Medical Billing- Attestation, Certification To Receive Incentive Payments

To receive the proposed high-tech incentives, practitioners must use EHR technology in a meaningful manner

. What this means is that eventually, there will be certification process to go through.

The cumulative $44,000 per physician incentive will be paid out to those physicians who are able to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR (Electronic Health Records) technology.

The certification criteria have been established in an IFR (Interim Final Rule) from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The basis for these criteria is the 25 Meaningful Use objectives/measures for EPs (Eligible Professionals). There are 23 of them for hospitals.

In 2011, in what is being called stage one, all of the results for the meaningful use objectives/measures including clinical quality, will be reported to HHS or the states via attestation.

In 2012, HHS proposes that the EHR technology be certified:

From section 3004 (b) (1) of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA): The use of Certified EHR Technology is one of the requirements an eligible professional or eligible hospital needs to meet in order to qualify for an incentive payment under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive program.

Certification criteria and associated standards and implementation specifications will be used to test and certify Complete EHRs and EHR Modules in order to make it possible for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals to adopt and implement Certified EHR Technology.

Meaningful Use Standard Examples

Following are three examples of the 25 meaningful use criteria:

Objective: Submit claims electronically to public and private payers

Measurement: At least 80 percent of all claims filed electronically by the EP

Objective: Provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information (including diagnostic test results, problem list, medication lists, and allergies) upon request

Measurement: At least 80 percent of all patients who request an electronic copy of their health information are provided it within 48 hours

Objective: Capability to exchange key clinical information (for example, problem list, medication list, allergies, and diagnostic test results), among providers of care and patient authorized entities electronically

Measurement: Performed at least one test of certified EHR technology capacity to electronically exchange key clinical information

So, as an EP, what you will want to do is make sure the system EHR technology you select, meets all 25 meaningful use criteria when it is chosen. You also want to make sure the system provider commits to complying with all future certification criteria.

A good medical billing company can take care of all of this for you. They will make sure you receive the incentives you are entitled to. Plus, in addition, there are many ancillary benefits a premier medical billing firm can provide.

by: Ronald McLaughlin

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