Feb. 28 is the last day for eligible professionals who participated in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program during 2012 to complete attestation for the 2012 program year. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) encourages providers to register and attest as soon as possible to resolve any potential issues that may delay payment. To be eligible to attest, eligible professionals must have completed their 2012 reporting period by Dec. 31, 2012. CMS also advises eligible professionals to check with their states for Medicaid attestation deadlines.
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Learn more about CMS EHR incentive programs...  

According to a study published in the December issue of the journal Health Affairs, a complex interplay of factors is at work in patients' response to "disclosure-and-resolution" programs, under which health systems disclose adverse events, apologize, and when appropriate, offer compensation. The article notes that early adopters of such programs have reported reduced liability costs. The researchers examined survey vignettes to examine the effects of different compensation offers on individuals' responses to disclosures of medical errors compared to explanation and apology alone. They found that full-compensation offers did not decrease the likelihood of a party seeking legal advice, but did increase the likelihood that people perceived the disclosure and apology as motivated by providers' desire to avoid litigation. The researchers suggest that healthcare providers may benefit from separating disclosure conversations and compensation offers and excluding physicians from compensation discussions.

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The Hill reports that, in a letter to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), AARP, the AFL-CIO, and 17 other healthcare advocacy groups have argued that regulations for the Physician Payments Sunshine Act are essential to protect patients and eliminate fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. The Sunshine Act is called for under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and will require drug and device manufacturers to report gifts and payments to physicians and teaching hospitals, as well as mandate that manufacturers and group purchasing organizations disclose physician ownership and investment interests. However, implementation of the initiative is now well past its mandated deadline. On Nov. 27, 2012, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services submitted its final rule to OMB, which has 90 days to review the regulation.

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A report released by the non-profit Commonwealth Fund describes a comprehensive set of policies to change the way public and private purchasers pay for care and enhance consumers' choices of high-value care. The report also addresses the market forces driving up costs and estimates their potential to reduce cost growth. The authors of the report describe a strategy that relies on the following broad approaches:

• Provider payment reforms to promote value and accelerate delivery system innovation
• Policies to expand options and encourage high-value choices by consumers, armed with better information about quality and costs of care
• System-wide action to improve how markets function, including reducing administrative costs, and setting national and regional targets for spending growth

The authors estimate that, if implemented in a timely manner, the approach could reduce federal government spending on health care by $1.04 trillion, state and local government spending by $242 billion, and employer spending by $189 billion over the next 10 years. 

Read the complete report...  

Jan. 31 is the last day for physicians who missed the original June 30, 2012 deadline to file for a Medicare ePrescribing hardship exemption to avoid a 1.5 percent payment penalty in 2013. Physicians may request a waiver of the 2013 penalty under any of the following categories:

• The physician is unable to ePrescribe as a result of local, state or federal law or regulation.
• The physician wrote fewer than 100 prescriptions during the period of Jan. 1-June 30, 2012.
• The physician practices in a rural area that doesn't have sufficient high-speed Internet access.
• The physician practices in an area that doesn't have enough pharmacies that can do ePrescribing.

In addition, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has also added two hardship categories for those participating in Medicare's electronic health record meaningful use program. Physicians do not need to apply for an exemption related to these meaningful use hardship categories; CMS will automatically determine whether physicians meet those requirements.

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Learn more at the AAOS E-Prescribing Information Center...  

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Feb. 5 is the last day to register in advance for the 2013 AAOS Annual Meeting, March 19-23, 2013, in Chicago.  

Register now to take advantage of reduced registration and course fees. Events and features of the Annual Meeting include:  

-28 symposia on exciting and timely topics

-825 paper presentations and 580 posters on the latest scientific and clinical studies

-217 instructional courses presented by world-renowned faculty

-More than 85 scientific exhibits on extended studies or complex procedures 

-More than 550 technical exhibits

-Specialty Day programs offered by 14 specialty societies

-The opportunity to earn up to 38.5 continuing medical education credits

Learn more and register...(member login required)