Emerging HIT
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Meaningful Use
EHR Certification
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EHR: Best Practices for Implementation
Quality Measures & Reporting
CMS Important Dates and Timelines
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be a busy place this summer. Here’s a rundown of important updates and deadlines.
National Provider Calls Now Available for Download
National Provider Calls are educational conference calls held by CMS for the Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) provider and supplier community to educate and inform participants about new policies and/or changes to the Medicare program. The calls are free of charge, and prior registration is required to participate. For previously recorded calls refer to this list on the Medicare Learning Network.
May 30, 2013 – Stage 1 of the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs for Eligible Professionals: First in a Series
April 18, 2013 – Begin Transitioning to ICD-10 in 2013 National Provider Call
TODAY – Provider Call: Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs and Certified EHR Technology
Thursday June 27, 2:30-3:45 pm ET
This session the CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will provide an overview of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, including the use of certified EHR technology to meet meaningful use. Learn about the different types of certification and what certification actually tests. Details and Registration.
Mark your calendars for these upcoming NPCs. Registration will be announced:
Medicare and Medicaid Eligible Professionals, Eligible Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals
July 23; 1:30-3 —Clinical Quality Measures
July 24; 1:30-3 —Stage 2
Medicare Eligible Professionals, Eligible Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals
August 13; 1:30-3 —Hardship Exceptions
August 15; 1:30-3 —Payment Adjustments
Health Care Innovation Awards Round Two
CMS has released a Funding Opportunity Announcement for round two of the Health Care Innovation Awards. Under this announcement, CMS will spend up to $1 billion for awards and evaluation of projects from across the country that test new payment and service delivery models that will deliver better care and lower costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees.
Key Dates and Deadlines
Letters of Intent to Apply: CMS will accept letters of intent beginning June 3 until June 28, 2013 3pm EDT
Application: CMS will accept applications beginning June 14 until August 15, 2013 3pm EDT
Reporting Period to Submit eRx Data and Avoid Adjustment Ends June 30
A major Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program deadline is approaching for both individual eligible professionals (EPs) and group practices participating in the Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO). If you are an EP or an eRx GPRO participant, you must successfully report as an electronic prescriber before June 30, 2013 or you will experience a payment adjustment in 2014 for professional services covered under Medicare Part B’s Physician Fee Schedule (PFS)
CMS is Accepting Suggestions for Potential PQRS Measures and Measures Groups through July 1
CMS will begin accepting quality measure suggestions for potential inclusion in the proposed set of quality measures in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) for future rule-making years. CMS is seeking a quality set of measures that are outcome-based and fall into one of the National Quality Strategy (NQS) Priorities domains where there are known measure and performance gaps. The measure gaps that CMS most wishes to fill include clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, care coordination, safety, appropriateness, efficiency, and patient experience and engagement.
Measures submitted for consideration will be assessed to ensure that they meet the needs of the Physician Quality Reporting Program. In addition, CMS encourages eligible providers to submit measures that do not have an adequate representation within the program for participation. When submitting measures for consideration, please ensure that your submission is not duplicative of another existing or proposed measure. Each measure submitted for consideration must include all required supporting documentation. Documentation requirements are posted on the Measures Management System Call for Measures web page. This Call for Measures runs from May 1, 2013 through July 1, 2013. Only those measures submitted in the provided format will be accepted for consideration.
July 3rd is an Important EHR Deadline for Medicare Eligible Hospitals and CAHs
July 3, 2013 is last day that eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) in their first year of participation of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. Hospitals in their second and third years of participation must demonstrate meaningful use for the full FY. Also take note of these important dates for eligible hospitals and CAHs:
September 30, 2013—Last day of the FY 2013, and the end of the reporting year.
October 1, 2013—First day of FY 2014, and the start of Stage 2 for hospitals in their third or fourth years of participation.
November 30, 2013—Last day to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for FY 2013.
If you would like to contribute a resource to this page, please email the Chairperson of the SePHIMA Emerging HIT Committee.