The healthcare industry is in a state of transformation. Providers have a lot to think about in terms of government mandates, from HIPAA compliance to meaningful use requirements to the ICD-10 transition to continuously updating Physician Quality Reporting System measures. Meeting the basic requirements to comply with healthcare IT mandates may be good enough for some, but the truly successful practices will strive to go above and beyond. Consider some of these suggestions for not only complying, but thriving, in the face of evolving healthcare mandates:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was developed in 1996 not only to make it simpler for people to maintain health insurance, but also to enhance the confidentiality and security of health care information. While it has been around for nearly two decades, full implementation of HIPAA is still very much under way, and providers have continued to make changes, from implementing new defenses to upgrading practice management software, in order to comply.
Many of you have probably heard the rumors that CMS has released a proposed Meaningful Use flexibility rule, which could change the rules for the 2015 Meaningful Use reporting period. A proposal was released in April and rule-makers have 60 days to discuss the changes before anything is finalized. Experts in the field agree that a final decision should be released in the July/August timeframe.
Transcript: Hi there, and welcome back to the Nextech blog! Today we'll be discussing how to talk to your staff about the impending ICD-10 transition.
Take Advantage of Your EHR The Physician Quality Reporting System is in full force for 2015, offering several methods of reporting, each with their own rules and standards. Nextech provides a way for clients to report electronically, allowing a more streamlined all in one report. For 2015, you can align your Clinical Quality Measures for the Meaningful Use EHR Incentive program with the 9 PQRS measures across 3 domains. If you participated in Meaningful Use in 2014, you should already have the measures in your EHR and we’ll be able to pull a report for the 2015 submission process.
1997 was a year to remember, many would agree.
In May 2014, there was an extension to the deadline for the ICD-10 transition. Physicians and practices were largely pleased with the delay as it allowed for time to fix major issues with the new coding system as well as an extra year for providers to update their systems and properly train staff. As the new deadline quickly approaches, the health care industry has become worried that the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services will call for another delay of the big switch. Many are ready for the new system and eager to begin using ICD-10, which has the potential to allow for more specific and accurate coding.
Don’t Panic! (About Meaningful Use Stage 3) Part 2: The 2015 Certification Requirements in a Nutshell “The certification criteria we have proposed in the 2015 Edition will help achieve that vision through provisions that consider the range of health IT users and uses across the care continuum, including those focused on interoperable standards, data portability, improved transparency, privacy and security capabilities, and increased oversight." —Karen DeSalvo, MD. ONC Welcome to the second half of our series on Meaningful Use Stage 3. In Part 1, we looked at the interoperability and EHR function requirements of the CMS rule. In this article, we will look at criteria from the ONC 2015 rule. To be honest, I suspect the ONC’s 700+ page rule may have been responsible for a lot of the panic attacks folks seemed to have in response to MU3. Whereas the CMS rules are relatively straightforward, easy to follow, and seem to have the intent of stabilizing things, the ONC rule seems to be trying to do the opposite. Seriously, it’s almost like they’re trying to sow chaos. But remember: Don’t Panic… We can (and will) survive this.
