SMARTDC Monthly Newsletter- A Timely Summary of Your IT News

ONC released new data that stated as of August 2011, 91,000 eligible professionals and hospitals have registered to take part in the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record incentive programs.

The department also shared that 13,099 providers registered for the programs in August alone, a 30 percent jump from July. The eligible professionals with the highest percentage of participation by physician specialty were those in internal medicine (22 percent) followed by family practice providers (20 percent). 

As of August 31, more than $263 million in Medicare EHR incentive payments and over $389 million in Medicaid incentive payments have been paid to providers. 23 states have implemented Medicaid incentive programs as of August 2011.

The last day for eligible professionals to begin their 90-day reporting period for the 2011 calendar year for the Medicare EHR incentive program is October 1 st , 2011. The last day for eligible and critical access hospitals to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for fiscal year 2011 is November 30.

The remote patient monitoring market to reach $22.2B by 2015

The report, titled "Remote and Wireless Patient Monitoring Markets," is based on annual reports, trade publications and interviews of industry executives.

The report covered three product areas:

1. Wireless and remote patient monitors;
2. Patient data processing applications; and
3. Equipment & applications that coordinate the flow of data to hospital EHRs

Kalorama estimates that the 2010 market value for remote patient monitoring was $7.1 billion ( CMIO , 9/24).

The report cited the adoption of remote monitoring systems for intensive care units as an area of significant growth as shortages of intensivist, cardiologist and critical care nurses continue (Goedert, Health Data Management , 9/23).

Four More States Open Registration for Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments

Four more states recently opened registration for Medicaid incentive payments under the meaningful use program, joining 23 states with programs already under way, Modern Healthcare reports.

Under the 2009 economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems could qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.

The four states that recently launched their programs are Florida , Georgia , Illinois and Oregon .

Jessica Kahn -- technical director of CMS' Center for Medicaid, CHIP, and Survey and Certification -- said of the 27 states with operational programs, 17 are making payments to health care providers for the meaningful use of EHRs.

Between January and August, about $389 million in Medicaid meaningful use payments was distributed to 118 hospitals, and 1,297 physicians, nurse practitioners and other eligible professionals, according to Kahn.

Though CMS' original expectation was that Medicaid EHR payment programs would be operational in all U.S. states and territories in 2011, Kahn said there might be three or four states and a few territories that do not have their programs in place by the end of the year. She added that all programs should be functioning by spring of 2012 ( Conn , Modern Healthcare , 9/16).

Federal Government Has Distributed $653M in EHR Incentive Pay

The federal government has distributed more than $653 million to health care providers participating in the meaningful use incentive program, according to data from CMS, Modern Healthcare reports.

Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.

Of the $653 million distributed under the meaningful use program, CMS paid $389 million through the Medicaid incentive program and $264 million through the Medicare incentive program. The Medicare program has more stringent eligibility requirements, Modern Healthcare reports.

Eligible hospitals can qualify for incentives under both the Medicaid and Medicare incentive programs, but eligible health care professionals can register for only one program.

The CMS data also show that:

1. $262.2 million in Medicaid incentives have been paid to 294 hospitals registered as eligible for both the Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs;
   
2. $226 million in Medicare incentives have been paid to 114 hospitals registered for the Medicare incentive program;
   
3. $93.9 million in Medicaid incentives have been paid to 4,463 physicians and eligible health care professionals;
   
4. $38.3 million in Medicare incentives have been paid to 2,129 physicians and eligible health care professionals; and
   
5. $32.9 million in incentives have been paid to 15 hospitals registered solely under state-administered Medicaid incentive programs ( Conn , Modern Healthcare , 9/22).
   

ONC Releases Final Version of Federal Health IT Strategic Plan

On Monday, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released an 80-page final version of its Federal Health IT Strategic Plan for 2011 through 2015, Modern Healthcare reports ( Conn , Modern Healthcare , 9/12). The agency issued the final plan after receiving about 240 public comments on the draft plan that it released in March.

In a post on its " Health IT Buzz " blog, ONC noted that the majority of public comments centered on four key themes, which are the:

• Approach toward health IT outreach for health care providers and consumers
• Privacy of health information exchange networks
• Timing of Stage 2 of the meaningful use program
• Usability of electronic health records

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

In response to some of the issues raised in the public comments, the final version of ONC's strategic plan calls for:

1. Establishing an HHS Inter-Division Task Force to develop an updated approach to certain health IT privacy and security issues
2. Supporting efforts to refine EHR usability testing and use protocols;
3. Helping vendors develop EHR products that improve data portability
4. Scaling up consumer outreach and education campaigns to raise awareness of health IT issues (Sullivan, Government Health IT , 9/12).