Category Archives: Policy

Bearing the cost of ICD-10 transition

Transitioning to ICD-10 can be daunting in many ways; the cost affiliated with the implementation process is escalating. Health care providers, payers, clearinghouses, and billing services are gasping in the transition marathon, flustered in meeting top-down government-enforced healthcare reforms. CMS has clearly stated that there would be no further extensions or grace period of the [...]

Also posted in EHR/EMR | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

ACO Formation – First Round Begins

With the advent of this year, the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) has stirred up interests of many in healthcare administration. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)are defined as ‘a set of providers associated with a defined population of patients, accountable for the quality and cost of care delivered to that population’. The ACO has significant [...]

Posted in Policy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Legally protecting providers who use EHRs is the goal of a House Bill

Dubbed as Safeguarding Access for Every Medicare Patient Act, the new legislation gives legal protection to covered Medicare and Medicaid providers who use certified EHR technology. Besides monetary incentives, providers are ensured that this government initiative will legally protect them. “HR3239 is a two-pronged attack against rising health care costs: It provides legal protection to [...]

Posted in Policy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

HIPAA 5010 Implementation: Timeline, Levels and Testing Readiness

It has been eight years since the HIPAA 4010 transaction standards were implemented in 2003. Since then, the industry has asked for more than 500 changes to correct errors and fulfill new requirements. The new regulations are a systematic approach to reform the health system with a pristine timeline. The regulations were introduced in 2009 [...]

Posted in Policy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment