News 11/8/12

Healthcare software and services company iMedX acquires Greenlight Transcription.

In its 2013 physician fee schedule published last week, Medicare adds two additional categories of hardship exemptions for the e-prescribing rule. Doctors and practices who achieve MU  by June 30, 2013 and those who demonstrate intent to use EHRs can apply for an exemption to the reimbursement cuts slated to start next year.

Eye Health Services (MA) selects SRS EHR for its 21 providers and 11 locations.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimates facility fees tacked on to routine office visits will add $2 billion a year to Medicare spending by 2020. As more hospitals acquire physician practices, look for increased pushback from insurance companies and employers.

Through the end of September over 300,000 EPs have signed up to participate in the EHR incentive program. Since the program’s inception, Medicare has paid 82,535 EPs over $1.4 billion in incentives while Medicaid has issued more than $1.2 billion to over 60,000 EPs.

SRS reportsthat power has been restored in its Montvale, NJ headquarters and staff will be back in the office Thursday. The company’s Sandy Relief Drive, by the way, generated almost $5,000 in employee donations, which the company matched in purchasing supplies  for affected Staten Island residents and schools.  The balance of the money will be donated to the Red Cross and Governor Christie’s Relief Fund.

eClinicalWorks receives full NCQA certification as a CAHPS PCMH survey vendor to conduct NCQA HEDIS surveys.

Almost half of primary care physicians expect to participate in an ACO model within the next year.

The Washington Post profiles physicians who aren’t necessarily enamored with EHRs and would prefer to hang on to their paper charts. Naysayers include physicians who say EHRs haven’t “lived up to the hype”  and worry about gaps in technology. On balance, one cardiologist notes:

“When you first go to EHR, it’s really a nightmare for the first three months in terms of trying to get comfortable with the system. But now, it helps our work flow, and we have fingertip access to information.”

CMS posts a couple new FAQs, including a question on how to handle transitions of care summary of care records for Stage 2 MU. For the Stage 2 transition of care and referrals objective, CMS provides details on  different ways providers can meet the measure that more than 10% of summary of care records for transitions and referrals be transmitted electronically. One approach is to use certified EHR technology to electronically transmit summary care records for transitions of care and referrals. Alternatively providers can use their EHRs to create a summary care record and use an eHealth Exchange to facilitate electronic transmission.

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