Medicare opt-out and stimulus money for EMR

[Guest guest]

I think that's another possibility that has been looked at.The doc just states somewhere that the software that they are using satisfies the criteria.That would then do away with a whole layer of certification bureaucracy.

 

Why should there be a fee?

Why not just a checklist of compliance, and tax deduction!

* Re: Medicare opt-out and> stimulus money for EMR [1 Attachment]>> Sharon,> Like you, I am currently opted out of Medicare and coming up on my> two year renewal. I guess I had assumed that the amount of money> that I could get from Medicare wouldn't be worth it with the> relatively low number of Medicare patients that I had seen in the> past, but to help me decide, I came up with an Excel worksheet> (see attachment) to help figure out if it would be worth it for me> to opt back in to Medicare. If you can't download it from this> message, I have also posted it in the " Files " section of the> PracticeImprovement1 web site.>> You can plug in 3 variables:> 1. How many Medicare patients you have> 2. How many visits a year they will make to you> 3. How much money Medicare will pay (allow) per visit>> It will calculate how much money you might get from the EHR> stimulus program over 5 years, as well as how many Medicare> patients you would need to see in order to collect the maximum> amount of EHR stimulus money.>> Even based on my low number of 17 (the number of Medicare patients> I had when I opted out in 2007), at 3 patient visits/year and an> estimated $90 allowable per visit, I would get approximately> $16,000 over 5 years. If I were buying a new expensive EHR, I> might reason that this could help pay for it. But since I already> have an EHR, it does seem like free money. So I will have to think> about whether it is worth the hassle of going back to Medicare> for. Hmmmm.>> Seto> South Pasadena, CA>> >>>>> My Medicare opt-out is up for its two year renewal. I’ve been>> contemplating whether or not to “opt-in” to try to take advantage>> of the stimulus money for EMR. I do a membership/retainer>> practice. People pay an annual or monthly fee for all services.>> I’d have to change my medical services agreement for the Medicare>> folks (and make the fee for non-covered services). I’m trying to>> decide if it would be worth it.>>>> Marty, , or others have thoughts on the hassle factor/benefit>> of this?>>>> I hate to pass up free money to help improve my IT, but I don’t>> want to torture myself either. Thanks in advance.>>>> Sharon>>>> Sharon McCoy , MD>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------->> ----------------------------------------------------------> Sharon,> Like you, I am currently opted out of Medicare and coming up on my> two> year renewal. I guess I had assumed that the amount of money that I> could get from Medicare wouldn't be worth it with the relatively low> number of Medicare patients that I had seen in the past, but to help> me decide, I came up with an Excel worksheet (see attachment) to help> figure out if it would be worth it for me to opt back in to Medicare.> If you can't download it from this message, I have also posted it in> the " Files " section of the PracticeImprovement1 web site.>> You can plug in 3 variables:> 1. How many Medicare patients you have> 2. How many visits a year they will make to you> 3. How much money Medicare will pay (allow) per visit>> It will calculate how much money you might get from the EHR stimulus> program over 5 years, as well as how many Medicare patients you would> need to see in order to collect the maximum amount of EHR stimulus> money.>> Even based on my low number of 17 (the number of Medicare patients I> had when I opted out in 2007), at 3 patient visits/year and an> estimated $90 allowable per visit, I would get approximately $16,000> over 5 years. If I were buying a new expensive EHR, I might reason> that this could help pay for it. But since I already have an EHR, it> does seem like free money. So I will have to think about whether> it is> worth the hassle of going back to Medicare for. Hmmmm.>> Seto> South Pasadena, CA>> >> >> > My Medicare opt-out is up for its two year renewal. I’ve been> > contemplating whether or not to “opt-in” to try to take> advantage of> > the stimulus money for EMR. I do a membership/retainer practice.> > People pay an annual or monthly fee for all services. I’d have to> > change my medical services agreement for the Medicare folks (and> > make the fee for non-covered services). I’m trying to decide if it> > would be worth it.> >> >> >> > Marty, , or others have thoughts on the hassle> factor/benefit of> > this?> >> >> >> > I hate to pass up free money to help improve my IT, but I don’t> want> > to torture myself either. Thanks in advance.> >> >> >> > Sharon> >> > Sharon McCoy , MD> >>>> 

-- Graham Chiuhttp://www.synapsedirect.comSynapse - the use from anywhere EMR.

-- Graham Chiuhttp://www.synapsedirect.comSynapse - the use from anywhere EMR.

-- Graham Chiuhttp://www.synapsedirect.comSynapse - the use from anywhere EMR.

[Guest guest]

Gosh Graham, I hope you are right. Of course the entity that makes the 'vehicle' does not matter as much, as long as the 'vehicle' does what I need it to do. But I think it does matter to the vendors who make and service the vehicle that I or any of us buy. They went to a lot of trouble to try to pull this cchit thing off, because market share money are at stake. KKathleenONCHIT is aware of the concerns of the open source movement and as far as I can see has addressed them.The government doesn't want to create barriers to adoption of electronic medical records, and clearly does not wish to upset early adopters, or pioneers who have developed their own systems in house, or those are embracing open source software.That is why the focus is on outcomes and not processes. If you can demonstrate that you can get from A to B, does it really matter who makes the vehicle?On Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 12:51 PM, Kathleen Patton <krpattoncomcast (DOT) net>wrote: Graham,I'm somewhat relieved to hear that someone has noticed the unacceptable relationship of cchit to the vendors. I sent the text from a piece in the Washington Post, to this listserv last May. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/20/AR2009052003600.htmlThe author warned of the inappropriate power cchit was trying to assign to itself, but I haven't been chasing down in the news since. I'm so glad you're on it. This should be a big concern.If there is money to be had in the form of ongoing revenue streams, money will be spent to get it and keep it. I just keep thinking of how the health insurance took over medicine. Right under our noses. While the certifying agency, whoever it turns out to be, will require a fee for certification, that will be small change compared to the sale and service of the certified systems in perpetuity. The vendors have big bucks and will spend the big bucks to buy the influence they need. I wonder if open source will be outlawed for emr. I'm sure it will be an aim of those who stand to make a lot of money from hardware and software, to eliminate open source ware. I hope Blumenthal is watching very carefully. Should we be doing anything saying anything? What can we do?What do you predict and recommend. Should we write a letter to B.?KJust google ...Eg. http://www.healthcareitnews.com/blog/cchits-latest-gambitOn Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 11:21 AM, Dr Levin <dr_levincomcast (DOT) net> wrote: Wow -- this has been a BIG secret! Give me some paper on this!!* Re: Medicare opt-out and> stimulus money for EMR [1 Attachment]>> Sharon,> Like you, I am currently opted out of Medicare and coming up on my> two year renewal. I guess I had assumed that the amount of money> that I could get from Medicare wouldn't be worth it with the> relatively low number of Medicare patients that I had seen in the> past, but to help me decide, I came up with an Excel worksheet> (see attachment) to help figure out if it would be worth it for me> to opt back in to Medicare. If you can't download it from this> message, I have also posted it in the "Files" section of the> PracticeImprovement1 web site.>> You can plug in 3 variables:> 1. How many Medicare patients you have> 2. How many visits a year they will make to you> 3. How much money Medicare will pay (allow) per visit>> It will calculate how much money you might get from the EHR> stimulus program over 5 years, as well as how many Medicare> patients you would need to see in order to collect the maximum> amount of EHR stimulus money.>> Even based on my low number of 17 (the number of Medicare patients> I had when I opted out in 2007), at 3 patient visits/year and an> estimated $90 allowable per visit, I would get approximately> $16,000 over 5 years. If I were buying a new expensive EHR, I> might reason that this could help pay for it. But since I already> have an EHR, it does seem like free money. So I will have to think> about whether it is worth the hassle of going back to Medicare> for. Hmmmm.>> Seto> South Pasadena, CA>> >>>>> My Medicare opt-out is up for its two year renewal. I’ve been>> contemplating whether or not to “opt-in” to try to take advantage>> of the stimulus money for EMR. I do a membership/retainer>> practice. People pay an annual or monthly fee for all services.>> I’d have to change my medical services agreement for the Medicare>> folks (and make the fee for non-covered services). I’m trying to>> decide if it would be worth it.>>>> Marty, , or others have thoughts on the hassle factor/benefit>> of this?>>>> I hate to pass up free money to help improve my IT, but I don’t>> want to torture myself either. Thanks in advance.>>>> Sharon>>>> Sharon McCoy , MD>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------->> ----------------------------------------------------------> Sharon,> Like you, I am currently opted out of Medicare and coming up on my> two> year renewal. I guess I had assumed that the amount of money that I> could get from Medicare wouldn't be worth it with the relatively low> number of Medicare patients that I had seen in the past, but to help> me decide, I came up with an Excel worksheet (see attachment) to help> figure out if it would be worth it for me to opt back in to Medicare.> If you can't download it from this message, I have also posted it in> the "Files" section of the PracticeImprovement1 web site.>> You can plug in 3 variables:> 1. How many Medicare patients you have> 2. How many visits a year they will make to you> 3. How much money Medicare will pay (allow) per visit>> It will calculate how much money you might get from the EHR stimulus> program over 5 years, as well as how many Medicare patients you would> need to see in order to collect the maximum amount of EHR stimulus> money.>> Even based on my low number of 17 (the number of Medicare patients I> had when I opted out in 2007), at 3 patient visits/year and an> estimated $90 allowable per visit, I would get approximately $16,000> over 5 years. If I were buying a new expensive EHR, I might reason> that this could help pay for it. But since I already have an EHR, it> does seem like free money. So I will have to think about whether> it is> worth the hassle of going back to Medicare for. Hmmmm.>> Seto> South Pasadena, CA>> >> >> > My Medicare opt-out is up for its two year renewal. I’ve been> > contemplating whether or not to “opt-in” to try to take> advantage of> > the stimulus money for EMR. I do a membership/retainer practice.> > People pay an annual or monthly fee for all services. I’d have to> > change my medical services agreement for the Medicare folks (and> > make the fee for non-covered services). I’m trying to decide if it> > would be worth it.> >> >> >> > Marty, , or others have thoughts on the hassle> factor/benefit of> > this?> >> >> >> > I hate to pass up free money to help improve my IT, but I don’t> want> > to torture myself either. Thanks in advance.> >> >> >> > Sharon> >> > Sharon McCoy , MD> >>>> -- Graham Chiuhttp://www.synapsedirect.comSynapse - the use from anywhere EMR.-- Graham Chiuhttp://www.synapsedirect.comSynapse - the use from anywhere EMR.-- Graham Chiuhttp://www.synapsedirect.comSynapse - the use from anywhere EMR.