Stimulus

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Stimulus

This section includes coverage of the federal government’s EHR incentive program for health care providers under the meaningful use umbrella. Topics include: EHR certification news, incentive attestation updates and lessons learned from medical groups and hospitals seeking to participate.

Thousands of Home Care Patients Notified of a Data Breach

Joseph Goedert | Apr 11

United HomeCare in Miami has sent notification letters to more than 13,600 patients after an employee’s company laptop computer was stolen.

Consumer Health

Data Security

EHR

Mobile Technology

Group Practices

Policy & Regulation

Breach at South Carolina VA Center

Joseph Goedert | Apr 10

The William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, S.C., has notified more than 7,400 patients of a breach of information after a laptop was discovered missing on Feb. 11, 2013.

Consumer Health

Data Security

Mobile Technology

EHR

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

CMS Issues Guidance on EHR Meaningful Use Audits

Joseph Goedert | Apr 09

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published guidance on Medicare electronic health records meaningful use audits being conducted by its contractor, Figliozzi and Company.

EHR

Group Practices

Hospitals

Payers

Policy & Regulation

Billing Snafu Sends Bills to Wrong Patients, 700 Notified

Joseph Goedert | Apr 09

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has notified approximately 700 patients after a processing error sent billing statements to incorrect addresses.

Consumer Health

Data Security

Revenue Cycle & Payments

Hospitals

Group Practices

Policy & Regulation

U-Florida: ID Theft a Risk for 14,000 Patients

Joseph Goedert | Apr 05

The University of Florida is notifying at least 14,339 patients of the UF&Shands Family Medicine at Main clinic in Gainesville after a clinic employee was found to have ties to an identity theft ring.

Data Security

Consumer Health

Group Practices

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

Burglary = 5,370 Breach Notifications

Joseph Goedert | Apr 05

Hospice of Alamance Caswell in Burlington, N.C., has notified 5,370 patients or next of kin that their protected health information was compromised following a burglary at the organization’s main office.

EHR

Document Management

Group Practices

Hospitals

Policy & Regulation

Data Security

Consumer Health

New Guidance on Picking Menu Objectives under Meaningful Use

Joseph Goedert | Apr 04

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has updated a frequently asked question on selecting menu objectives for eligible professionals under the electronic health records meaningful use program.

EHR

Group Practices

Hospitals

Payers

Policy & Regulation

ONC Funds HIE Governance Work

Joseph Goedert | Apr 04

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has provided funds to two organizations to continue their work to develop governance programs for health information exchanges.

EHR

Health Info Exchange

Systems Integration

Hospitals

Group Practices

Payers

Policy & Regulation

CMS Clarifies Patient Volume Percentages Under Medicaid Meaningful Use

Joseph Goedert | Apr 03

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in a new frequently asked question clarifies the issue of providers rounding up their patient volume percentage when attesting for meaningful use of electronic health records under Medicaid:

EHR

Group Practices

Hospitals

Payers

Policy & Regulation

CMS Updates Clinical Quality Measures for Stage 2 of EHR Meaningful Use

Joseph Goedert | Apr 03

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published updated hospital clinical quality measures for Stage 2 of the electronic health records meaningful use program.

EHR

Group Practices

Hospitals

Revenue Cycle & Payments

Payers

Policy & Regulation

Lawmaker: Exempt Pathologists from MU Financial Penalties

Joseph Goedert | Apr 02

U.S. House Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) has introduced legislation that would exempt pathologists and their laboratories from electronic health records meaningful use requirements.

EHR

Group Practices

Hospitals

Payers

Policy & Regulation

House Bill Would Ease EHR Meaningful Use Requirements

Joseph Goedert | Apr 02

Legislation introduced in the U.S. House would exempt certain physicians from Medicare payment penalties starting in 2015 for failing to achieve meaningful use of electronic health records.

EHR

Group Practices

Hospitals

Payers

Policy & Regulation

Breach at U-Miss, No Idea How Many Affected

Joseph Goedert | Mar 27

A missing laptop computer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center has warranted the organization to issue a breach notification to the general public.

Data Security

Group Practices

Hospitals

Consumer Health

Policy & Regulation

EHR

Data Repositories

Second Big Breach for Oregon Health

Joseph Goedert | Mar 27

Oregon Health & Sciences University is notifying 4,022 patients of a data breach following the theft of a physician’s laptop computer in February.

Data Security

Consumer Health

Hospitals

Group Practices

EHR

Mobile Technology

Policy & Regulation

Shredding Miscue Leads to PHI Breach for 2,600

Joseph Goedert | Mar 26

Granger Medical Clinic in Utah, serving communities southwest of Salt Lake City, has reported to federal officials a breach of protected health information affecting about 2,600 patients.

Consumer Health

Data Security

Group Practices

Policy & Regulation

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