ICD-10 Webcast for Pediatrics Available Online

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted a newly released webcast on ICD-10 documentation and coding concepts for pediatrics. This is one of a series of "Road to 10" webcasts and CMS ICD-10 resources. An AHIMA-certified coder presents on the webcast, which focuses on unique ICD-10 clinical documentation needs and hot topics for pediatrics such as the physician perspective/clinical impact of ICD-10, documentation requirements for certain conditions, documentation changes and new concepts, and the use of "unspecified" codes in ICD-10. CMS will also offer other webinars in the "Road to 10" series that will follow the same outline and objectives for other specialties, including obstetrics and gynecology, family practice, and internal medicine.

Expanded Services Opportunity for Existing Community Health Centers!

Application Deadline:  July 1, 2014. Awards anticipated in September 2014.
HRSA sent notification to eligible health centers of this funding opportunity with individual health center awards calculated with a base amount of $178,000, plus supplements based on numbers of total and uninsured patients reported served by the health center in 2013. Funding will be incorporated into grantees' ongoing base awards, dependent upon projections being met. In order to receive funding, applicants must propose to use at least 50% of funds to increase access to comprehensive primary health care services to new underserved patients by:  

Hiring medical providers, Expanding medical services, and/or Expanding hours of operation.  

• Decreases in the cost of care: 61 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 57 percent of industry reports noted drops in per member, per month costs, return on investment and total cost of care.

• Reductions in the use of unnecessary or avoidable services: 61 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 57 percent of industry-generated reports showed drops in ER or urgent care visits, while 31 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 57 percent of industry-generated reports saw declines in inpatient admissions, with hospital readmissions falling in 13 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 29 percent of industry-generated ones.

• Improvements in population-health indicators and preventive services: 31 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 29 percent of industry-generated studies saw better controlled HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL levels, as well as an increase in screening and immunization rates.

• Improvements in access to care: 31 percent of peer-reviewed studies and 29 percent of industry-generated studies noted better overall access to primary care doctors, as well as non-face-to-face visits.Improvements in patient satisfaction: 23 percent of peer-reviewed and 14 percent of industry-generated studies saw a rise in overall satisfaction, the number of patients who recommended the practice to family and friends, and increased satisfaction with provider communications.

The report also found PCMHs play a role in strengthening the larger healthcare systems, especially accountable care organizations. "Many of the nation's highest-performing ACOs embrace their strong PCMH component, and for this reason, PCMHs are well-positioned to lead and drive change across ACOs," the report states.

The PCMH model is also being incorporated into significant payment reforms, including Congressional reforms to the Medicare sustainable growth rate, which would aid in moving the U.S. healthcare system away from fee-for-service toward alternative payment methods, including ones build around the PCMH model, according to the report.

A study from the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Southern California in 2013 showed success of PCMHs even in an urban, safety-net setting, FierceHealthcare previously reported. The Galaxy Health program, which debuted at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center (LAC+USC) in 2012, proved that intuitive and inexpensive interventions improve patient care and physician and staff morale.

States, Insurers Increase Reliance on PCMH/ACO Models