Health Technology Services NEWSLETTER

Issue 38 - November 2015 
  Celebrate National  Rural Health Day!
 
November 19 marks the celebration of the 5th annual National Rural Day sponsored by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH).
  
National Rural Health Day is an opportunity to "Celebrate the Power of Rural" by honoring the selfless, community-minded, "can do" spirit that prevails in rural America. But it also brings to light the unique health care challenges that rural citizens face - and showcase the efforts of rural healthcare providers, State Offices of Rural Health and other rural stakeholders to address those challenges.
 
Visit the National Rural Health Day website to learn more about the health care challenges rural communities face as well as success stories from rural America. 
  
 
Need ICD-10 Help?
 
Knowing that providers still need help with the ICD-10 transition, CMS just published a new ICD-10 Resource Guide and Contact List.
  
 Don't Miss FREE
WY Telehealth Workshops
 
WY Telehealth Workshop-Gillette
Thurs., 11/19, 11:30-2:30pm
 
Space is limited - register now
Provider/Clinic Corner
 
How does the new MU Final Rule changes affect providers in my clinic attesting to meaningful use in 2015?
 
Get the latest information on these important topics at our Provider/Clinic Corner.
Hospital Corner
 
How does the new MU Final Rule changes affect my hospital attesting to meaningful use in 2015? 
  
Get the latest information on these important topics at our Hospital Corner.
QIO Corner
  
MMA HCPT Offers Health Care Plan
 
Montana Medical Association Health Care Plan & Trust offers a cost-effective health plan for physicians and managed by physicians.
 
For more info, email Marcy McLean or call (866) 339-7245.
  
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A CMS High Performance Nod to Mountain-Pacific QIO
  
CMS recently acknowledged Mountain-Pacific Quality Health QIO's high performance in recruiting health care facilities to be part of improving important health care areas. These areas include, reducing health care-acquired conditions in nursing homes, reducing health care-associated infections in hospitals, reducing disparities in diabetes care, and providing Meaningful Use technical assistance and education to eligible providers, eligible hospitals/critical access hospitals.
 
Along with other QIO's successes, CMS plans on sharing Mountain-Pacific QIO's successful best practices and lessons learned in recruiting these health care facilities at the CMS Quality Conference in December.
Join Our List

 Come See Us!
  
November 19, 2015
Stop by and visit Deb Anderson, HTS Business Development Manager, who will be speaking at the 2015 WY Telehealth Workshop in Gillette.
 
December 1-3, 2015
If you're going to the 2015 CMS Quality Conference in Baltimore, MD, be sure to look for Sara Medley, Colleen Roylance and Patty Kosednar from Mountain-Pacific Quality Health.
  

Planning An Upcoming Event?

 

HTS has HIT/CMS Program subject matter experts who can present current and relevant information on many HIT/Quality Reporting topics.  

 

Contact Susan Clarke for details

Quick Links

CMS EHR Program Info

 

MU Modified Stage 2

 

HTS MU Services

 

HTS HIPAA SRA Services

 

HTS PQRS Services

 

Upcoming HTS Webinars  

  

HTS Services

 

Let Heath Technology Services assist you with all your Health Information Technology needs.

 

2015 Meaningful Use - Tiered Service Offerings 

 

2015 Security Risk Analysis - Service Offerings

 

PQRS Reporting Assistance - Tiered Service Offerings

 
MU/PQRS/ICD-
10 Combined Services - Tiered Service Offerings


HIT Consulting & Project Management Service Offerings 

 

See details for all services on our website 
YOUR TRUSTED ADVISOR FOR KEEPING CURRENT WITH HEALTH TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION 
       TOP 5 - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW!      
Click on the links for more information...  
  
Don't Wait! - Register for Important FREE Webinars      

 

  
  
Thursday
November 19
11:30-12:30pm MST
  
2015 PQRS Reporting Requirments
Presented by QualityNet
Webinar Description
Join us for an overview of the changes and methods related to the PQRS reporting requirements.
  
  
  
  
  

Wednesday
December 9
1-2 pm MST
MU Audits - Strategy for Success!
Presented by Health Technology Services
Webinar Description
Join us for an overview of the changes and methods related to the 2015 PQRS reporting requirements.
Topics include
*  Audit Types and Sources
*  Common Audit Triggers
*  Audit Notification and Appeals Processes
*  Audit Questions and Responses  

  
  
  
  
December 
To Be Scheduled Soon... 
Patient Engagement 

 

January
To Be Scheduled Soon...  
MU 2015 Attestation

 
Did You Miss our Latest Webinars since the new MU Final Rule was released - MU 2015 Step-By-Step to Attestation, What Measures to Attest to in 2015 and Selecting your 2015 PQRS Measures?
  
Need an overview of the requirements and tasks needed to attest to MU in 2015 since the MU Final Rule?  On November 4, Patty Kosednar, HTS MU Consultant, gave us all the details, including checklists, of what to do to successfully attest to MU in 2015.  View the MU 2015 Attestation recording or get the presentation slides.
 
Now that the MU Final Rule has been released, do you know what to attest to MU in 2015? On October 22, Sarah Leake, HTS Quality Reporting and Payment Reform Specialist, let us know what we needed to do to attest to MU in 2015. Don't miss the MU Final Rules presentation.
 
Confused about what PQRS measures to choose for 2015? On October 7, Sarah Leake, HTS Quality Reporting and Payment Reform Specialist,  clarified the CMS rules of reporting measures for the EHR and Registry reporting mechanisms.  View the PQRS recording.
 
Do you have a webinar topic you would like us to present?  Email your hot topic to Susan Clarke.  See our upcoming webinars.
Top 5 - What You Need to Know Now      
The EHR Incentive Program requires eligible providers to integrate meaningful use of certified EHR technologies into their practices in stages.  Each stage required providers to meet specific measures and attest to their completion. Typically, you should have completed two years of Stage 1 before you could begin Stage 2.
 
However, on October 6, 2015, CMS released a final rule that modified the EHR Incentive Programs for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 reporting years.  To simplify the MU program, CMS is requiring all participants to report on a modified version of Stage 2 in 2015 through 2017 which is called Modified Stage 2.  There is no longer the Stage 1 and Stage 2 concept  - it has been replaced with Modified Stage 2.
 
To help providers adapt to this change, CMS also made the following modifications to the program:
  • All providers will attest to a 90-day reporting period in 2015.
  • Providers who were scheduled to report on Stage 1 criteria may take additional qualified exemptions in 2015.
  • Providers who are participating for the first time in 2016 will attest to a 90-day reporting period in 2016.
In 2014, there was widespread concern regarding the requirement of electronic submission for the Clinical Quality Measures (CQMs), and this ruling was changed at that time. However, it is back!  With the new ruling finalized last month, the Federal Register has this to say about electronic reporting of CQMs for CAHs -
 
"...we finalize our policy to require the electronic submission of CQMs starting in 2018 and thus encourage CAHs to begin electronically reporting CQMs as soon as feasible."
 
Although 2018 seems like a long ways off, the time will pass quickly as there is a lot to do to successfully electronically report. Validating data, mapping fields, reviewing documentation workflows, uploading test submissions and working through error messages are just a few items that need to be completed to ensure you are submitting the most accurate information about your facility.
 
Click on the CMS eCQM link, for CMS resources including measure specifications and an Implementation User Guide that can help you get started with electronic reporting.
   
Questions about Meaningful Use?  Contact Health Technology Services - we are happy to help.
 
According the CMS's FAQ dated 10/19/15 -
  
"We do not intend to inadvertently penalize providers for their inability to meet measures that were not required under the previous stages of meaningful use.  Nor did we intend to require providers to engage in new activities during 2015, which may not be feasible after the publication of the final rule in order to successfully demonstrate meaningful use in 2015.
 
In the final rule at 80 FR 62788, we discuss our final policy to allow for alternate exclusions and specifications for certain objectives and measures where there is not a Stage 1 measure equivalent to the Modified Stage 2 (2015 through 2017) measure or where a menu measure is now a requirement.  This includes the public health reporting objective as follows.
  
First, EPs scheduled to be in Stage 1 may attest to only 1 public health measure instead of 2 and eligible hospitals or CAHs may attest to only 2 public health measures instead of 3.  In addition, we will allow providers to claim an alternate exclusion for a measure if they did not intend to attest to the equivalent prior menu objective consistent with our policy for other objectives and measures as described at 80 FR 62788.
  
EPs scheduled to be in Stage 1:  Must attest to at least 1 measure from the Public Health Reporting Objective Measures 1-3
  • May claim an Alternate Exclusion for Measure 1, Measure 2 or Measure 3.
  • An Alternate Exclusion may only be claimed for up to two measures, then the provider must either attest to or meet the exclusion requirements for the remaining measure described in 495.22 (e)(10)(i)(C).
EPs scheduled to be in Stage 2:  Must attest to at least 2 measures from the Public Health Reporting Objective Measures 1-3
  • May claim an Alternate Exclusion for Measure 2 or Measure 3 (Syndromic Surveillance Measure or Specialized Registry Reporting Measure)
Eligible hospitals/CAHs scheduled to be in Stage 1:  Must attest to at least 2 measures from the Public Health Reporting Objective Measures 1-4
  • May claim an Alternate Exclusion for Measure 1, Measure 2, Measure 3 or Measure 4
  • An Alternate Exclusion may only be claimed for up to two measures, then the provider must either attest to or meet the exclusion requirements for the remaining measures described in 495.22 (e)(10)(ii)(C).
Eligible hospitals/CAHs scheduled to be in Stage 2:  Must attest to at least 3 measures from the Public Health Reporting Objective Measures 1-4
  • May claim an Alternate Exclusion for Measure 3 (Specialized Registry Reporting Measure)"
 Questions about Meaningful Use?  Contact Health Technology Services - we are happy to help. 
  
Here are some helpful links to resources on the new MU Final Rule.
Health Technology Services Webinars
CMS
 Need help with Meaningful Use?  Contact Health Technology Services.
  
Yes, CMS extended the 2014 Informal Review period to November 23, 2015, from the previous November 9, 2015 deadline.
Individual eligible professionals (EPs), Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) practice sites, PQRS group practices, and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that believe they have been incorrectly assessed the 2016 PQRS negative payment adjustment now have until November 23, 2015 to submit an informal review requesting CMS investigate incentive eligibility and/or payment adjustment determination. 
All informal review requestors will be contacted via email of a final decision by CMS within 90 days of the original request for an informal review. All decisions will be final and there will be no further review. 
All informal review requests must be submitted electronically via the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page (CSP) which will be available September 9, 2015 through November 23, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Need help with PQRS - take a look at our Quality Program Reporting Assistance, or contact Sarah Leake, Quality Reporting and Payment Reform Specialist, directly.
       HTS Contact Information      
Health Technology Services is a department of Mountain-Pacific Quality Health Foundation, QIN-QIO for Alaska, Hawaii, Montana and Wyoming.  Together we can help you use technology to deliver the quality care your patients deserve!
 
Thank-You!                   

Health Technology Services
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health
Contact HTS at (406) 457-5897