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Greetings!
Ever notice those pesky pop-ups that land themselves right in the middle of your internet screen? They flash urgent warning messages that your computer is infected and you need immediate virus protection.
If viruses, worms and malware weren't enough, now there's scareware! These programs masquerade as real anti-virus software, take your money and instead of removing viruses as advertised, they infect your computer with a virus. Most of the fakes come from pop-up ads and require an online payment.
Don't get scammed. There are good programs that you can use or try for free like Malwarebytes.
Our thanks to Bill Graves for submitting the article. If you have an idea, article or topic, please send to MedIT@lansystems.com. | |
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH)
The legislation provides immediate funding for health information technology infrastructure, training, dissemination of best practices, telemedicine, inclusion of health information technology in clinical education, and State grants to promote health information technology.
In addition, the legislation provides significant financial incentives through the Medicare and Medicaid programs to encourage doctors and hospitals to adopt and use certified electronic health records.Providers will receive incentive payments through additional reimbursements via either Medicare or Medicaid, depending upon the individual physician's payor mix. Physicians will be eligible for $40,000 to $65,000 for showing that they are meaningfully using health information technology, such as through the reporting of quality measures. Hospitals will be eligible for several million dollars in the Medicaid and Medicare programs to similarly use health information technology. Federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, children's hospitals and others will be eligible for funding through the Medicaid program.
Incentive payments for both physicians and hospitals continue for several years, but are phased out over time. Eventually, Medicare payments are reduced for physicians and hospitals that do not use a certified electronic health records that allow them to electronically communicate with others.
The legislation also provides additional funds to States for low-interest loans to help providers finance health information technology and grants to regional health information exchanges to unite local providers. Grants are also offered for the development and adoption of electronic health records for providers other than physicians and hospitals.
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/110/hit2.pdf
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 Health Care Stimulus (ARRA HITECH)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is implementing an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system required by law?A. No, implementing an EHR is not currently required by law. However, if you want to participate in the HITECH Stimulus program, implementing a certified EHR that is used in a meaningful way is one of the requirements.
Q. What are the Stimulus incentive requirements?A. Under the current interpretation of the bill, a provider must accept Medicare, meet the patient payor threshold of greater than 30% for Medicaid (20% for pediatricians), deliver a minimum of 20 hours per week of patient care services, provide at least 80% of the services to patients of the practice, implement a certified EHR solution and show meaningful use of the technology. If a provider is practicing solely in a hospital environment, such as anesthesiologists, pathologists, radiologists, emergency physicians, etc., they are not eligible.
Q. If my practice has 4 providers, could the group qualify for a total payment of $176,000 under the Medicare incentive?
A. Yes, if each of the providers meet the criteria by 2012 then the group could receive a total of $176,000 under the Medicare incentives.
Q. If my practice currently uses an EHR system, can the providers in my practice still qualify for the incentive payments?
A. Yes, if your system is certified, you can show meaningful use of the technology and you meet all other requirements.
Q. If our practice uses a billing service, can we qualify for the incentive payments?
A. Yes, as long as the practice meets all criteria as stated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Q. What is the timeframe for payments under Medicare?
A. Meaningful use of a certified EHR is required for incentive payouts under Medicare. It is expected that the Stimulus payout will be 75% of the provider's total Medicare allowable up to the maximum amounts indicated below. Stimulus payments can start as early as 2011.
|
Year EHR is Compliant |
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Incentive Payout â |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 or later |
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2011 |
$18,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
|
2012 |
$12,000 |
$18,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
|
2013 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$15,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
|
2014 |
$4,000 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$15,000 |
$0 |
|
2015 |
$2,000 |
$4,000 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$0 |
|
2016 |
$0 |
$2,000 |
$4,000 |
$8,000 |
$0 |
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Total |
$44,000 |
$44,000 |
$39,000 |
$35,000 |
$0 |
Q. I have additional questions about the Stimulus Act, what should I do?A. Additional questions and answers are on our website and in our eNewsletter. If you don't find what you're looking for, call or email us and we will do our best to find answers for you. Call us at: 770 662-0312 Email us at: MedIT@lansystems.com
This information represents LAN Systems' interpretation of the bill and should not be considered legal advice. It should be used for informational purposes only. |
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For tough malware infections
We often use ComboFix for chronic and persistent malware infections. Although ComboFix is effective, it is only recommended for experienced users. It is a powerful tool and improper use can damage your system. It has some side effects, like changing the date/time format, that are easily fixed.
If you have a chronic infection that requires help or just have questions, contact the LAN Systems Helpdesk at 770 662-0312. Just call - we'll be there! | |
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| eNewsletter for the HealthCare Community |
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