Using a certified EHR technology is clearly becoming an obligation as government efforts to enforce compliance toughen.
So far, the Government’s efforts to enforce the adoption of certified EHR technology in every practice has been driven by the Meaningful Use mandated in law to receive government incentive. However, the next step of regulations is being imposed to encourage providers to adapt certified EHR technologies in a form of penalties and regulatory requirements. The only choice is left to retire. But, WCH has a solution for you offered in a form of service. Unlike other EHR companies that offer product, we are offering full service from creating your own practice template to helping you with reporting meaningful use.
As of 2015, providers who have not adopted EHR technologies start to see Payment Adjustments in their Medicare fee schedule -1% penalties of Medicare payments in 2015 -2% in 2016, -3% in 2017.
The penalties are expected to grow incrementally up to 5% in the coming years. Other efforts to drive medical providers to use certified EHR are being made by enforcing regulations on controlled substance prescribing. In the state of New York, providers that prescribe controlled substances are being backed into a corner unless they use electronic proscribing. Effective March 27, 2015, electronic prescribing is mandatory when prescribing even for controlled substances.
Clearly, more and more efforts are being made to shift the requirement of adopting and implementing the use of a Certified EHR system into a mandate. Medical providers nationwide are realizing that government’s efforts to enforce the use of a certified EHR will soon become a requirement, as in the case of some states such as Minnesota and Massachusetts
The state of Minnesota will provide the rest of the states with and interesting example to follow. According to the Minnesota 2015 Interoperable EHR Mandate, the government is trying to achieve the following Potential benefits of compliance: increased efficiency and quality outcomes, improved ability to avoid adverse events; and timely access to information from your patients’ EHR providers. Other states are said to be watching the state of Minnesota closely, to study the impact of the mandate and its results and potentially following the lead of the state to create a government mandated EHR use.
The state of Massachusetts, took it one step furfure to strongly encourage the use of EHR. In the state of Massachusetts, a state EHR mandate requires physicians to show they know how to use an EHR by 2015; otherwise they are at a risk of losing of their license to practice in Massachusetts. Similarly, hospitals could lose their state operating certificates.
After studying the trend of government efforts to strongly “encourage” the use of EHR technologies on providers, it seems that soon enough every provider will be obligated to use a certified EHR system. Although adapting and implementing a certified EHR system in your practice might seem like a lot of work, WCH will make your process simple and comfortable. You already trust WCH with the most essential part of your business- your billing, trust WCH now with your EHR.
WCH iSmart EHR is a certified product Stage 1 & 2 that will provide your practice with less hassle, no additional cost for features and consistency throughout your busy day.
Join our happy clients, become WCH EHR user today!
Simply contact Olga Khabinskay at olgak@wchsb.com or directly at 718-934-6714 ezt 1201.
