From CMS Today
June 10, 2013
From CMS TodayDear Healthcare Professionals,
A series of emails have been released from our Central Office in the past few days regarding information on the EHR Incentive Programs and the June 30th deadline associated with the CMS e-Prescribing program, and I pulled them together for you below so you would have them in one place. The updates include:
There is an important deadline associated with the e-Prescribing Incentive program coming up very quickly. Please take a few minutes to read the information below on the June 30 deadline to see if you need to take action. We have a very useful fact sheet on the Payment Adjustment available here: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/ERxIncentive/Downloads/2013SE13__eRx2014PaymentAdjustment_032613.pdf
On June 18th at 1:30pm ET, CMS will be hosting a webinar on the PQRS and e-Prescribing Payment Adjustments. These national calls fill-up extremely quickly, so if you are interested please register as soon as possible. To register, click here: http://www.eventsvc.com/blhtechnologies/register/d1448545-af82-460e-b7ea-0083346ac700
July 3rd is an important deadline for hospitals participating in their first year of the EHR Incentive Programs. Please read below for more information.
CMS has Released Updated Resources with Changes to Stage 1 Meaningful Use Objectives, Measures, and Exclusions
On June 20th at 1pm PT, CMS will be hosting a webinar on the Transition to ICD-10 at a time that we hope is convenient for providers in the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones. More information on the call is below and registration is available here: https://cms-icd10-mountainpacificwebinar.eventbrite.com
Thanks very much and if you need any more information or would like to be removed from this mailing list, please let me know.
Jon
Jon Langmead
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
San Francisco Regional Office
jon.langmead@cms.hhs.gov
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Learn about the June 30 eRx Deadline and Available CMS Resources
A major Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program deadline is approaching for both individual eligible professionals (EPs) and group practices participating in the Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO). If you are an EP or an eRx GPRO participant, you must successfully report as an electronic prescriber before June 30, 2013 or you will experience a payment adjustment in 2014 for professional services covered under Medicare Part B's Physician Fee Schedule (PFS.)
The 2013 eRx Incentive Program 6-month reporting period (January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013) is the final reporting period available to you if you wish to avoid the 2014 eRx payment adjustment.
If you do not successfully report, a payment adjustment of 2.0% will be applied, and you will receive only 98.0% of your Medicare Part B PFS amount for covered professional services in 2014.
Avoiding the 2014 eRx Payment Adjustment
Individual EPs and eRx GPRO participants who were not successful electronic prescribers in 2012 can avoid 2014 eRx payment adjustment by meeting specified reporting requirements between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013. Below are the 6-month reporting requirements:
Individual EPs 10 eRx events via claims
eRx GPRO of 2-24 EPs 75 eRx events via claims
eRx GPRO of 25-99 EPs 625 eRx events via claims
eRx GPRO of 100+ EPs 2,500 eRx events via claims
Exclusions and Hardships Exemptions
Exclusions from the 2014 eRx payment adjustment only apply to certain individual EPs and group practices, and CMS will automatically exclude those individual EPs and group practices who meet the criteria. CMS may exempt individual eligible professionals and group practices participating in eRx GPRO from the 2014 eRx payment adjustment if it is determined that compliance with the requirements for becoming a successful electronic prescriber would result in a significant hardship. Requests for hardship exemptions must be submitted by June 30, 2013. More information on exclusion criteria and hardship exemption categories can be found on the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program: 2014 Payment Adjustment Fact Sheet.
Resources from CMS
Additional resources on the 2014 payment adjustment are available on the eRx Incentive Program Payment Adjustment Information webpage, including the resource Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program: Updates for 2013.
Questions about eRx?
If you have questions regarding the eRx Incentive Program, eRx payment adjustments, or need assistance submitting a hardship exemption request, please contact the QualityNet Help Desk at 866-288-8912 (TTY 1-877-715-6222) or via qnetsupport@sdps.org. The Help Desk is available Monday through Friday from 7am-7pm CT.
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Register for the June 18 National Provider Call to Learn about 2014 eRx and 2015 PQRS Payment Adjustments
Join CMS on June 18, 2013 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET for a National Provider Call. This National Provider Call will provide a general overview on the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) payment adjustment and the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program payment adjustment, as well as specifics on the 2015 PQRS and 2014 eRx adjustments, including eligibility, how to avoid future payment adjustments, key points, and tips for successful participation. The presentation will also offer a list of resources and contacts for additional support. A Question & Answer session will follow the presentation.
Registration
To register for the call, please visit the CMS Upcoming National Provider Calls webpage. Registration will close at 12:00 p.m. ET on the day of the call or when available space has been filled; no exceptions will be made, so please register early.
Presentation
A link to the slide presentation will be available on the CMS National Provider Calls and Events page prior to the call.
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July 3rd is an Important EHR Deadline for Medicare Eligible Hospitals and CAHs
July 3, 2013 is last day that eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) in their first year of participation of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. Hospitals in their second and third years of participation must demonstrate meaningful use for the full FY.
Looking Ahead
Three other important dates for eligible hospitals and CAHs include:
September 30, 2013 "Last day of the FY 2013, and the end of the reporting year.
October 1, 2013 "First day of FY 2014, and the start of Stage 2 for hospitals in their third or fourth years of participation.
November 30, 2013 "Last day to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for FY 2013.
See other 2013 important dates in the 2012-2014 Health Information Technology timeline.
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CMS has Released Updated Resources with Changes to Stage 1 Meaningful Use Objectives, Measures, and Exclusions
Changes to Stage 1 Measures
Beginning in 2013, there are several changes to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs' Stage 1 meaningful use objectives, measures, and exclusions.
These changes took effect on October 1, 2012, for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs), and on January 1, 2013, for eligible professionals (EPs). Although some of the changes to meaningful use objectives, measures, and exclusions are optional, others are required.
Stage 1 Changes Resources
In order to help providers understand the changes to Stage 1 of meaningful use, CMS has released several resources with detailed information on the affected sections of the program.
2013 Stage 1 Changes Tip Sheet Explains the changes for the 2013 program year and which providers are affected
Updated Stage 1 Specification Sheet Table of Contents for EPs and for eligible hospitals and CAHs lists all the Stage 1 core and menu objectives, with direct links to each individual measure specification sheet
Updated Stage 1 Specification Sheet zip files for EPs and for eligible hospitals and CAHs contain PDFs for download of all of the core and menu objectives for EPs and eligible hospitals and CAHs
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Transitioning to ICD-10
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Webinar Mountain & Pacific Event
Invitation
Please join the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Regional Offices for an informative webinar on ICD-10 for health care providers, professional coders, clearing houses, vendors and others.
The ICD-9 code sets that are currently used to report health care diagnoses and inpatient procedures must be replaced with ICD-10 code sets. Mandated by law, this change will take place on October 1, 2014. The transition to ICD-10 is required for everyone covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
WHAT: CMS ICD-10 Webinar
DATE: June 20, 2013
TIME: 1:00 pm 2:00 pm PDT
This event will allow you to learn more about:
1. Background and Impact of ICD-10 (CMS, HHS, and industry)
2. CMS ICD-10 Implementation
3. How CMS is Working with the States
4. How CMS is Partnering with Industry
5. Best Practices
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Resources and Contact Information
This call is for health care professionals, coders, and organizations operating within the CMS Regions VIII, IX, and X, which include the following states: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, and WY.
To register, go to: https://cms-icd10-mountainpacificwebinar.eventbrite.com
We look forward to your participation!