CCS BLOG | NEWS, EVENTS, TECHNOLOGY

Transition management made easy

Is your business or practice relocating? Are you moving to a bigger building or maybe adding on to your current office?  Complete Computer Solutions (CCS) is your one-stop source for setting up your new office technology.

CCS understands that moving locations or changing up your existing office space and technology infrastructure can be a daunting task.  That is why we have the resources you need. We can do everything from structured cable and phone system installations, to workstation setups.  

Do you need help implementing new technology into your practice or business?  CCS can set up a consulting session to understand your needs and help find solutions. We have technology partners that are known for their quality and value.  Let us point you in the right direction and eliminate the guess work. 

The main legal issues surrounding the Affordable Care Act.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) has been a source of controversy since it was introduced in the fall of 2009.  President Obama signed the bill on March 23, 2010. In March 2012 the bill found itself in the Supreme Court with its constitutionality in question.

With passionate arguments on each side, the legal issues of this debate can get a bit foggy. There are four essential elements concerning the ACA that are being disputed: the Anti-Injunction Act, the Individual Mandate, severability and Medicaid expansion. The following is a brief overview on each of these issues.

Anti-Injunction Act
The Anti-Injunction Act of 1867 (AIA) is a law forbidding the court to challenge federal tax statutes until the year they are actually paid. The ACA’s Individual Mandate includes a penalty that will be assessed and collected by the IRA starting in 2014 and will be paid in 2015. So, the question is if the penalty is only a penalty or if it is considered a “tax.” If it is indeed a tax, then the court cannot rule on the issue until 2015.

Individual Mandate
The ACA’s Individual Mandate provision rules that individuals not being covered by an acceptable minimum of health insurance can be subject to a penalty. The minimum insurance coverage must be through employment, as an outcome of retirement or government benefit, government assistance (for low income households), or by purchasing a plan individually.  

Does Congress legally have the power to enforce the Individual Mandate? Is it constitutional to require nearly all individuals to have health insurance? These are some of the questions that challenge whether or not the mandate is constitutional under either the Taxing and Spending Clause or the Commerce Clause.

Severability from the bill
Can the Individual Mandate provision be “severed” from the rest of the ACA or if the mandate is ruled unconstitutional, will it mean that the entire law must be ruled as such?

Being able to remove a single provision in a law without invalidating the entire bill is called “severability.” Many bills and contracts include a “severability clause.” The ACA does not include one. This may mean the entire bill may have to remain intact as a whole and parts cannot be removed.

Medicaid Expansion
The ACA includes an expansion of the Medicaid system by the states. The states are to expand the program to cover adults with income up to approximately 133 percent of the federal poverty line. If any state refuses, all of their Federal Medicaid matching money can be forfeited. Even though the federal government is supposed to aid in the cost of expansion, many states feel this statute defies state’s rights protected by the Tenth Amendment.  

The Supreme Court is expected to make its ruling sometime in June, before the last day of the term, which is June 25th, 2012.

The effects of a ruling for or against the constitutionality of the ACA is sure to make a precedent for future activities of Congress and will have a large impact beyond the scope of the United States healthcare system.

Do you think you have the luck o’ the Irish?  Are you finding four-leaf-clovers frequently?  
Let’s find out how much you really know about Saint Patrick’s Day.

1. Who was Saint Patrick?
2. Where was Saint Patrick born?
3. After fleeing slavery, what did Saint Patrick become?
4. Do the Irish wear green on Saint Patrick’s Day?
5. What is the most popular brand of beer on Saint Patrick’s Day?
6. Which river in the United States is dyed green for the holiday?
7. Why is the holiday celebrated on March 17th? 

Electronic healthcare records (EHR) systems can greatly benefit physicians offices. When used effectively, EHR systems can make an office paperless, qualify them for government incentives and help provide better patient care.

As with any major software application, program glitches and operator errors can cause all sorts of problems. Many of the issues cannot be fixed by the average system user.
Many times the procedure required is to place a support ticket with the vendor support team over seas and hope for the best. Sometimes that means waiting days for a reply.

That is why CCS is certified to provide support for three major EHR vendors in addition to our normal hardware technical support.

We have the experience and fast response time you are looking for!

By Ryan Christenbury
CCS Technical Services 

Highlights and trends you should know about from HIMSS12.

What is the best way to find out the newest trends and future direction of IT in healthcare? Spending a few days surrounded by the industry leaders is a good way. That is exactly what happened at last month’s HIMSS12 conference.  

HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) held its annual conference in February at the Venetian Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. The five day event featured keynote speakers, educational sessions, over 1,000 vendor booths, and networking events.

So, if you were not one of the more then 37,000 attendees, here are a few highlights you missed.

Mostashari’s Keynote Speech
The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Dr. Farzad Mostashari, made a much anticipated speech to a packed room. Spectators quoted many positive statements made by Mostashari in regards to the current and future state of healthcare IT in the U.S.

"We've made more progress on adoption of electronic health records in the past two years than we have done as a nation in the past 20. By next year I predict that the majority of care delivered in this country in hospitals and doctors' offices will be done on electronic health records, not paper."

“Change takes time. Change takes innovation. It takes sustained will. We’re on the right track to make meaningful use of meaningful use. We will be steadfast partners with you on this mission.”

Accountable Care Organizations
ACOs or Accountable Care Organizations were a main topic at the conference. As clinics band together to form medical networks connectivity becomes a big issue. Technology is the key to linking them together. Many people talked about the role EHR (electronic healthcare records) systems play within ACOs.

There was a pre-conference ACO Symposium at HIMSS12 that filled to standing room only. Many see that as proof of the direction of healthcare.

Having to “chill” on Meaningful Use Stage 2 Release
Originally expected to be released prior to the HIMSS event, then rumored to release toward the beginning of the conference. Many attendees communicated frustrated that they were not able to review the 455-page document before attending the conference.  Since the regulations were not officially released, none of the event speakers were at liberty to discuss any details.

When Dr. Mostashari was asked about the release during a press conference he made the comment, “It’s at the federal register. They’re having formatting issues – people should just chill.”

Finally, the wait was over on February 23, day four of the conference.

Interoperability
Another hot topic of the event was interoperability. Interoperability is a fancy word for systems or products having the ability to operate together. This becomes a huge factor as the need for communication grows with the use of EHRs and HIE (health information exchange).

HIMSS featured their Interoperability Showcase during the conference. It spotlighted solutions from numerous vendors and provided educational opportunities on the topic.
 
These are just a sampling of the many interesting topics the conference had to offer. Next year’s conference is planned for March 3-7, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

For more information visit:
www.himssconference.org

The much anticipated next phase of Meaningful Use* was officially released on February 23rd. The public has 60 days from the release date to comment on the proposed rules before the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalize it later this year.

So, you haven’t read the 455 pages? Not to worry. Here are some important points you may want to consider if you are committed to achieving Meaningful Use and receiving government incentive money.

The good news; stage 2 has been delayed and will start in 2014 instead of 2013.

Payment adjustments for Medicare providers not meeting Meaningful Use will start in 2015 and be based on meeting Meaningful Use standards in 2013 or for three months before the end of the 2014 calendar or fiscal year and meet the registration and attestation requirement by October 1, 2014 for eligible professionals (EPs). They are hoping the delay will give vendors of certified EHR time to make the necessary technology readily available.

CMS stated most of the core and menu objectives would carry over from Stage 1. EPs will have to meet or qualify for an exclusion to 17 core objectives and three of five menu options.
It is also being proposed that a few items will be tweaked from Stage 1, such as the “exchange of key clinical information” changing to “transitions of care,” and the “provide patients with an electronic copy of their health information” objective replaced by an “electronic/online access” core objective.

Also, CMS wants every core objective item to either have the criteria fulfilled or have a qualifying exclusion. This is to eliminate EPs from not fulfilling objectives that they could legitimately meet. The necessary exclusions for EPs who are not able to meet certain menu objectives due to the scope of their practice would be available.

Reporting on 12 clinical quality measures (CQM) would be required from EPs by electronic transmission. Details are still being considered on the best way to execute electronic CQM reporting.

For more information visit these websites:

Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Electronic Health Record Incentive Program- Stage 2 document