Avoiding EMR stimulus guarantees

Published: 2010-05-16 09:36:54
Author: Chiropractic Economics | March 2010

ATLANTA, GA -- March 2, 2010 - Amid widespread speculation over proposed incentives for the adoption of electronic medical records (EMR/EHR) systems, physicians and medical practice managers should be wary of vendors promising guaranteed receipt of stimulus funds by their customers.
 
According to practice management expert Mark Hollis, EMR/EHR vendors that promise physicians automatic qualification and receipt of any financial windfall can, in reality, offer no more guarantee of actually receiving cash than simply purchasing a lottery ticket guarantees one to be a winner. And, he says, physicians should instead focus on the overall benefits of improved practice efficiency, ease of use, and a higher quality of care when selecting an EMR/EHR system for their office.
 
Financial Incentives Spur Interest in EMR
In late December, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released preliminary documents aimed at outlining the steps physicians, clinics and hospitals must take to qualify for their share of the more than $17 billion available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
 
With individual providers eligible for up to $44,000 each under certain Medicare participation requirements and $65,000 under Medicaid, as well as the threat of penalties in future years in the form of reduced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for not adopting some EHR technology, the stakes seem high for physicians in a time when skyrocketing malpractice insurance premiums and the cost of collecting from uninsured patients cut deeply into revenue.
 
"Many physicians have been led to believe that merely purchasing a certified EMR solution will guarantee them a much-needed financial shot in the arm in the form of a stimulus payout," said Hollis, president and co-founder of MacPractice. "I wish that were true, but it's simply not the case. There will be specific criteria to meet, and unfortunately, many physicians, especially non-primary care providers, will not qualify even if they do purchase an EMR system, regardless of the vendor they choose."

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