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Five Things Doctors Need to Know
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
Five Things Doctors Need to Know
President Obama has proposed a massive modernization drive to digitize all health records within the next five years. This means eventually all clinics and hospitals will store patient health records in electronic form that will be easy to transfer and share.
Health Information Technology CMS Information
1. Who Benefits?
Doctors and Patients
- Better managed medical practices with proper maintenance of medical records, less clutter and consequently much less human error without paper charts.
- Huge cost savings coming from systems ability to share records across hospitals which eliminates the need to repeat expensive examinations and tests.
- Availability of patient data that can help to assess treatment programs and enhance the quality of life for patients.
- Physician incentives.
Additional benefit is the potential of creating a large number of high-end IT health care industry jobs.
2. Incentives!
Starting in 2011, providers deemed to be "meaningful users" of EHR (Electronic Health Records) will be eligible to receive $40,000 - $60,000 ($44,000 per provider) in incentive payments paid out over five years in the form of increased Medicare and Medicaid payments.
To qualify as a meaningful user, providers must demonstrate use of a "qualified EHR" in a "meaningful manner". Specific guidelines are to be set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on what constitutes a "qualified EHR". Determining criteria:
- e-prescribing
- electronic exchange of medical records
- interoperability
3. Prepare NOW.
Providers must qualify as a "meaningful user" in 2011 in order to receive maximum payment.
- Practices would be well-served to begin selecting the right EHR now
- Eligible providers will receive a first year bonus of $18,000 and will receive payments scheduled over the next five years.
http://healthit.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt
4. Real Opportunity.
Financial incentives, increased quality and safety, improved efficiency and transparency, and an enhanced ability to provide patient care.
5. Bad News.
Physicians who choose NOT to implement an EHR will forego money in incentive payments and in 2015 these providers will be penalized by way of decreased Medicare and Medicaid payments.