VeinPages March 18, 2009

In This Issue: Stimulus & Healthcare Stimulus & EHR HIT Criteria HIT Incentives Encite User Update New Website Partner March 18, 2009

Stimulus Package & Healthcare As much as 17% of the recently passed $789 billion stimulus package will go directly toward healthcare initiatives supported by President Obama.  However, of the $137 billion earmarked for healthcare, more than three quarters of that amount will be spent providing expanded Medicaid funding for states and subsidies for Cobra payments that would otherwise have to be made solely by the growing number of unemployed and/or would in the absence of those subsidies add to the rising number of the uninsured.  This supplemental Medicaid and Cobra funding will probably help prevent the “patient-pay portion” of reimbursements to medical practices and hospitals from becoming increasingly uncollectible during this recession. >>Back to top   Stimulus Package & Electronic Health Records As much as $19 billion has been earmarked for promoting “Health Information Technology” (HIT) systems for use by doctors and hospitals.  Much wrangling can be expected over exactly how that money should be spent and the method by which providers can qualify for a share of those funds.  Health and Human Services (HHS) will be tasked with making up the rules, and now that Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has been tapped by President Obama as his choice to lead HHS, it should not be long before we hear more details on how the HIT portion of the stimulus package will be expected to work.  The White House has established an Office of Health Reform, to be led by newly appointed Nancy-Ann DeParle, which will certainly have its input, but it is also anticipated that advice and suggestions will be taken from the healthcare industry itself, as the Obama team did during the Bush Administration transition period. >>Back to top Health Information Technology Stimulus Criteria The Economic Stimulus Bill requires that qualification for HIT stimulus payments be based upon “meaningful use” of electronic health records via a “qualified” electronic health records software system.  The precise meaning and application of these terms is what HHS will be working on in coming months, but it is very likely that CCHIT certification will be the EHR software system qualifier, and “meaningful use” will likely focus on clinical data collected and made available to the government (probably CMS) on an ongoing basis.  More to come on this later…   >>Back to top Health Information Technology Incentives - Current Expectations It is currently expected that per provider payments for implementing a qualified EHR software system and “making meaningful use of” that system will allow for a maximum total incentive of $44,000, payable over the next several years.  For EHR systems in place by the end of 2009, the first year incentive is proposed to be $18,000 (payable in 2011), with a second-year incentive payment of $12,000 (payable in 2012), a third-year incentive payment of $8,000 (payable in 2013), a fourth-year incentive payment of $4,000 (payable in 2014) and a fifth-year incentive payment of $2,000 (payable in year 2015).  If, as is currently being suggested, a qualifying EHR system must be in place for a full year in order to qualify for incentive payments, implementations occurring in 2010 may not receive incentive payments until 2012, with the total incentive therefore being reduced to $42,000 unless the incentive payments are extended beyond 2015.  For qualifying EHR systems put in service after 2010, incentive payments would be additionally reduced to the extent that there are fewer years between the implementation and the end of the incentive program in 2015.  So there is a clear economic advantage for providers who have already put in place a qualifying EHR software system, along with those that put a qualified system in place before the end of this year.  All of this may change in the near future as preliminary indications about these rules and procedures are modified and updated, but in any case it is important for all providers to start making EHR software implementation plans as soon as possible.   >>Back to top Encite Clinical Update For those providers using Encite Clinical Manager, you are in good shape – for those planning on implementing Encite Clinical in the next 8 months or so – likewise.  Encite is currently CCHIT 2006 certified, with a scheduled recertification this year (2009).  It is being currently suggested that either a 2008 or 2009 CCHIT certification will be the requirement for EHR system “qualification” – and if not, Encite has committed either way to “qualify” according to whatever standard is ultimately set by the National Coordinator for HIT.  All Encite Lite users currently supported by Vein Centers for Excellence can upgrade to Encite Clinical in 2009 in order to receive the promised incentive payments.  VCFE’s position is that government incentives should never be the primary reason to choose an electronic records software system – instead, an EHR system should primarily be a productivity tool that saves a medical practice time, effort and cost in all of its various workflow functions – and Encite is all about capturing efficiencies and enhancing productivity for vein practices.  But the stimulus incentive is a tremendous extra boost to an investment that already pays for itself, and there are not many opportunities that fall into that category these days….   >>Back to top New Website Partner & Webmaster In Vein Centers for Excellence’s last newsletter is was announced that VCFE is expanding its efforts with respect to website marketing for its client practices.  After a long due diligence process, VCFE recently chose The MBC Group to plan and develop a fully optimized, best-practice, lead generating, brand building, vein center website.  This new website “base format” will allow VCFE to provide each practice with a high-quality, best of class website, customizable to the local market in which each vein center is located.  In ongoing support of this initiative, VCFE has hired Melissa Beckering as its “webmaster”, responsible for all ongoing search engine optimization and content management.  Melissa and Angela Murnin (VCFE’s Director of Marketing), in conjunction with the MBC Group, already have this project well under way, with a release scheduled to coordinate with the Miami IVC conference in early May.   >>Back to top

Vein Centers for Excellence offers the most comprehensive and experienced vein center support in the country.  We provide a complete, customized range of services and products to new and existing vein practices, including: Marketing & Advertising Website & SEO Patient Billing & EHR Clinical Training Financial & Accounting Services IT Set-Up & Support Vein Centers for Excellence 710 Old Ballas Road St. Louis, MO 63141 (314) 993-8346 www.veincenters.com   Questions? Contact Steve West, Chief Operating Officer swest@veincenters.com