Featured Report: Obamacare, doc shortage to spur $2B telehealth market

Obamacare, doc shortage to spur $2B telehealth market

Forbes Dec,22,2013 by:+Bruce Japsen The business of treating patients via telehealth in the U.S. will dramatically increase to nearly $2 billion in revenue within five years due to a confluence of events in the healthcare industry from doctor shortages to provider payment changes under the Affordable Care Act, according to a report from information and analytics firm IHS Read More

Concern Grows About Doctor Offices Opting Out of Meaningful Use

iHealthBeat Dec,23,2013 by:+Staff Health IT experts say they are concerned that more physician offices will opt out of the meaningful use program, despite the federal government's planned changes to the program's timeline, Modern Healthcare reports (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 12/21). Background 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. Read More

Technology, prevention will move health care costs down

USA Today Dec,25,2013 by:+Kelly Kennedy WASHINGTON - In 2014, expect a flurry of changes to continue to bend the health cost curve down, accelerated by the Affordable Care Act, experts say. Even die-hard believers in the connection between the economy and how people spend on medical expenses are saying this may be the year that proves them wrong, as providers and insurers rush to make changes to keep profit margins high in light of changes in how they're billed. They'll be led by improved technology that helps them see how to improve quality; preventive programs that have proven they can save millions in long-term costs; and an acknowledgement that consumers hold the purse strings. Read More

EHR Incentive Program Healthcare Professionals Did You Know? Non-hospital-based physicians and other eligible professionals can obtain incentive payments of as much as $44,000 under Medicare or $63,750 under Medicaid. Under both Medicare and Medicaid, eligible hospitals may receive millions of dollars for implementing and meaningfully using certified EHR technology. About two-thirds (65 percent) of hospitals and 32 percent of office-based physicians plan to enroll in meaningful use programs by the end of 2012 in order to receive the maximum incentives, according to survey results announced Thursday morning. Fewer federal dollars will be available to hospitals and doctors that wait to adopt EHR technology, and failure to meaningfully use EHRs starting in 2015 will result in Medicare penalties. Watch this video about how to register for the EHR Incentive program. EHR Incentive Program Registration Do you need help with HIPAA and HITECH? Then download and Read our HIPAA Guide for for Doctors and Small Clinics that contains HIPAA security regulations and check lists that you can use to start your EMR network.