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Well publicized federal incentives have made electronic records imperative. There remain a myriad of questions for any practice in making the major investment of time and practice financial resources. Should the practice select the package offered by their current billing software vendor, because they “work together” better? How much better do they work together — what does “fully integrated” versus “interfaced” really mean? Will a vendor’s estimate of implementation cost be accurate? What does “meaningful use” really mean, and how long will that take to achieve? What contract language should be included? What government programs — grants, technical assistance, low-interest loans, negotiated contracts — apply and how can they be accessed? For the “meaningful use” incentive payments, should a physician submit for the Medicare or Medicaid grant?
Eagle can assist practices with this complex and important process. Services typically begin with development of system requirements, progress to identification of several candidate systems, solicitation and review of proposals and demonstrations, selection and contract negotiation, and assistance with implementation, and submission of the “meaningful use” attestation.
Finally, both hospitals and medical practices should be aware that the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General has zeroed in on the HIT incentive payments. Their work plan includes actions to verify that payments were made accurately — so practices are forewarned that audits may be conducted regarding any claims of “meaningful use”.