MEANINGFUL USE UPDATE 2014

Mark Huang, M.D.

Chief Medical Information Officer

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Associate Professor

Department of PM & R

Feinberg School of Medicine

Northwestern University

DISCLOSURES

No personal disclosures

OBJECTIVES

Provide overview of Erx and Meaningful use programs

Analyze how these programs can impact your practice

Discussion: – steps in how to meet qualifications for the incentive

programs

CMS INCENTIVE PROGRAMS

E-RX INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program– Section 132 of the Medicare Improvements for

Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) authorized a new and separate incentive program for EPs who are successful electronic prescribers as defined by MIPPA.

– Started 2009, runs to 2014– Penalties were based on eRx compliance in 2012– Exemption deadline was Jan 2013

WHAT IS MEANINGFUL USE?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, (“HITECH Act”) which established programs under Medicare and Medicaid to provide incentive payments to EPs, hospitals, and critical access hospitals for the “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology.

MEANINGFUL USE PROGRAMS

CMS website

MEDICARE MEANINGFUL USE

The last year to begin participation and receive an incentive payment is 2014.

To receive the maximum incentive payment, eligible professionals must have started participation by 2012.

Must demonstrate meaningful use for each year of participation in the program.

Must demonstrate use for ALL patients seen not just medicare patients

MEDICARE MEANINGFUL USE

CMS website

MEDICARE MEANINGFUL USE

CMS website

Penalties start in 2015 (1% payment reduction increasing annually to 5%)

Those who attest in 2014 need have reporting period before Oct 1st to avoid 2015 penalty

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

Eligible professionals– M.D., D.O.– Must have 10% or more of professional services

claims to CMS provided in an outpatient setting (i.e. less than 90% inpatient medicare related charges)

Practices cannot participate– Each provider must register individually

STAGE 1 OF MEANINGFUL USE

13 Core Objectives:– everyone who participates in the program must

meet.

9 Menu Objectives: – report on 5 out of the 9 available menu objectives

9 Clinical Quality Measures:

CORE MEASURES

– Computerized physician order entry– Drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks– E-Prescribing (eRx)– Implement clinical decision support rule– Provide patients with ability to view download and

transmit health information online– Provide clinical summaries for patients for each

office visit– Record demographics

CORE MEASURES 9-15

– Maintain an up-to-date problem list of current and active diagnoses

– Maintain active medication list– Maintain active medication allergy list– Record and chart changes in vital signs (height and

weight– Record smoking status for patients 13 years or

older– Protect electronic health information

MENU ITEMS

Public health objectives: must choose one of following– Submit electronic data to immunization registries

OR

– Submit electronic syndromic surveillance bed at the public health agencies

MENU ITEMS

CMS website

CLINICAL QUALITY MEASURES

There are no thresholds for these you simply have to report on these

Your should be able to produce reports on these automatically

QUALITY MEASURES

CMS website

QUALITY MEASURES

CMS website

QUALITY MEASURES

CMS website

QUALITY MEASURES

CMS website

ADDITIONAL STAGES

Stage 2– Mostly same measure but higher thresholds– New objectives to improve patient care through

better clinical decision support, care coordination and patient engagement (secure messaging)

– Increased software certification requirements

Stage 3– Increased emphasis on communication between

providers, visit summaries, lab and radiology as discrete data

REPORTING PERIODS

Year 1: usually a 90 day period for first year Year 2: typically full calendar year

– Exception when proceeding to next stage, then have 90 day reporting period

– Exception made for 2014 (90 day period allowed)

Typically have to complete registration for attestation for prior year reporting by end of February

IMPACT TO YOUR PRACTICE

Need to invest in certified EHR technology Establish workflows to accommodate meeting

the menu objectives– Increased documentation need to report on quality

measures– Increased need to collect demographic and other

history elements– Who will do this (RN’s, MA’s vs physicians)

Provide patient access to their records electronically

GETTING STARTED

Decide on if you wish to participate – Erx is already incorporated into meaningful use– Larger penalties with meaningful use

If participating, purchase and implement certified EHR technology

Perform workflow analysis Register for attestation Monitor for compliance Complete attestation

CONSIDERATIONS FOR AAPMR

Need to develop rehabilitation specific quality measures

Need to coordinate with other specialties how meaningful use can be modified specifically for specialists

Lobby for post acute care facilities to be eligible for incentives