on all the new measures for Stage 2. 
•  It is very important for ALL of you, regardless of what stage you are in, to perform a Security Risk Analysis during their reporting period. This is part of the HIPAA requirements for meaningful use. Here are some good links regarding that measure:

1. http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/SecurityRiskAssessment_FactSheet_Updated20131122.pdf 
2. http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/downloads/14_Protect_Electronic_Health_Information.pdf 

• We have webinars/documents that will help them through whichever stage they are in. (Click here for the webinars and visit the GS website next week for additional information and documents.) 
• Here are some additional helpful links:

1. The decision “Widget” from the CMS website 
2. Available Systems 
3. Also, if your office is "less than prepared" you may qualify for a hardship exemption. Unfortunately, it’s probably too late this year to get it in but just in case for next year - Here is the information.

Attention: Attestation, ICD-10, and SGR Updates!

 

Ever Attested?

If this is your first year to attest for Meaningful Use – You need to be working it now!  Literally.

Payment Adjustments for NOT being a Meaningful User kick in January 1, 2015.
As part of the 2009 ARRA “Stimulus” program, if you DO NOT attest for meaningful use, by this year, your Medicare payments will be reduced by 1% for each year you are not a meaningful user.  [Up to 5% loss, “depending on the total number of eligible meaningful user providers after 2018”, assuming less than 75% meaningful users the reductions are set to cap off at 5%.]