August 27, 2013 Mark Hagland
blog
When The New York Times runs an article on page 1 of its Sunday Business section, people notice. And that goes double when the headline on the article reads, "How to Charge $546 for Six Liters of Saltwater." The bottom line? The push for transparency will only intensify in the new healthcare.
August 24, 2013 Mark Hagland
blog
The timing of MGMA's plea for leniency towards physicians working to meet the requirements of meaningful use couldn't be more challenging for whoever becomes the next National Coordinator for Health IT. What should ONC do--maintain policy rigor or accede to the demands of providers? The answer could prove pivotal to the entire HITECH program.
August 22, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
news
UnitedHealthcare (UHC), the Minnetonka, Minn.-based health insurer, has improved its claims management website with the addition of an electronic bill-payment service that enables consumers to pay their medical bills, and manage their healthcare claims and related expenses all from one location
August 22, 2013 Mark Hagland
news
In an Aug. 21 letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Susan Turney, M.D., president and CEO of the Medical Group Management Association, called on Sebelius to embrace a series of actions designed to ease the burden on physicians trying to meet to meet the meaningful use requirements in the HITECH Act, including instituting a moratorium on penalties for physicians that have successfully completed Stage 1 requirements.
August 21, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
article
The industry is a little over a year away from the transition to ICD-10. While that may seem like a long time, Cindy Hegner, certified coder and approved ICD-10 trainer, says that patient care organizations cannot be too prepared. Hegner also offers her thoughts on the industry's readiness, and challenges medical practices will face in the upcoming months.
August 18, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
The stringent requirements embedded in what is being called the HIPAA Final Omnibus Rule, as published by the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Health and Human Services on Jan. 25, are requiring compliance by next month with a whole new range of patient data privacy protection requirements. Kathryn Coburn of the Cooke, Kobrick & Wu law firm shares her perspectives on what healthcare IT leaders need to know.
August 15, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
blog
I wouldn't blame you if you were taken aback by the statistics seen earlier this month regarding hospital readmissions. Medical systems are supposed to be lowering readmissions in an effort to improve clinician accountability and patient safety all while cutting costs, and the statistics have told us that most have failed to do that. But taking a deeper look beyond the numbers will show you that the future is not so grim.
August 11, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
Jody Cervenak, a Pittsburgh-based principal with the Denver-based Aspen Advisors consulting firm, has spent years in the healthcare IT space, including a long stint at the UPMC health system in Pittsburgh. Her perspective? Only when we can fully align incentives among stakeholders can we get to the next phase of HIE evolution.
August 9, 2013 Rajiv Leventhal
news
Merge Healthcare, the Chicago-based provider of clinical systems, has announced that its CEO, Jeffery Surges, has resigned following a disappointing financial performance in its second quarter.
August 6, 2013 Mark Hagland
blog
The announcement from HHS on August 6 that Farzad Mostashari, M.D. was preparing to leave his position as National Coordinator for Health IT this fall was very surprising. What's important now is for the next National Coordinator to be as strategic and persuasive a leader as he has been.
August 6, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
Upon the announcement on August 6 that Farzad Mostashari, M.D., was planning to leave his post as National coordinator for Health Information Technology, Russell P. Branzell, president and CEO of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) spoke exclusively with HCI's Mark Hagland regarding his perspectives of the Mostashari departure.
August 6, 2013 Mark Hagland
article
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced to HHS staff on August 6 that Farzad Mostashari, M.D., National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will be stepping down this fall. Sebelius sent an e-mail with HHS staff to alert them to the news.
