KY and OK lead the way on Medicaid EHR incentive payments

[Greenbeard]

As discussed way back in this thread, starting this year states are going to be administering an incentive payment program for Medicaid providers who adopt (and meaningfully use) electronic health records. The incentive payments are meant to help defray some of the costs of adopting EHRs, which goes beyond just buying the technology but also training staff to use it, redirecting workflow in an office to accommodate it, etc. The overarching goal of encouraging EHR adoption, of course, is to improve quality and, in the long run, help contain costs.

Now that it's 2011 the first states have started making incentive payments with more to follow.

Kentucky and Oklahoma have become the first states to issue Medicaid incentive payments to health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records, Healthcare IT News reports.

Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs will qualify for incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid.

[...]

Other States Prepare for Payments

Iowa and Louisiana are expected to become the next states to administer Medicaid incentive payments for the meaningful use of EHRs, according to CMS (Healthcare IT News, 1/6).

In addition to those four states, Medicaid programs now accepting registration for incentive payments are:

• Alaska;
• Michigan;
• Mississippi;
• North Carolina;
• South Carolina;
• Tennessee; and
• Texas.

In February, registration will open in:

• California;
• Missouri; and
• North Dakota.

Other states plan to launch their incentive programs on a rolling basis during the spring and summer (Goedert, Health Data Management, 1/6).

Read more: Kentucky, Oklahoma First States To Dish Out Incentive Payments - iHealthBeat

 

[Revere]

Most providers already do this. Per usual, government is late to the party.

 

[Greenbeard]

Electronic Health Records in Ambulatory Care — A National Survey of Physicians (July 3, 2008):

Four percent of physicians reported having an extensive, fully functional electronic-records system, and 13% reported having a basic system.

Use of Electronic Health Records in U.S. Hospitals (April 16, 2009):

On the basis of responses from 63.1% of hospitals surveyed, only 1.5% of U.S. hospitals have a comprehensive electronic-records system (i.e., present in all clinical units), and an additional 7.6% have a basic system (i.e., present in at least one clinical unit). Computerized provider-order entry for medications has been implemented in only 17% of hospitals.

Welcome to reality.

 

[Revere]

If they were cost effective, they would already be doing more of them.

If they have to subsidize it, it merely shifts costs.

 

[uscitizen]

This should save more money than it costs by reducing/catching fraud.
Also good to catch those doctor shopping to get oxycodone and such.
And should also improve the quality of medical care recieved by patients.

My DR uses this system and he is a conservative, very conservative

 

[WillowTree]

Think GE..

 

[uscitizen]

Genetic Engineering?
or in my case Genital Excellence?

 

[BillyJ]

there are many companies offering incentive payment program for Medicaid providers , dunno why govt has indulge there selves in . But it is a good step it will improve the health situation in the state .

 

[Greenbeard]

An update with some numbers. 4,000 providers registered in the first four days:

In the first four days since its launch, about 4,000 healthcare providers initiated registration for the electronic health record incentive program, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The agency provided the preliminary count as of Jan. 6.

Providers pursuing the EHR incentive payments through Medicare have until 2014 to initially register and Medicaid providers have until 2016 to register so this is only the very beginning of the program.

 

[Ringel05]

Damn! I thought this thread was about KY (jelly) and OK (Oscillating Klystron).
Bummer, what a letdown.

 

[Greenbeard]

Some news today on the number of hospitals and physicians intending to pursue Medicare or Medicaid incentives for adopting electronic health records:

About 81% of hospitals and 41% of office-based physicians in the U.S. are aiming to receive federal stimulus funding for the meaningful use of electronic health records, according to new survey results released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Modern Healthcare reports.

The American Hospital Association conducted the survey on hospitals' EHR plans, while CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reported data on office-based physicians.

[...]

Key Findings

According to the survey results, 65% of hospitals and 32% of office-based physicians plan to enroll during Stage 1 of the meaningful use program.

According to the NCHS survey, 14% of physicians indicated they would not seek to apply for meaningful use incentive payments (Modern Healthcare, 1/13).

 

[Revere]

Some news today on the number of hospitals and physicians intending to pursue Medicare or Medicaid incentives for adopting electronic health records:

About 81% of hospitals and 41% of office-based physicians in the U.S. are aiming to receive federal stimulus funding for the meaningful use of electronic health records, according to new survey results released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Modern Healthcare reports.

The American Hospital Association conducted the survey on hospitals' EHR plans, while CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reported data on office-based physicians.

[...]

Key Findings

According to the survey results, 65% of hospitals and 32% of office-based physicians plan to enroll during Stage 1 of the meaningful use program.

According to the NCHS survey, 14% of physicians indicated they would not seek to apply for meaningful use incentive payments (Modern Healthcare, 1/13).

Corporate welfare.

 

[Gadawg73]

Some news today on the number of hospitals and physicians intending to pursue Medicare or Medicaid incentives for adopting electronic health records:

About 81% of hospitals and 41% of office-based physicians in the U.S. are aiming to receive federal stimulus funding for the meaningful use of electronic health records, according to new survey results released by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, Modern Healthcare reports.

The American Hospital Association conducted the survey on hospitals' EHR plans, while CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reported data on office-based physicians.

[...]

Key Findings

According to the survey results, 65% of hospitals and 32% of office-based physicians plan to enroll during Stage 1 of the meaningful use program.

According to the NCHS survey, 14% of physicians indicated they would not seek to apply for meaningful use incentive payments (Modern Healthcare, 1/13).

Corporate welfare.

You mean there are actually doctors out there that rip off the system, committ fraud, lobby government for special favors and government money and lobby Republicans to pass laws granting them immunity from negligence?
Doctors would never, ever do any of that. We trust them and their calls for no changes to the "health" care industry.

 

[Revere]

Some news today on the number of hospitals and physicians intending to pursue Medicare or Medicaid incentives for adopting electronic health records:

Corporate welfare.

You mean there are actually doctors out there that rip off the system, committ fraud, lobby government for special favors and government money and lobby Republicans to pass laws granting them immunity from negligence?
Doctors would never, ever do any of that. We trust them and their calls for no changes to the "health" care industry.

Yeah, they get prosecuted all the time. What the fuck is your point?

 

[Gadawg73]

Corporate welfare.

You mean there are actually doctors out there that rip off the system, committ fraud, lobby government for special favors and government money and lobby Republicans to pass laws granting them immunity from negligence?
Doctors would never, ever do any of that. We trust them and their calls for no changes to the "health" care industry.

Yeah, they get prosecuted all the time. What the fuck is your point?

My point is I was agreeing with you Maestro.
But they do not get prosecuted enough because white collar crime is on the back burner now. Homeland Security takes a pant load of funds and the farce known as The War on Drugs wastes 50% of all prosecutorial dollars. Throw in violent crime and maybe 1-2% is spent on white collar crime.
The medical industry gets away with fraud probably 90%+ of the time. When they are caught it is very diffricult to prove and usually ends up as a plea to lesser charges at most, civil repayment of funds the rest of the time.

 

[Old Rocks]

And if they are guilty of really great fraud, in the billions of dollars, they get to be Governor of Florida.