US Gets Less for Its Healthcare Buck Than Other Nations

August 11, 2011 — Despite outspending 18 other developed nations on healthcare as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2005, the United States posted the highest mortality rate among its peers, according to a study published online last month in theJournal of the Royal Society of Medicine Short Reports.

Although the United States reduced its mortality rate from 1979 to 2005, 15 of the other developed countries, including the United Kingdom, did the same thing at a faster clip.

In short, the American healthcare system is one of the least cost-effective, whereas the system in the United Kingdom is the second most cost-effective, doing more with less, write Colin Pritchard, PhD, a professor of psychiatric social work at Bournemouth University in Bournemouth, United Kingdom; and Mark Wallace, BSc, who teaches economics, politics, and philosophy at the Latymer School in London.

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Join CMS' National Provider Call on Meaningful Use

Register for the CMS National Provider call on Understanding Meaningful Use

Registration is now open for the CMS National Provider Call titled, “Medicare andMedicaid EHR Incentive Programs:  Understanding Meaningful Use.” The call will be heldThursday, August 18, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET.

As of July 31, providers have received more than $397 million in Medicare and MedicaidEHR incentive payments. This call will help you learn more about meaningful use so that you can get on the path to receiving an EHR incentive payment. The call will cover the following topics:

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Four New State Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Launched in July

On July 4th, the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program launched in Arizona, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. This means that eligible professionals and eligible hospitals in these four states will be able to complete their EHR Incentive Program registration at the state level and receive incentive payments. More information about the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program can be found on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Basics page of the CMS EHR website.


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Shortage of Physicians, APNs, PAs Predicted for 2025

July 11, 2011 — Advanced practice nurses (APNs) and physician assistants (PAs) are frequently touted as the solution to the physician shortage, but there will not be enough of all 3 professionals combined to meet the nation's healthcare needs in 2025, according to a study published in the June issue of theJournal of the American College of Surgeons.

Lead author Michael Sargen, a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and coauthors write that although the United States needs to expand the workforce of these 3 types of "advanced clinicians," healthcare personnel with less training must assume more patient care responsibilities, especially as more Americans gain insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

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E-Prescriptions Just as Error-Prone as Paper Scripts

July 1, 2011 — Government and the healthcare industry have placed big bets on digital technology, and electronic prescribing in particular, for the sake of patient safety, but a new study reports that the error rate with computer-generated prescriptions in physician offices roughly matches that for paper scripts: about 1 in 10.

However, results from the study, published online June 29 in theJournal of the American Medical Informatics Association, are not as damning as they may initially appear. Error rates varied widely depending on the type of e-prescribing software used, with some programs outperforming pen and paper. In addition, software improvements could eliminate more than 80% of the mistakes, most of them involving omitted information.

In 2010, an estimated 190,000 physicians were electronically prescribing, the technical term for transmitting scripts directly to a pharmacy computer, according to a pharmacy industry group called Surescripts. That number does not include physicians who create a prescription with computer software and then either fax it to the pharmacy or give patients a printout.

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Medicare Reform Plan Would Freeze Physician Pay for 3 Years

June 30, 2011 — Physicians would dodge a nearly 30% Medicare pay cut next January and see their rates frozen for 3 years under an ambitious proposal from 2 US senators to slow the growth of Medicare spending and save the government healthcare program for seniors.

However, seniors would get hit squarely with fiscal pain. The reform plan issued yesterday by Sen. Tom Coburn, MD (R-OK), and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) would gradually raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 years by 2025, require wealthier seniors to pay more for their share of the Part B medical program and the Part D drug program, and increase Part B premiums for all enrollees. These and other features of the plan that have not yet been submitted as legislation would supposedly save more than $600 billion over 10 years.

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Earn CME Credit with EHR Medscape Modules

Medscape Modules are Available on the CMS EHR Incentive Programs

CMS is pleased to announce that through Medscape Education, you now have the opportunity to achieve CME credits by learning more about the Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs.

On Medscape's EHR Learning Center website, leading physician experts in medical informatics provide information, resources, and tools to help providers determine eligibility for the EHR Incentive Programs, understand the requirements for participating, take steps to participate, and recognize the immediate benefits of participation and future consequences of not participating.

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CMS Has Electronic Health Record (EHR) Materials Available at the AANP 26th National Conference!

Are you attending the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) 26th National Conference in Las Vegas? Visit CMS at booth #8110 for EHR materials that can help you to successfully participate in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.

CMS is also presenting informational sessions about the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in the AANP classroom in the conference exhibit hall. The remaining sessions are taking place on:

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CMS Has a New FAQ on Payment for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program

CMS wants to keep you updated with information on the Medicare and MedicaidElectronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. Take a minute and review CMS' new FAQ on receiving an incentive payment in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.

Question: I am an eligible professional (EP) who has successfully attested for theMedicare EHR Incentive Program, so why haven't I received my incentive payment yet?

Answer: For EPs, incentive payments for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will be made approximately four to eight weeks after an EP successfully attests that they have demonstrated meaningful use of certified EHR technology. However, EPs will not receive incentive payments within that timeframe if they have not yet met the threshold for allowed charges for covered professional services furnished by the EP during the year.

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AMA Reaffirms Support of Health Insurance Mandate

June 21, 2011 (Chicago, Illinois) — The American Medical Association (AMA) voted to continue its support of the individual health insurance mandate last night at its annual meeting of its House of Delegates, which includes physicians representing all state and medical specialty societies.

AMA president Cecil B. Wilson, MD, spoke at a press briefing after the contentious vote: "We celebrate the democracy of our house and we celebrate that our house came to this conclusion."

Dr. Wilson noted that the AMA has a strong policy in support of covering the uninsured. He added that this vote renews the AMA's commitment to achieve this through individual responsibility for health insurance, and with avenues of assistance for those who need it. The policy advocates a requirement that those earning more than 500% of the federal poverty level obtain a minimum level of catastrophic and preventive coverage.

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FDA Plans to Extend Its Global Regulatory Reach

June 20, 2011 — The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to take a more global approach to ensure the safety and quality of regulated drugs and medical devices, the agency's commissioner announced during a media briefing today.

One prong of the new 4-pronged approach will involve partnering with counterparts worldwide and creating global coalitions of regulators intent on ensuring and improving global product safety and quality, said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD.

"This is a long-term strategy," Dr. Hamburg said. "It cannot be accomplished immediately and will probably take many years to implement, depending upon resources."

One part of the new approach will mean regulators no longer regard borders the same way. "The border can no longer be the nation's primary line of defense against unsafe imported products," she said. "Instead, the border must serve as a final checkpoint on preventive controls throughout the supply chain."

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Primary Care Physicians Boost Income in 2010, Survey Finds

June 15, 2011 — Primary care physicians saw modest increases in their 2010 compensation, while some of their better-paid specialist colleagues lost ground, according to a new survey of almost 60,000 physicians around the United States from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).

In the Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2011 Report Based on 2010 Data, internists were found to have earned a median of $205,379, which is an increase of 4.21% since 2009. Family physicians (without obstetrics) saw their median incomes rise by 2.94% to $189,402, and pediatricians had a compensation increase of 0.39% to $192,148, which did not keep up with the low inflation rate.

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Two New State Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Launched

On June 6th, the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program launched in Pennsylvania and Washington. This means that eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals in Pennsylvania and Washington will be able to complete their incentive program registration at the state level and receive incentive payments. More information about the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program can be found on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Basics page of the CMS EHR website.


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Physician Offices Nearly as Malpractice-Prone as Hospitals

June 14, 2011 — Most efforts to improve patient safety center on inpatient care, but almost as many malpractice claims paid on behalf of physicians arise from outpatient settings as they do from hospitals, according to a study published June 15 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

"Patient safety initiatives should focus on the outpatient setting, not just on inpatient care," the researchers, with lead author Tara Bishop, MD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College, write.

Dr. Bishop and her coauthors view the number of malpractice cases that conclude with an award for the plaintiff — along with their dollar amounts — as a "crude indicator of the prevalence and seriousness of adverse medical events."

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Majority of New Physician Jobs Feature Hospital Employment

June 13, 2011 — Primary care physicians remain in high demand, although the majority of job openings are for hospital employees, not in private practice, according to a new survey by Irving, Texas–based national physician search firm Merritt Hawkins.

For the sixth consecutive year, family practice and general internal medicine were the top 2 most-requested physician search assignments. They were followed by hospitalists, psychiatrists, orthopaedic surgeons, emergency medicine physicians, obstetrician/gynecologists, neurologists, general surgeons, and pediatricians.

Reimbursement cuts and declines in elective procedures have reduced the volume of search assignments for radiologists, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists. Those specialists, which were among the most requested searches 4 to 5 years ago, are now ranked 17th, 18th, and 19th.

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AHIMA launches HIRO fund

The American Health Information Management Association Foundation announced the establishment of the Health Information Relief Operation Fund to aid health information management professionals affected by natural or manmade disasters.

The foundation was created in 1962 to serve as a vehicle for research and education. Since 2009, though, it has broadened its goals; it now seeks to "improve health information management by supporting the people, research and resources" that advance the profession, according to its website.


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New War on Harmful Chemical Exposure to Enlist Physicians

June 9, 2011 — Physicians in the United States would receive more training on environmental health issues such as water pollution and, using new billing codes, charge third-party payers for putting that training into practice under a government-sponsored initiative to better protect people from harmful chemicals.

The initiative, called the National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures, was launched 2 years ago by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Today, the project's leadership council, representing industry, state and federal public health agencies, environmental activists, and academics, released recommendations on how to create a comprehensive system for using and managing chemicals safely.

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July 3rd marks an important deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs).

The last day that eligible hospitals and CAHs can begin their 90-day reporting period in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is July 3, 2011. For hospitals, this means that they must begin their consecutive 90-day reporting period by July 3rd if they still want to successfully demonstrate meaningful use and receive an incentive payment for FY 2011.


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Pioneer ACO deadlines extended by CMS

Deadlines for provider groups looking to qualify under the recently announced CMS Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Model program were extended.
The variation on the larger and generally unpopular proposed primary ACO program aims to draw organizations already experienced with shared savings and coordinated care approaches into the Medicare program fast, while encouraging other providers to follow later.
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CMS Provides First Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Payments Totaling $75 Million; Providers Offered Flexibility in Adopting E-Prescribing

CMS announced last Thursday that the first payments of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program were distributed on May 19. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Medicare EHR Incentive Program provides payments to eligible professionals (EPs) and hospitals that demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, MD, explained in a statement that the payments are a crucial part of the nation’s future, “We can bring America’s health care system into the 21st century by adopting electronic health records and using electronic prescribing systems. Today’s announcements are steps on the right path – toward the health IT system America needs, which will save lives, save money.” 

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