MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'hit industry'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:27:23 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914996&cid=t_99662_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Felectronic-medical-records-er-wait-times-and-the-medical-blogosphere%2F2010.08.30 Here’s a confession: Despite my steadfast advocacy of medical blogging as a means to promote understanding and education, I continue worry a lot about professional liability. Not just whether the things I write could hurt my career, but, in terms of academic output, is blogging a waste of time? What view does my department’s leadership take on blogging? Still, I’ve continued to support medical blogging as a useful academic endeavor, hoping that someday this support would be borne out. When sites like Sermo and Facebook came along, I despaired that more physician opinions were going to be hidden behind walled gardens, available only to select colleagues or friends. Then, last week, some revelations — I discovered a member of my department’s leadership was blog... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914996 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3914996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778530&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhitsps-next-priorities Today I led a HITSP Board meeting and we discussed the work being done in collaboration with the HIT Standards Committee. On September 15, the HIT Standards Committee and its workgroups will release the finished 3 matrices documenting the chosen standards for Clinical Operations, Clinical Quality and Security/Privacy including certification criteria and implementation guidance.   (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778530 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:43:13 +0100 2778530 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1850942&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fcan-bankers-s-2.html In Part I of this article, what we might refer to as the "Bad News, Worse News" section, we drew a weather map of the perfect storm of revenue threats that healthcare providers are facing, even as the rest of the economy tanks under tremendous (and one hopes temporary) dysfunctions in the financial sector. Providers are chasing hundreds of patients for revenues that used to come from a single payer; they're being subjected to (whether they are aware of it or not) increasingly sophisticated tools that discount and deny claims, and they're having prior years' settled claims scrutinized for re-adjudication by government and private payers alike. Meanwhile, payers and employers are toying with new quality-based reimbursement models that threaten to move the battle onto a new, unfamiliar landsc... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1850942 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:40:49 +0100 1850942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1850943&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fcan-bankers-sav.html Once-reliable revenue streams are drying up. Money you thought you'd socked safely away evaporates overnight. Your staff starts devoting more and more time to collections, leaving less and less time for day-to-day operations. The things you used to do to pay the bills aren't working anymore, and indications are that you will have to change your business model or go bankrupt. Is this a crisis or a catastrophe? Is it a temporary crunch or a drawn-out recession? Is the source of the problem the stock market, the credit market or unqualified borrowers? If you're a healthcare provider, the answer to all of these questions is "none of the above," because the symptoms I'm describing have nothing to do with the financial crisis everyone else is talking about -- they're a result of permanent chan... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1850943 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:27:46 +0100 1850943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825492&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fmedical-bankrup.html Back in December 07, I warned about the delayed impact that January's shift of High Deductible Health Plan enrollment would have on provider revenues. Moving significant percentages of revenue from the difficult-but-predictable insurance plan bucket to the thousand-points-of-non-collection patient-self-pay bucket would take some time to sink in. In fact, I said it might take until July before providers realized they weren't going to get paid for January's care. Hopless Optimism Today, a friend and loyal reader passed along a NYT editorial by Barbara Ehrenreich that suggests the current financial crisis is due in large part to positive thinking, as characterized by the popular film, "The Secret." The financiers simply believed too much in the upside, but that is a matter of course, given t... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825492 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:25:52 +0100 1825492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692116&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fa-fly-in-the-al.html When somebody forwarded me a link to the SEEDIE site a few weeks back, it wasn't just to tell me about it. It was to ask whether we had done it. SEEDIE is the mythical Society for Exorbitantly Expensive and Difficult to Implement EHR’s. According to the website, "While the other groups argue endlessly about which standards are most appropriate in pursuit of 'plug and play' solutions, SEEDIE recognizes that data exchange should only occur after a lengthy and expensive custom integration process. Further, that integration should require ongoing technical support from multiple vendors." I loved it. But I decided I simply couldn't blog about it. The criticisms they implicitly levied against the HIT industry in general and the HIT collaborative community in particular were just a little to... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692116 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:52:48 +0100 1692116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1664169&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F07%2Ffree-webinar-on.html I'll be doing a webinar later this week for Fierce Healthcare, on the topic of building better provider-side patient portals. Those of you who know me for EDI and RHIO issues might be surprised to learn that I have a much longer history in software development and web applications. Back... (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1664169 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:05:27 +0100 1664169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1458456&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fmore-uses-for-e.html I feel like I hit the lottery! NAHIT has published its list of healthcare IT jargon definitions. And I win! We were more or less assuming the RHIO and HIE definitions three years ago. But it seemed like anybody who wanted a for-profit model wanted HIE, while the NPO crowd... (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1458456 Wed, 21 May 2008 15:25:24 +0100 1458456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1399117&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fprepping-for-cc.html Last fall, I reported about how much fun I had at the Collaborative Communications Summit. Not "fun" as in golf outings and spa appointments, but "fun" as in meeting some really interesting and influential people, and being surprised at just how much some executives at the top tiers of the healthcare industry actually know about health IT. But CCS is not just about IT, it's about IT-enabled healthcare, which is a different spin from the typically techy-wonky conferences I traditionally attend. And I didn't just like it enough to go back; I liked it enough to help make the next one happen. [Disclosure: HITTG is a media sponsor for this event. But we don't sell blog endorsements to anybody.] Multisyllabic Session Title #1On Tuesday, I'll be moderating a session called, ... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1399117 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:32:47 +0100 1399117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1284732&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fcuomos-probe-ge.html Where's Andrew's Big Fat Lawsuit? posits a mid-afternoon WSJ blog post. The Journal wonders whether last month's warnings were just a matter of brinksmanship, leading up to quiet settlement prior to court action. They quickly pulled an Emily Latella, though, when they learned that the New York AG was broadening his inquiry, subpoenaing payer CEOs and internal emails. Eet Eess Not My Dog! Cuomo's missing the point, though, when he emphasizes that there is an inherent conflict of interest that the pricing engine is designed by a software company owned by a payer. UHC could spin Ingenix off tomorrow and they'd still be selling a secret -- I mean proprietary -- system that allows its clients to set prices by adjusting variables in ways they don't have to disclose to anyone. Free Rider Okay, ... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1284732 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:20:41 +0100 1284732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1279412&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fare-cuomos-esti.html When we read the coverage of NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's accusation that Ingenix, United Healthcare and a host of other payers had systematically underestimated the "Reasonable and Customary" fees used to calculate reimbursements for out-of-network services, one frequently-repeated statement caught our eye: Lacewell said, in one example, the office's investigation showed that when $200 was a fair market rate for a 15-minute doctor's visit for a common illness, Ingenix determined it was $77. Therefore, United would pay $62 when it should have paid $160, leaving the consumer with a $138 bill. [Emphasis added.] Actually, the United would probably not pay a dime. The patient would have to pay the entire $200 bill -- at least until the deductible was satisfied. That got us thinking abo... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1279412 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:11:20 +0100 1279412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258102&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fhittg-throws-a.html Last night's HISsies Awards at the HIMSS conference were presented in a wholly new way. As a cartoon. We produced the seven-minute animated awards ceremony for the folks at the HIStalk blog and had no difficulty casting our co-stars, Cerner's Neal Patterson and athenahealth's Jonathan Bush. Of course, the anonymous Mr. HIStalk and Inga anchored the highjinx as awards presenters a la Oscar. Jon Bush's uncanny resemblance to Michael J. Fox, alongside Patterson's notorious hate-mail to middle management, gave us more than enough to work with. In case you forgot about Patterson's notorious management style, here's just a taste of that missive... (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258102 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:41:44 +0100 1258102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1220524&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fwisconsin-wishe.html Wisconsin has withdrawn its RFP for a statewide health information exchange, issued in December. Apparently, some of the major partners thought that the Request for Proposals hadn't nailed down just exactly how the HIE would be implemented and paid for. Well, those folks in Wisconsin know a lot about cows, but you won't find many cowboys. It takes a real buckaroo to haul off and whip up a RHIO. This here is uncleared land, partner. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1220524 Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:21:43 +0100 1220524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1219439&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fif-the-hissies.html We're dang sorry we won't be at HIMSS08 later this month. Not because we want to run the gauntlet of HIT vendor account execs (tip: If "I'm just a consultant!" doesn't work, tell them you're an investigator from the SEC). No, we're just sorry to miss Mr. HIStalk's party Monday night. But if you're going, we definitely want to extend you his invitation. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1219439 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:30:27 +0100 1219439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187108&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fgrants-roundup.html Click through for links to the last couple weeks of HHS awards, eMAR, RHIO grants, and more. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187108 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:58:33 +0100 1187108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1185717&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F01%2Frhios-exploring.html RHIOs may be shifting strategies. Following a report suggesting that they may be foundering financially, RHIOs are eyeing philanthropy, based on sales of a new book (http://funding.hittransition.com) (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1185717 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:16:41 +0100 1185717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1130942&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fmartys-hit-list.html Here's my official list of prognostications for 2008.  In 2006 and 2007, I didn't call them predictions, so I probably don't deserve any credit if anything I said came true.  If you agree -- or not -- you can give me your own scorecard by clicking here.  Give your feedback by January 23 and I'll post the results (and any interesting comments) in a blog at the end of the month. As far as we know, we're the only industry analysts that give you, our valued reader, this critical "You're Full of..." HIT response tool. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1130942 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:58:06 +0100 1130942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106168&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fseeking-sustain.html Health Affairs just published a study by a team of Harvard researchers that has cast a pall on the sustainability of Regional Health Information Organizations (also referred to as Health Information Exchanges). The report, The State Of Regional Health Information Organizations: Current Activities And Financing, by Julia Adler-Milstein, Andrew P. McAfee, David W. Bates, and Ashish K. Jha, seems to imply that the maladies suffered by RHIO efforts around the country might be fatal, at least if you read the many news stories and blogs that are talking about it. I say "seems to" because our analysis suggests that the industry echosphere is still missing quite a bit of the big picture. Let's take this step by step, starting with the Harvard study and moving into the invisible economy and the nat... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106168 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:41:11 +0100 1106168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1100063&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fred-tuesday-jan.html On our Black Swans list for 2008, one of the biggest birds will swoop in on the very first day of the year: January 1.  That's when a huge number of health plan enrollments roll over, and the move to the High Deductible Health Plan model is going to hit providers hard in the pocketbook.  Hence our suggested name for the eventful date: Red Tuesday. Forecast for the Rich: RicherThe Nashville Business Journal cites unnamed analysts in guessing 2009 HDHP enrollment will double from January 2007's 4.5 million.  But one named analyst is more specific, calling HDHPs "the best idea I've seen for a health plan in 25 years." I guess that's great news if you're a health plan. The Doctor Will See You Now, Mr. Wimpy Will providers notice?  Not from what I'm hearing.&nbsp... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1100063 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:15:57 +0100 1100063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1087548&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fice-ice-very-ic.html We here our local weather made the BBC.  Yow.  A-yip-tye-o-ee-yay! We took in a number of refugees, being the last house among our chosen family to have power.  Then the lights went out at about 4 pm yesterday.  The office is only a half-mile away, and there we have both lights and net, hence this post. I want to reassure you that this meteorological Black Swan is not going to keep us from doing our webinar tomorrow.  Still, if you have an extra box of double-ought swan cartridges, we could use a little more ammunition.  A rick of seasoned firewood would be nice, too. Meanwhile, yes, we are going to have something to say about Deborah Peel's attack on her local hospital for daring to store patient records electronically, and even more to say about the prema... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1087548 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:53:35 +0100 1087548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1072329&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fgrant-roundup-f.html "Disruptive Innovations" Entrants Invited to Apply for Grants The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is looking for ways to shake up healthcare, and they may have found some. Among the projects invited to compete for funding: Project ECHO: Knowledge Networks for the Treatment of Complex Diseases in Remote, Rural, Underserved Communities - University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Instant Birth Control - Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette Develop a universal technology framework for registries focused on capturing outcomes data for cardiovascular disease -- American College of Cardiology Clinical Research Information Exchange - CRIX International Health Futures Markets - New York University The EpiSurveyor Project: Lowering the Barriers and Raising the Bar for Data Collection -... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1072329 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 20:53:32 +0100 1072329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1070181&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fsurprise-siemen.html In an announcement that should surprise no one, Siemens CEO Erich Reinhardt is advising hospitals to go with a single source for their Healthcare IT software, as well as, guess what? their heavy and pricey diagnostic equipment. Reinhardt's appearance at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting was covered by Digital Healthcare and Productivity. Regular readers of this blog should know by now that we don't do off-the-cuff vendor endorsements -- nor do we take pot-shots at particular companies or products. Unless, that is, one of their executives says something that sounds a bit unwarranted. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1070181 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:43:56 +0100 1070181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1067701&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fdenial-engines.html It's been almost two years since I published my piece on a new segment of payer software tools that offer a suite of editing tools so sophisticated that it basically allowed payers to tune them to whatever percentage of revenue retention they thought providers would tolerate. I dubbed the tools Denial Engines and suggested that provider vendors had been seriously outflanked and needed to up their game. ... In my research since then, I've learned a lot more. Some of these DE tools will go so far as to edit against best practices published in medical journals, and integrate a link to the citation in the automated defense. Worse, DE tools are being used by Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) to do commission-based re-adjudication of old Medicare claims. They're not just subtracting from what ... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1067701 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:47:13 +0100 1067701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064183&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fadding-20-to-hi.html I've been tracking the Health 2.0 buzz generated by Matthew Holt's blog-boosted thought machine. The idea that HIT can help remake healthcare, instead of just automate its dysfunctions, has a significant appeal. Marty Tenenbaum's post suggests the creation of a new convening entity, akin to the CommerceNet alliance that bootstrapped web-based commercial exchanges. "Early CommerceNet members included startups like Netscape, Yahoo, and Amazon as well as established organizations like Visa/Mastercard, FedEx and IBM. The members of CommerceNet collaborated on initiatives like search, catalogs, security, payment, and shipping/fulfillment, leading to complete end-end transactions where one could actually locate a product, buy it, pay for it and get it delivered. Not only was overall market gro... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064183 Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:33:43 +0100 1064183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1062763&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fhealthcare-need.html I don't usually like to put off all of my conservative friends at once, but here goes. There's a complex and very important economic dynamic in the relationship between the estate tax and the financial wellness of the healthcare industry. As fiscally conservative as one might want to be, this one comes down undeniably on the side of beneficial taxation. That is, if it is important to you that money stays in healthcare. First, let's note that the so-called "inheritance tax" is nothing of the sort. The estate tax is a duty assessed on residual value at death; it does not tax heirs on what they receive. Second, it is a tax paid by very few, indeed. In the past twenty years, between 1% and 2% of estates have been subject to the tax. As pointed out in a recent Economist story, it is responsible... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1062763 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:52:44 +0100 1062763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1062764&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fwatch-out-for-t.html Dr. Mark McClellan this week lauded the newley-enacted FDA Amendments Act, an overhaul of drug safety monitoring. A component of the Act will create over five years the largest database of drug patients ever assembled. eHealth Initiative, Partners Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente and other large organizations will coordinate with insurers like Unitedhealth Group and Wellpoint to collect patient data. McClellan addressed the Lazard Capital Markets fourth annual healthcare confab: “If they work together and follow the same [ADE definition and data use] rules, then you’ve got tens of millions in the database... Most of the evidence on your products will be coming from sources other than you... If you could have identified Vioxx problems in three or four months instead of five years, it would... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1062764 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:12:52 +0100 1062764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1059979&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Ffunding-drought.html One survey suggests that many big health plans are going to hold the line on health IT spending in 2008 (though there seems to be a strong move to roll out real time adjudication). Provider vendors may face challenges, too, as Stark revisions and delays push ambulatory HIT projects out of relatively liquid clinic budgets into relatively bureaucratic institutional budgets. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1059979 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:47:05 +0100 1059979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1057279&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fheadlines-for-m.html Federal Health Chief Stumps for Medicare IT Project AMA adopts guidance for HIT donations Continuity of Care Document (CCD) Quick Start Guide Centralization, Commercialization Threaten VistA Longer Patient Life Expectancies Affecting Finances for Hospices 'Wired' bill fails to win quick Senate passage California Could Become National Model for Telemedicine The Value of Provider-to-Provider Telehealth Technologies Ehealth one of UK's major future technologies (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1057279 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 19:22:33 +0100 1057279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1040034&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fgrant-roundup-f.html Grants for Health IT from federal agencies, states and private foundations. Health IT Grant Resource Directory: http://hittransition.com/funding07 (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1040034 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:43:47 +0100 1040034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1036859&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fblack-swans-and.html In Nassim Nicholas Taleb's provocative book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, the author warns of the danger of trusting in trends with a timely metaphor: The turkey who sees his daily needs met, the food comes in, he grows fat and happy -- everything looks great, and if history is any teacher, life will just continue to get better and better. Until one fateful Thursday morning in November.... (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1036859 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:59:31 +0100 1036859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1027070&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fnew-money-for-h.html Mention the word “grant” to almost anybody in healthcare, and they immediately think “federal.” And that’s odd, because the U.S. federal government is responsible for less than 20% of the grant dollars given annually to U.S. nonprofit organizations. We know (because Mike Leavitt recently reminded us) that unlike nearly everywhere else in the world, American government doesn’t pay for health IT. So why are we still standing here like a row of prairie dogs waiting for peanuts? It’s time to start thinking differently, and start looking to the country’s 50,000 private foundations, Community Foundations and corporate giving programs for money for health IT. Rather than just repeating that exhortation incessantly to everyone who will listen, we have been doing some of the footwor... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027070 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:18:29 +0100 1027070 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1027071&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fhit-forums-po-1.html Standards Development Organizations in Development One panel session addressed standards development and implementation, and featured a number of speakers I hold in high regard, along with others whom I hadn't met, but had earned high positions in industry-leading private and public organizations. One of the former was Alix Goss, chair of X12N, the group responsible for developing administrative transaction standards for the insurance industry, including the familiar 837 claim formats. Earlier in the day, Alix told me that X12 had rolled out a more interactive web presence, and had added a forum for the (unofficial) Provider Caucus, of which I had once been a member. She knew I would be pleased, because a few years back, I made a case for expanding provider participation in standards devel... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027071 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:12:03 +0100 1027071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1027072&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fhit-forums-poin.html The Collaborative Communications Summit is a boutique conference for C-suiters. The concept is to put the event in a tony venue that pampers the executive appetite and bring in a raft of brilliant speakers and those who move and shake the industry. Last week’s CCS topic, “Transforming Healthcare through Health Information Technology,” was enough to pique my interest when I read about it a few months back. When the conference organizers offered us a media sponsorship that included a free press pass, we jumped on it. I was already going to be in LA to speak at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association's Blue Health IT Symposium, so I could make the CCS event for the price of a couple nights at the hotel. How much could that be? (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1027072 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:04:19 +0100 1027072 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1017611&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fhealth-it-grant.html Check out these recent grants for health information technology from state appropriations, private foundations and other sources. And get a copy of The Health IT Grant Resource Directory at http://hittransition.com/funding07. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1017611 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:19:11 +0100 1017611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1007218&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Ffair-share-of-c.html In the form of proposed legislation, Sen. Charles Grassley is expressing his concern about how much nonprofit hospitals spend on charitable care. The ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee suggests that more is due in exchange for the billions of dollars in tax breaks received by hospitals. Finance Committee staff has developed a controversial wish list of reforms, including one that would require nonprofit hospitals to dedicate a minimum of 5% of revenues to free care. The alternative would be to forfeit their tax-exempt status. As we have noted in our publications, hospitals are the rare bird in the huge nonprofit sector. There are about 3,100 nonprofit hospitals, out of a universe of a million and a half U.S. nonprofit organizations. Looking at it more conservatively, there ... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1007218 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:26:24 +0100 1007218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1000951&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fshout-out-to-mr.html Congrats are due to Mr. HIStalk and his sidekick, er, "hero support" co-blogger, Inga. Mr H and Ms. I run one of the most readable and laudable healthcare IT blogs out there. This week they logged their millionth visitor. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1000951 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:21:57 +0100 1000951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=983225&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Flucky-sell-off-.html In one of those amazing coincidences, WellCare Director Neal Moszkowski sold off 10,000 shares of his stock a week before federal investigators busted down the doors. Conservative math shows the shares worth at least $1,124,400. If Moszkwoski had waited a week, after the stock tanked by more than 70%, but moments before shares were pulled off the market, his cashout would have been a mere $438,000. That would have been an unlucky trade indeed. Baby Needs a New Pair of Cuffs His good luck couldn't have come at a better time, either, since those Wall Street-savvy defense attorneys charge a pretty high hourly rate. Luck like that makes me want to take my grocery money down to the Cherokee Casino. http://hittransition.com/flashpoint/ad_rta.htm (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=983225 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:53:51 +0100 983225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979137&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fa-bad-day-phish.html My inbox is hot as a hornet's tail, and there's two things that are making it blister. The first is Medicare's "effective immediately" moratorium on granting additional providers or clearinghouses access to its eligibility data. The second is this story about the FBI's raid on WellCare Health Plans Tampa. The eligibility moratorium was invoked for the explicit purpose of "security," according to my sources. They not only want to know who's connecting to them, they want to know who's connecting to them. People in the industry are worried about restraint of trade, if Medicare opts to limit the number of connectivity relationships, which are now wildly complex, often hopping between three or more entities between the provider and Medicare. Do You Want to See My Etchings? Details on the WellCa... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979137 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:52:18 +0100 979137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=958833&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fcia-to-take-ove.html We reported some time ago that the CIA's venture capital tentacle, In-Q-Tel, had bought heavily into Initiate Systems (InterSystems Corporation). The stated reason: The CIA likes to stay ahead of the curve on new technologies that can be, shall we say, efficacious for the spooks. Initiate has something, a master patient indexing system that uses complex algorithms to finger individuals within patchy streams of data, that would be of particular interest to the CIA. Read on... "Initiate Systems develops and markets Initiate Identity Hub™ software, a highly accurate, scalable and rapidly implemented EMPI solution available for healthcare providers, integrated delivery networks (IDNs) and regional health information organizations (RHIOs), that want to create complete, real-time views of... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=958833 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:19:58 +0100 958833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=956039&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwill-rta-keep-p.html One of the things that jumped out at me during last week's ASC X12/WEDI Real Time Adjudication Conference was that the consequences of high deductible health plans was going to affect certain provider settings much more severely than others. The push to make patients responsible for a larger component of their health care spending makes sense to employers, who see the immediate consequences of the choices are making today. The long range impact of those choices doesn't necessarily play into such calculations, given the transient nature of the modern workforce. Be Very Afraid Providers are -- or should be -- scared to death, because patients are notoriously negligent in paying their medical bills. Moving a large percentage of your revenue from the conflict-ridden but semi-reliable private p... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=956039 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:44:31 +0100 956039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941784&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fnonprofit-hospi.html Commonwealth Institute just released a report finding that U.S. healthcare nonprofit organizations (NPOs) -- largely hospital/health system operating foundations -- reported an average return of 10.6 percent in 2006. According to the 2007 Commonfund Benchmarks Study Healthcare Report, the average return increased from 6.3 percent in 2005 and 8.2 percent in 2004. Oorganizations with more than $1 billion in operating funds reported an average return of 12.2% for 2006, up from 7.2% for 2005 -- the second highest return since the study was started. Returns averaged over three years have fallen somewhat, due largely to an outlier in 2003 at 14.1%, which has now dropped off the average. The three-year average on NPO healthcare returns now stands at 8.8%. So, what are nonprofit healthcare organiz... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941784 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:41:37 +0100 941784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=935223&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fmore-phr-bads.html Patient Health Records are, in their current incarnation, such a bad idea, that I thought I had put enough bullets in my previous post about Microsoft's HealthVault. And I definitely pulled some punches in my perspective on the likely impact of Wal-Mart's retail clinics on the healthcare industry. Now more stuff is beating its way back into my forebrain, and, as usual, the bat is wielded by Mr. HIStalk's well-sourced blog. I Left My PHR at the Office One thing I left off the list of bullets is that when PHR is tied to anything temporary -- like, say, an employer or a health insurance plan -- then there isn't a heckuva lot of incentive for patients to maintain the data over time. And maybe that specific critique doesn't apply to Microsoft -- unless you work for them -- but then the trust is... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=935223 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:36:09 +0100 935223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=931067&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Ffrom-niche-to-n.html HHS announced today that its has awarded contracts worth $22.5 million nine RHIOs to start trial implementations of a national network for exchanging electronic health information. I'm all for government paying its fair share (much larger than this) of the cost of getting a ubiquitous health record online for all Americans. But is this putting the cart before the horse? (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=931067 Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:04:24 +0100 931067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=927827&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwhats-wrong-wit.html This isn't a blow-by-blow product review of Microsoft's just-released HealthVault Personal Health Record (PHR) portal. I'd have to share some personal health information with Microsoft to test the new site out, and I'm about as enthusiastic to do that as I was to put my checking and credit card account numbers into Microsoft Wallet. Remember Microsoft Wallet? Part of the geewhiz about MSHV is that it protects patient privacy, sort of ("We do not use your health information for commercial purposes unless we ask and you clearly tell us we may.") According to Dr. Deborah Peel of the Patient Privacy Rights Foundation, "Microsoft is setting an industry standard for privacy." (link) Um, no. They may be setting an example, but they are not even close to setting an industry standard. And that's th... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=927827 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:01:57 +0100 927827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=917915&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F10%2Freal-time-pilot.html A story in Healthcare Finance News reports on several Real Time (Claims) Adjudication (RTA) projects, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennesee, Humana and Cigna. Humana’s pilot, involving a 10-physician practice in Texas, yielded savings of $6 to $8 per claim. “The site saved $14,000 in billing costs alone,” said Janna Meek, director of Humana’s integrated provider solutions. Tennessee's anectodal evidence is also persuasive: One provider reported being able to collect 70 percent of patient-owed fees from those covered by high-deductible health plans when patients were checking out. But, as the piece points out, the standards are not there yet: "Although the technology strategies vary, payers are either starting or expanding pilot programs that adjudicate claims in real time fo... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=917915 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:53:47 +0100 917915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915315&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Facute-and-obtus.html There’s money out there for health IT. The entire U.S. nonprofit sector – an annual $1.4 trillion chunk of the economy – collects only about $70 billion from government, and over $460 billion from private sources. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915315 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:28:10 +0100 915315 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=891449&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Faetna-ingenix-a.html I just got my hands on a copy of the press release detailing the agreement between Aetna and Ingenix.  Turns out, it's much more than standards-based Real Time Adjudication (RTA), as if that weren't enough.  The payer will be using the EDI testing and validation technology enabled by Ingenix's Claredi division to automate direct connections.  Is it possible that the payer finally acknowledged the plainly-stated regulatory requirement that they provide free claims submissions to providers capable of conducting standard transactions? Or did they just want to cut their monthly Emdeon bill? No matter, they're going to be giving providers a host of new, valuable services.  Read on....Looking for DirectionPart of the deal involves Ingenix's development of a direct-connect p... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=891449 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:47:28 +0100 891449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=891450&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Faetna-ingenix-p.html Aetna and Ingenix have inked a five year deal to implement Real Time Adjudication through an Ingenix portal.  The wording of the release suggests that they might be doing this as a true standards-based RTA system, rather than the Direct Data Entry (DDE -- aka "Duplicate Data Entry") that others have deployed.  If so, Ingenix could be positioning itself to be an "all-payer" RTA service. Will provider vendors be smart enough to ping one-off 837 transactions and to catch the replies in whatever format they might see?  The competitive advantage of enabling same-day collections suggests that some will....http://hittransition.com/flashpoint/ad_rta.htm (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=891450 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:34:36 +0100 891450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888512&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Frainmakers-for-.html Had a couple calls this week from IT vendors about our RHIO finance report (http://rhio.hittransition.com). Interesting calls. Both wanted to know how to get more involved in their customers' affairs to try to get them off high center and out pounding the pavement for funding. Seems they've been working with RHIOs for over a year now and still haven't seen a check. "What's it gonna take to move this needle?" was the frustrated question from one. She's a big software company and not used to sitting on her sales cycle quite so long. The RHIO "hasn't pulled in any funding since the initial grant and now they're running on fumes." I asked both callers if they themselves had provided any funding. "No, but we haven't been asked" was the approximate reply from bot... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888512 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:46:09 +0100 888512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883646&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-wal-mart-ef.html Once again, the Mr. HISTalk site has me thinking. This time, it's a reader's forum post on the possible impacts of Wal-Mart's entrance into the health care delivery market. A fellow calling himself Art Vandelay lays out some pretty thoughtful possibilities. His narrative investigates every aisle of inquiry, from the push toward transparency in pricing and wait times to the impact a nationwide, HIT-enabled provider network could have on road warriors strapped with high deductibles and a runny nose. As a neighbor (the Behemoth of Bentonville is a short drive from Tulsa, close enough that we can hear it breathing at night), I've long been intrigued by the Wal-Mart Effect and the impact it might have on US healthcare. Not just as an entity, but as a model of monopsony: The dominant influence t... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883646 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:52:23 +0100 883646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=882540&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fproviders-fight.html Back when I ran that series warning providers about the new, sophisticated claims analytics tools I dubbed Denial Engines, I turned up some scary evidence about Medicare's demonstration Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program (see Medicare No Longer Money in the Bank among other posts listed in the Denial Engines category to the right). I spent a lot of my free time (in both senses of the word) digging up the dirt on this payer technology (not that it's necessarily dirty -- which is part of the danger) and the RAC approach, by which Medicare hires auditors to pore over previous years' settlements looking for "overpayments" -- then rewards them with a bounty for every dollar they retroactively deduct from providers current year remittances. So, did the provider vendors come rushing to me to... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=882540 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:19:56 +0100 882540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=877499&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fhit-quote-of-th.html I generally don't have time to read blogs, which makes it ironic that I spend an inordinate amount of time writing them. But now I've become addicted to Mr. HISTalk, a much more "bloggy" blog than our own (which I internally characterize as a "wonky blog" in order to maintain a little personal dignity). Mr. H's rambling posts cover a lot of ground, including some rumor/insider stuff on vendors that I love to read but have decided never to write. His (HIS?) investment tip on athenahealth, for example, is something I would act on if I had any money and didn't have lingering fears about subsidizing family dynasties. Here's a gem from today's post that I just needed to share:This physician’s practice was at a loss when its PM/EMR system went offline because of a server problem, “.. going b... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=877499 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:56:56 +0100 877499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=867239&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fbottom-up-top-d.html Okay, I try not to wade into all this industry noise, but there are a number of things that all came over the transom in the last 60 minutes that make it impossible not to comment. Freedom's Just Another WordFirst, the Joint Commission (aka JCAHO), which basically is the gestapo of patient quality and arbitrary auditing (all welcomed, if feared, by the provider community, which wants a bi-annual report card to show its funders), has started a wiki with a pretty broad scope: they call it "wikiHealthCare," which sounds pretty all-encompassing and grandiose, until you go and visit it. The first two topic areas are pretty constrained: Smoking Cessation and Smoking Policies on hospital campuses. Also, they want you to register before you use it. And they want to limit comments to "healthcare pr... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=867239 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:00:06 +0100 867239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=863685&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fdam-the-rhios.html In a provocative editorial, Fierce Healthcare's Anne Zieger puts forward the arguments for Why RHIOs shouldn't exist. She cites legal issues, cost issues and the challenge of getting competitors to share data. She also references a Fierce Healthcare story on our recently-released 2007 survey of RHIO Finance, asking, "how long can this model last if most efforts are paid for by grants?" She posits one potential RHIO alternative: "[Some] form of medical data banking--by a trusted intermediary rather than providers--seems to solve many problems that straight-ahead data exchanges can." She also suggests that Patient Health Records, "[once] they become more robust," might be an answer to the data sharing challenge. She admits to being a bit contrarian. "All I'm trying to say here is that before... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=863685 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:29:12 +0100 863685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=858242&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fthe-ultimate-hi.html In the "How Did I Miss This?" Category comes my stumbling upon Ed Dodds' Conmergence Blog. I've been told that talking to me about HIT -- or reading my blog -- is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant. If so, then Ed's blog is like Niagara Falls -- not just about HIT, but about distance learning, open source and neologistic categories like Geekonomics, Interoperancy and Politicine. Sometimes his posts are long and thoughtful, sometimes he re-posts public notices, or puts in a two-word recommendation to an external site. Lots and lots of long lists of names, chapters, external links, etc., leave you in a quagmire of thought you wish you had time to slog around in. The net result is kind of like opening up Rain Man's cranium and watching the neurons fire as he counts the toothpicks in slow... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=858242 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:32:30 +0100 858242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=840493&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F09%2F2007-rhio-finan.html Is RHIO expansion incompatible with commercial viability? Well, yes and no. Find out why in our just-released report on the 2007 Survey of Regional Health Information Organization Finance, "Sustainable RHIO Funding and the Emerging Business Model." We know that you love all the free information we bring you on our blog, news pages, HITSync newsletter, etc., but this one is gonna cost you. Why? Because it's worth it, and we need to occasionally charge a fee so we can stay in business and keep putting our shoulders to the grindstone of transforming healthcare through HIT. (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=840493 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:46:33 +0100 840493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=799194&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F08%2Flink-to-all-cms.html Many moons ago, I wanted to share a query string that would bring up all CMS FAQs that include the term NPI. That was preferable to linking to specific items, because new items were being constantly being added. I did the search query on the CMS site, which created a URL that was a mile long. I systematically eliminated components of the string until I came up with something that produced the desired results, but was only a furlong or two in length. I've given this out before, but I didn't have a direct, isolated link on my blog, so here it is. You can click on the big ugly string, but that often gets broken in pieces when you copy/paste/send via email, so if that's an issue, you can link people to this blog post by copy/pasting the second string. (I don't use tinyurl because I'm not sure ... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=799194 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:06:14 +0100 799194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=773294&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fstate-cios-invi.html The organization that represents the CIOs of state governments says its members should take a more active role in their states' Regional Health Information Organizations. This would definitely rate a Duh Of The Month here at the HIT Transition Weblog, except that I'd like to take a step backward and say that I'm not entirely sure that it's such a good idea until state governments show more willingness to pay for RHIO development. According to a Government Health IT article, the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) is calling for its members to have a bigger say in how RHIOs develop. “Integrating these regional efforts will become a critical aspect of state CIO responsibility,” states a NASCIO brief. State government CIOs could serve as advisors to represent state health programs... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=773294 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:47:49 +0100 773294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=586752&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fnachimson_depar.html We received news last week that Stanley Nachimson, for years the regulatory voice for HIPAA implementation, has retired from his long career of public service to enter the private sector. Foresight issued a press release announcing he had joined its board of directors and had recently formed Nachimson Advisors, LLC., a consultancy under which he will provide health IT advisory services to various clients including WEDI and Cornichon. After more than 30 years of service to CMS and its predecessors, Stanley has earned all the praise and recognition he must already be receiving from various industry stalwarts. I would say that he will be missed at CMS were it not for the fact that he has already been missed: The regulatory body's tight-lipped, even secretive approach to NPI implementation sta... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=586752 Wed, 02 May 2007 21:42:56 +0100 586752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=517548&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F04%2F2007_rhio_finan.html For a second year, Healthcare IT Transition Group is conducting its national survey to learn how Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs) are funded. Last year, in the first-ever broad-based study of RHIO finance, some surprising things surfaced, including that a sustainable business model was evolving. The 2007 survey questionnaire is nearly identical to the 2006 survey, enabling a year-on-year analysis. We have added one new section, however; this year information will be gathered on the purchase decisioning process. From talks with industry leaders following last year’s findings, we learned that vendors were finding the RHIO segment a difficult one in many respects, particularly with regard to the variety and number of stakeholders involved and the lack of historical data in ... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=517548 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 21:03:49 +0100 517548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=508058&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fdeleware_medica.html For most of the US, the NPI Final Rule becomes mandatory on May 23, 2007, but in the state of Deleware, Medicaid billers have already hit the deadline -- two months ahead of schedule. According to the implementers of the system, this is not news. Delaware Medical Assistance Program's providers have been told for months to expect the early deadline. An admirable number of face-to-face meetings and multiple methods of outreach have taken place. Light-Switch CutoverThe early transition is allowable under the Final Rule -- a fact that CMS has been clear to make numerous times in the past. What disturbs some observers, including this one, is that Delaware's aproach includes no dual use period for transitioning from legacy IDs to NPI. They planned to shut down their legacy system that relies ent... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=508058 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:03:07 +0100 508058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463429&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fhdm_boosts_npi_.html Health Data Management came out with a good long article on the current state of the industry prospects of a contengency period for NPI implementation. It's so good, I don't want to miss a word, but it's so long, I haven't been able to read it all yet. Now it's 6:30 on a Friday night and I have to go home now if I ever want to go home again. I'm posting this blog so that I'll remember to go back and read all of it when I get the chance. Meanwhile, you can read it too. Don't be put off by the hyperbolically (hyperballistically?) understated subtitle: Payers and providers might not be ready to comply with the NPI rule by the May deadline.... (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463429 Sat, 03 Mar 2007 00:29:23 +0100 463429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=462240&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fpodcast-dave-garets.html NEW ORLEANS—Since time of the essence this week, I'm keeping this post short.This is a fairly short, off-the-cuff interview with Dave Garets, president and CEO of HIMSS Analytics, kind of a teaser for Garets' "Riffing on the Issues" session on Tuesday with Partners HealthCare CIO John Glaser at the annual HIMSS conference.Of note, HIMSS Analytics is announing Tuesday that it is expanding its research of hospital IT capabilities into Canada, but you heard it here first. But that's not all you'll get out of this podcast. Garets gives his take on the state of the health IT industry, circa February 2007.If I had more time, I'd include a detailed description of the contents of this podcast, but since I have deadlines to meet tonight, I'm going to pass. Click here to listen.More recordings to ... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=462240 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 04:16:00 +0100 462240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463431&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fvery_hot_off_th.html Two days after the WSJ covered the New Arms Race of denial management, the NY Times went even further: tracing the logical path from the struggle over denial to the absurdity of US financing healthcare overall. I found the column re-printed in the Dallas Morning News.... (Source: The HIT Transition Weblog) The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463431 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 02:37:57 +0100 463431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463433&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fa_new_arms_race.html The Wall Street Journal delivered me a valentine last week: 40 column inches validating my previous research and reportage on the product category I dubbed the Denial Engine. Of course, WSJ's Vanessa Fuhrmans opted for the more tactful label Denial Management Software, but her article makes it quite clear that most of the management is currently taking place on the payer side of the great reimbursement divide. The denial-management industry's rise shows how much of medical spending is consumed by propping up and doing battle over an arcane patchwork of claims systems. Roughly 30% of physicians' claims are denied the first time around. Sales of physician-billing and practice-management technology grew 25% to more than $7.5 billion last year....(With due respect to the WSJ's book of style-an... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463433 Mon, 19 Feb 2007 23:54:12 +0100 463433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=463434&cid=t_99662_113_f&fid=34635&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hittransition.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fconsumer_direct.html Just got done with the first day of the X12/WEDI Real Time Adjudication Conference. Some are now abbreviating this as RTCA (for Real Time Claims Adjudication), What's RTCA, you say? Well, that's one of the questions we're debating. Basically, the concept means the patient walks in, gets treatment and the provider can submit the claim, get the health plan's payment amount (but not necessarily the payment) and the patient responsibility amount -- all before the patient leaves the office. The provider gives the patient the bill and receives payment or at least an accurately quantified promise. The WEDI/X12 conference was just announced a few weeks ago, but there are a couple hundred movers and shakers here in Reston, Virginia. Why the sudden interest? In an acronym, CDHC: Consumer Directed He... The HIT Transition Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=463434 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:27:44 +0100 463434