PCS
Unveils ICD-10
on Intellect!
|
ICD-10
is on Intellect!
As
we move closer
to the mandated
10/01/2014 date
for ICD-10, we
recommend that
you and your staff
work with an accredited
organization for
ICD-10 Coding
and Training.
To
assist you and
your staff in
the implementation
of your ICD-10
codes on Intellect,
PCS has created
resources which
are available
on our website.
After
logging-in to
www.primeclinical.com,
click on [OnSTAFF/Intellect
Info] and select
'ICD-10' to access
general ICD-10
info. An implementation
timeline, ICD-10
Prime Clinical
Q&A, ICD-10
Medicare Video
Tutorials,
and three phases
of ICD-10 Intellect
Video Tutorials
are available:
•
For clients
who want to load
their own ICD-10
codes, please
watch phase
1, 2,
and 3.
•
For
clients who will
use the ICD-10
codes that Prime
Clinical loads,
you may begin
the video tutorials
from phase
2 (Activating
ICD10 Codes),
and finish with
phase
3.
Additionally,
after logging-in
to www.primeclinical.com,
click on the blue
box titled 'Newsletters
and Alerts', and
select 'ICD-10'
for CMS news updates
and general information.
After
we received information
from CMS and MAC
payers that the
ICD-10 codes were
available for
download, PCS
made the decision
to include the
ICD-10 codes in
the next Intellect
update.
Following the release,
additional information
will be available
in our release
notes and in our
online documentation.
|
Support
Ends for Windows
XP
On
April 8, 2014,
Microsoft will
discontinue support
and security updates
on Windows XP,
making the Operating
System vulnerable
and non-compliant
with HIPAA.
Section
164.308(a)(5)(ii)(B)
of the HIPAA Security
Rules states that
you must have
"procedures
for guarding against,
detecting, and
reporting malicious
software".
Section
164.306(b) also
states "A
covered entity
must determine
which security
measures and specific
technologies are
reasonable and
appropriate for
implementation
in its organization."
Prime
Clinical Systems
continues to be
your partner in
complying with
HIPAA/Meaningful
Use requirements
and based upon
these two sections,
it is our opinion
that it is not
reasonable and
appropriate to
continue to use
the 13-year-old
operating system
in which the manufacturer
has decided to
stop implementing
security upgrades
and patches. It
is our recommendation
to upgrade to
Windows 7 Pro
or Windows 8 Pro.
|
Client
E-mail Notices
Periodically
we send e-mails
to our clients
with relevant
information. It
is to your advantage
to read these
e-mails and incorporate
the information
as necessary.
To view the e-mails
sent since the
last newsletter,
click here.
|
Workshops/Training
Forums |
Saturday
Mobile Clinics
for Providers
Our
first mobile training
clinic in Monterey,
CA was a huge
success! The providers
were all very
pleased and spent
a lot of one-on-one
time with our
trainers.
Look for an event
coming in your
neighborhood:
Friday
02/21/2014 |
Torrance,
CA - Torrance
Marriott
South
Bay |
registration
open |
Saturday
02/22/2014 |
Torrance,
CA - Torrance
Marriott
South
Bay |
registration
open
|
Saturday
03/08/2014 |
Modesto,
CA |
registration
open
|
Saturday
03/29/2014 |
Ontario,
CA |
location
to be
decided
|
Saturday
04/05/2014 |
San
Jose,
CA |
location
to be
decided
|
Friday
04/11/2014 |
Glendale,
CA |
location
to be
decided
|
Saturday
04/12/2014 |
Glendale,
CA |
location
to be
decided
|
Saturday
04/26/2014 |
Bakersfield,
CA |
location
to be
decided
|
Saturday
05/03/2014 |
Walnut
Creek,
CA |
location
to be
decided
|
Saturday
05/17/2014 |
Orange
County |
location
to be
decided |
For
questions or additional
information, please
call Sandy Thompson
at 925-922-7670,
or contact Marty
Beteta at 877-444-1156,
or via e-mail
marty@primeclinical.com.
|
Daily
Forum Change
As
of 2014, our Daily
Training Forum
offers support:
The
Daily Forum provides
quick answers
to training issues.
Our daily forum:
is
available
for 2 hours
per week is
conducted
with a "live
trainer" provides
answers quickly
so you can
proceed with
the rest of
your day allows
you to come
and go as
needed, depending
on the number
of questions
you may have
Register
only one time
and use the same
access code to
get help as needed.
Click here
to register, or
email Train@primeclinical.com.
Please include
your Client ID,
name and contact
information.
|
Updated
Training Class
Schedule
As
of 2014, we have
a new PCM
training class
schedule! Check
out both the Intellect
and PCM schedules,
and register for
classes now!
|
Recent
PCM Additions
& Updates
As
of PCM versions
5.5.1151 to 5.5.1173,
changes have been
made in the following
areas:
To
ensure that you
have access to
all of the changes,
make sure that
you have the latest
PCM and TS Client
Version.
For
an overview of
each addition/update,
click here.
|
EHR:
Medicare Incentive
Program Attestation
Webinar
for Eligible Professionals
CMS'
online 22:23-minute
video provides
a visual step-by-step
guide for eligible
professionals
to use to prepare
for attestation.
The video also
answers common
questions about
attestation for
the Medicare program.
Medicaid attestation
takes place at
the state level.
|
2013
Attestation
In
regard to the
Medicare Incentive
Program, providers
have until February
28, 2014 at 12pm
EST to attest
for the 2013 Attestation
period.
For
California, providers
have until March
31, 2014.
Other
providers outside
of California,
please check your
state guidelines.
More
information is
also available
at www.CMS.GOV.
|
PCS/PCM
Will Be Registered
for
MU Stage 2 by June
2014
How does that affect
you? You will
have until the
last quarter of
2014 to be able
to report for
the 3-month EHR
reporting period.
|
2014
Clinical Quality
Measures
For
2014 only, all
providers regardless
of their stage
of meaningful
use are only required
to demonstrate
meaningful use
for a three-month
EHR reporting
period. Medicare
providers can
either report
their CQMs for
the entire year
or select an optional
three-month reporting
period for CQMs
that is identical
to their three-month
reporting period
for meaningful
use.
For
Medicare providers,
this 3-month reporting
period is fixed
to the quarter
of either the
fiscal or calendar
(for EPs) year
in order to align
with existing
CMS quality measurement
programs, such
as the Physician
Quality Reporting
System (PQRS).
CMS is permitting
this one-time
three-month reporting
period in 2014
only so that all
providers who
must upgrade to
2014 Certified
EHR Technology
will have adequate
time to implement
their new Certified
EHR systems.
Supporting
Documentation: 2014
Clinical Quality
Measure Tipsheet
|
Stage
1 Meaningful Use
in 2014
Eligible
Providers must
begin their 90
day attestation
period NO
LATER
than July 1, 2014
and attest NO
LATER
than October 1,
2014 to avoid
the 2015 Payment
Adjustment. This
requirement is
only for EPs who
are demonstrating
Meaningful Use
for the first
time
in 2014.
For
additional information:
Payment
Adjustment Tipsheet
for Eligible Providers
|
Calculate
Your Incentive
Payments
Use CMS' EHR participation
timeline posted
on our website
to determine and
calculate your
incentive payments
for both Medicare
and Medicaid .
The timeline also
assists in determining
if you will be
attesting for
Stage 1 or Stage
2 Meaningful Use
in 2014.
 Access
the timeline
button by going
to www.primeclinical.com,
logging-in with
your
Client ID and password,
selecting [Meaningful
Use Tools], then
[Learning Tools],
then [Medicare
& Medicaid
Information],
and then 'Getting
Started'. Scroll
down to the timeline
button located
mid-page, and
click where indicated.
|
Quick
Resources for
MU and/or PQRI
Compliance
and Deadlines
Prime
Clinical constantly
updates our website
www.primeclinical.com
with current meaningful
use information
for our clients.
Additionally,
we frequently
update the material
in our Meaningful
Use classes, and
make our training
materials available
to our clients
on our website.
To
access meaningful
use information,
go to www.primeclinical.com,
log-in with your
Client ID and
password, select
[Meaningful Use
Tools], and then
[Learning Tools].
Available options,
including our
MU class, will
display.
Read
more>>
|
What
Software Version
Are You Using?
Since
our last newsletter,
Intellect software
Version 13.12.12
was released in
December 2013.
This release includes
four modifications
in:
Registration/Regular/Patient Registration/Regular/Patient
Insurance Registration/Worker/Worker Utility/Maintenance/Import
Data
It
also includes
eight new Intellect
features in the
following areas:
Charges/Charge Charges/Encounter Billing/Insurance/Batch-Group
of Patients Billing/Tele
Com Billing
- HCFA Utility/Set
Up/Appointment/Appointment
Type Utility/Insurance/Pay
Plan Utility/Maintenance/Import
Data Utility/Maintenance/General
Import
For
an overview of
the changes, see
our Press
Release or,
for details, see
the complete Release
Notes and
online documentation.
Note:
Another update
is in the works,
with a tentative
release this month.
|
ICD-10
is Only 252 Days
Away!
ICD-10 is mandated
for October 1,
2014. If your
office is not
yet upgraded to
Intellect by that
date, all your
electronic transactions
will be rejected.
For upgrade information,
please contact
Marty either by
email marty@primeclinical.com
or via phone
626-449-1705,
ext. 222.
|
New
HCFA 1500
Changes Affect
Unix Clients
A new Health
Insurance Claim
Form (HCFA)
has been released,
which will be
mandated on 04/01/2014.
Some
of the changes
to be aware of
include:
Use
commas to
separate the
last name,
first name,
and middle
initial. A
hyphen can
be used for
hyphenated
names. Do
not use periods
within the
name. 8-digit
dates must
be used in
all date-of-birth
fields (items
3, 9b, and
11a). Leave
Box 8 blank.
Note:
The new HCFA 1500
changes will not
be available on
the OnStaff Unix
systems. Clients
on Unix will need
to upgrade to
the Windows version
of OnStaff.
See
additional
information
for individual
boxes on the form.
|
How
to Assess
the Costs of Dual
Coding
Dual
coding can be
used to find unforeseen
problems, but
it also requires
an investment
of time and money
before it can
start.
To
begin with, healthcare
providers need
to have an already-purchased
Health IT system
that supports
ICD-10 codes.
And then, to avoid
getting bogged
down with basic
mistakes, medical
coders need to
be trained in
ICD-10 coding,
and clinicians
need to be trained
on documenting
the correct level
of specificity
to support ICD-10
coding.
Read
complete article>>
|
Concurrent
or Retrospective?
Which
Approach to Dual
Coding is Best
for You?
Dual
coding impacts
existing processes,
technologies and
resources. The
magnitude of the
impact depends
on the strategy
and approach adopted.
With
the concurrent
approach to dual
coding, coders
review and code
current, pre-billed
records in both
ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM/PCS.
They code all
diagnoses and
procedures in
ICD-9 and then
compute the MS-DRG
for each. This
process then is
repeated in ICD-10.
The
retrospective
approach provides
for the review
of post-billed
records coded
in ICD-9 and then
recoded using
ICD-10. Organizations
typically identify
the cases most
commonly seen
in their facilities,
such as the top
20 most common
MS-DRGs, top MS-DRGs
by volume, top
revenue-producing
MS-DRGs, top principal
diagnoses and/or
procedures, or
MS-DRGs as a percentage
of total discharges.
.
Read
complete article>>
|
General
Equivalence Mappings
(GEMs)
Frequently
Asked Questions
In
April 2013, CMS
published a booklet
of background
information and
frequently asked
questions regarding
General Equivalence
Mappings (GEMs).
A few of the questions
answered include:
The
booklet also includes
multiple resources
and links to implementation
timelines, statutes
and regulations,
MLN products,
and Medicare information.
|
Communicating
in the Exam Room
with
an EHR
The
attached chart
provides practical
applications for
five areas of
communication
to effectively
integrate the
computer into
the exam room,
including recommended
actions to use
and scripts to
say while interacting
with patients.
By including a
few new communication
behaviors into
everyday practice,
a computer in
the exam room
will enhance the
overall care experience
for the patient.
View
chart
|
What
the Stage 2 Meaningful
Use Extension
Means
to Physicians
The
extension of the
Stage 2 deadline
for meeting CMS'
meaningful-use
requirements means
physicians have
a little more
time before they
have to worry
about Stage 3.
What it doesn't
mean is that they
should slow down
their plans for
attesting for
Stage 2. "If
you're struggling
to meet Stage
2, this doesn't
in any way solve
that immediate
problem,"
Jason Fortin,
a senior advisor with
Impact Advisors,
told Physicians
Practice. "Stage
2 is still on
for 2014, it's
just been extended
from two years
to three years."
Read
the complete article>>
|
Avoiding
EHR Payment Changes
in
2015
The lefts for Medicare
and Medicaid Services
(CMS) has issued
a reminder to
professionals
participating
in the Medicare
EHR Incentive
Program to review
their meaningful
use practices
to avoid payment
adjustments in
2015.
Click
here
for the complete
statement.
|
President
Obama Signs the
Pathway for SGR
Reform Act of
2013 - New Law
Includes Physician
Update Fix through
March 2014
On December 26,
2013, President
Obama signed into
law the Pathway
for SGR Reform
Act of 2013. This
new law prevents
a scheduled payment
reduction for
physicians and
other practitioners
who treat Medicare
patients from
taking effect
on January 1,
2014. The new
law provides for
a 0.5 percent
update for such
services through
March 31, 2014.
President Obama
remains committed
to a permanent
solution to eliminating
the Sustainable
Growth Rate (SGR)
reductions that
result from the
existing statutory
methodology. The
Administration
will continue
to work with Congress
to achieve this
goal.
Read
the complete update>>
|
|
Saturday
Evening Post
|
Since
we began in 1983,
Prime Clinical
Systems has never
looked back as
a company. Thriving
with the most
energetic and
knowledgeable
employees, Prime
Clinical continues
to help practices
achieve their
goals of eliminating
their paper charts
and accomplishing
quality and accuracy
in patient care.
We take great
pride in the excellence
that we stand
for as a company
and celebrate
our achievements
every day.
 'Complete
EHR'
Certification:
Prime
Clinical has kept
our commitment
to our clients
by using the latest
technology and
being among the
best in the industry.
We are pleased
to announce that
our integrated
Ambulatory Electronic
Health Records
(EHR)
system, Patient
Chart Manager
V.5.5 has been
awarded an ONC-ATCB
"Complete
EHR Certification"
by infoGARD, December
2010. Our certification
number is: IG-2402-10-0011.
This Ambulatory
Complete EHR is
2011/2012 compliant
and has been certified
by an ONC-ATCB
in accordance
with the applicable
certification
criteria adopted
by the Secretary
of Health and
Human Services.
This certification
does not represent
an endorsement
by the U.S. Department
of Health and
Human Services
(HHS) or guarantee
the receipt of
incentive payments.
Prime
Clinical Systems,
Inc.
3675
E. Huntington
Drive, Suite A
Pasadena,
CA 91107
(626)
449-1705
www.primeclinical.com
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