The Incentive is Real: $75M Distributed in First Round of Meaningful Use

CMS announced that more than 300 health care providers have received a total of $75 million in Medicare incentive payments for demonstrating meaningful use of electronic health records, HealthLeaders Media reports (Tocknell, HealthLeaders Media, 5/27).

CMS estimates more than 42,600 eligible physicians and hospitals have registered for the Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs, and roughly 485,000 could be eligible to participate, according to AHA News (AHA News, 5/26).

A list of health care providers who received Medicare meaningful use payments is available on a CMS website (Modern Healthcare, 5/27). The amounts of the specific payments were not revealed.

Read more: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/5/27/medicare-distributes-75m-in-meaningful-use-incentive-payments.aspx#ixzz1Ot4dhFiN

COME VISIT US @ TOA/TEXMED May 13-14, 2011

Click on the image above to find out more.
See you in Houston!

ASCRS 2011: What a Great Meeting!

What a great meeting in San Diego, thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth and to all our friends @ASCRS. See you next year in Chicago!

But if you can't wait that long we still have a few more stops this year, next one is in Texas. Learn more.

See more pics from this years ASCRS Symposium and Congress in San Diego: http://on.fb.me/dXnJ7b

Are you eligible? Study: Many Physicians Eligible for Incentives but Lack EHR

"Many physicians are eligible for federal incentive payments for the meaningful use of electronic health records but lack a basic EHR system, according to a study published in the journal Health Affairs, Healthcare IT News reports.

Overall, researchers found that nearly 83% of office-based physicians are eligible for either the Medicare or Medicaid incentive program."

Read more: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/3/8/study-many-physicians-eligible-for-incentives-but-lack-ehrs.aspx#ixzz1GaeIfQLu

IO CEO Highlighted in Newest Edition of "Ophthalmology Managament"

Our own CEO, Gregory Leopold, speaks about the importance of EMR/EHR certification and buying the system that's right for you in the newest edition of the "Ophthalmology Management" magazine.

-Mr. Leopold urges ophthalmologists to get involved with choosing an EHR for their practice. “You can have someone else screen for you, but at the end of the day, you should buy the EMR that feels right to you.” The most important predictor of a successful implementation, he contends, is physician commitment and comfort with their EHR choice.-

Read the full article titled "At the EHR Starting Line" by René Luthe, Senior Associate Editor of "Ophthalmology Management.

“If the system costs you time in the exam room, it will cost you much more than what you ‘saved’ when you bought it." - Gregory Leopold http://bit.ly/ieHEJC

Happy Holidays from IO Practiceware

Happy Holidays

Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season
and a prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

The IO Practiceware Team

CCHIT Update: What is "Meaningful Use" and "How Useful is CCHIT certification"?

So, we've been getting a lot of questions regarding CCHIT and our role in helping our clients when it comes to qualifying for and receiving the incentive payments.

The answer is "Yes", we will be applying for certification on February 12th (the day the window opens) for certification under the ARRA rules issued on December 30, 2009. CCHIT has said that that is the first day they will be accepting applications. We do not know how fast they will process them. However, we expect to be certified in the next 6 months. Any previous certifications are no longer valid, as far as, the incentive plan is concerned. So, every vendor has to get this certification.
We will also help our clients in anyway we can. Although, it is not entirely clear how much help you'll need. Take a look at the articles below. They answer, in great detail, what meaningful use will mean for doctors and address the issue of CCHIT certification as a useful tool for choosing the right EMR.

Updates on Meaningful Use

Should CCHIT Influence Your EMR Selection

Hope you find these resources helpful!

- KH