Fierce EMR
Nov,29,2012
by: Marla Durben Hirsch
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is falling down on the job when it comes to verifying if providers receiving incentive payments are entitled to them, according to a new report from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General. The report blasts CMS for not verifying the accuracy of providers' attestation information both before and after paying the incentive, leaving the program "vulnerable." "Currently, CMS has not implemented strong prepayment safeguards," the report states. "CMS does not verify the accuracy of professionals' and hospitals' self-reported information prior to payment because data necessary for verifications are not readily available. CMS also does not direct high-risk professionals and hospitals to submit supporting documentation for prepayment review."
Read More
This Week's Healthcare News
iHealthBeat
Report: Medicare EHR Incentive Program Vulnerable to Abuse
Nov,29,2012
by: Staff
CMS and HHS need to strengthen their oversight of Medicare's electronic health record incentive payment program because it is vulnerable to potential fraud and abuse, according to a report by the HHS Office of Inspector General, the New York Times reports (Abelson, New York Times, 11/29). Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR systems can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments. Between 2011 and 2016, CMS expects to make about $6.6 billion in incentive payments to physicians, hospitals and other providers for implementing EHR systems that meet certain standards.
Read More
ModernHealthcare.com
AMA report sees monopolies in insurance markets
Nov,28,2012
by: Ashok Selvam
The American Medical Association's annual report on the health insurance marketplace suggests that 70% of metropolitan markets lack competition among insurers, prompting a quick critical response from a payers trade group. The Chicago-based AMA, in its "Competition in Health Insurance: A Comprehensive Study of U.S. Markets" 2012 report, states, "It appears that consolidation has resulted in the possession and exercise of health insurer monopoly power."
Read Report
Healthcare Info Security
How to Minimize Medical Device Risks
Nov,29, 2012
by: Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
Malware and hackers present potential security threats to wireless medical devices and safety risks to the patients who use them. But healthcare organizations and device manufacturers can take several steps to curtail those risks, says an ethical hacker who has demonstrated the vulnerability of various devices. Barnaby Jack, director of embedded device security at services firm IOActive, recently demonstrated how an implanted wireless heart defibrillator can be hacked from 50 feet away to deliver a potentially dangerous shock. About a year earlier, Jack and a research team at his former employer McAfee demonstrated how they could use a PC and an antenna to gain control of an insulin pump (see: Medical Device Hack: A Turning Point?). Jack declines to elaborate how his latest hacking demonstration was accomplished in order to prevent copy-cats.
Read Report
Small Business Healthcare Consortium
Hello Small Business Owners,
I am writing to you because our changing health care system will have a profound effect on all of us. Now that the election is over and the Supreme Court has ruled, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is not going away. It will not be repealed and it is up to us to make sure it will work for small businesses and individuals as it was intended to do. That’s why I joined the Campaign for Better Health Care’s newly created Small Business Health Care Consortium (SBHCC).
Follow this link to register for:
January 15th: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=ecg0qj9s21aq
January 16th: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=m2wt2unotbju
Many key components of the ACA are national in nature. For instance, small businesses currently providing health insurance to their employees could be eligible for a 35% tax credit. And, while employers with fewer than 50 full time employees are not required to provide health insurance, their employees can take advantage of the ACA’s benefits. Other components will be implemented at the State level and these decisions will either enhance small businesses or provide another hurdle. One important component is that all states must implement a health insurance exchange (marketplace). These exchanges will include a rate review process with defined, easy to understand plans to consider and review side-by-side. As small business owners we share many of the same, serious business challenges. It is my hope that you and your small business peers do want to learn more about the ACA. Let’s take this opportunity to act collectively to get control of health insurance costs and improve access to coverage.
The opportunity to create positive change is now. It is about fairness and choices for small businesses. Please register:January 15th, 11am CST:
https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=ecg0qj9s21aq
January 16th, 3:30pm CST:
https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=m2wt2unotbju
And, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or ideas. Reach me at 312-286-8416 email wireheadtec@gmail.com or Wirehead Technology Healthcare IT Serives at www.wireheadtec.com/Home.html Find a listing of our SBHCC Steering Committee members at: www.cbhconline.org/smallbusiness .
Sincerely,Howard Lee CIO
Wirehead Technology
If you need answers to your Healthcare IT needs now visit our Healthcare Managed Services page at Wirehead Technology
No comments:
Post a Comment