Click Here to see a list of Mental Health Resources from CPF’s May Newsletter

Congratulations Dr. Ellis

CPF is so very proud of Dr. Madeline Ellis with Focus MD. Dr. Ellis been selected as one of Nashville Business Journal’s 2016 Health Care Heroes in the Most Promising Startup category!
This is the Nashville Business Journal’s tenth annual Health Care Hero Awards publication and awards program celebrating the physicians, leaders, innovators, and strategists whose work is helping to grow the region’s health care industry.  
Dr. Ellis and the other winners will be featured in the Health Care Heroes special section in the May 13 edition of the Nashville Business Journal and honored at an awards dinner on May 12^th.

http://www.aappublications.org/news/2016/03/24/HIT032416 

Parents who don’t sleep well may mistakenly believe their children don’t either, according to a new study.

 

Read full article Here: http://www.aappublications.org/news/2016/03/24/ParentalSleep032416

Poverty and Child Health in the United States
In 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) included “Poverty and Child Health” as a strategic priority.  1 in 5 children live in poverty.  Living in poverty affects various developing physiological systems and can have detrimental health consequences that are severe and lifelong.  The AAP has just released their Policy Statement on Poverty and Child Health in the United States.  Click below to read the full statement. 

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/03/07/peds.2016-0339

 

Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to help children and families with access to resources.  The AAP also has a great section on resources for practices, including screening tools and resource links.  Click below to visit the Practice Tips page. 

 

https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/poverty/Pages/practice-tips.aspx

The purpose of this communication is to announce the influenza strains for the 2016-2017 influenza season. On March 4, 2016, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted overwhelmingly to recommend the influenza strains proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the northern hemisphere influenza vaccine for the 2016-2017 influenza season. The selection results in 2 strains being changed for trivalent vaccines and 1 strain for quadrivalent vaccines for the 2016-2017 influenza season. Below is the list of strains that will be used in the US 2016-2017 vaccines: Trivalent Vaccines:  A/California/7/2009(H1N1)pdm09-like virus;  A/Hong Kong/4801/2014(H3N2)-like virus;  B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus. Quadrivalent Vaccines:  In addition to the 3 strains mentioned above, B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus. The influenza vaccine viruses selected by WHO for the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere influenza season are the same as those used for the 2016-2017 southern hemisphere for which Sanofi Pasteur produces and supplies Fluzone vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur has been producing 2 of the strains selected for the 2016-2017 influenza season since early January 2016.

– See more at: https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/poverty/Pages/practice-tips.aspx#sthash.g855z5Mz.dpuf

At Greenway Health, service is the main thing, and part of that pledge is to provide our customers with the most up-to-date and accurate regulatory guidance possible. We recently contacted you about meaningful use Stage 2’s Public Health Reporting objective. Prior to Feb. 25, CMS guidance stated that eligible professionals (EPs) had to actively engage in two public health registries by Feb. 29, 2016, for the 2016 program year. Three registry types were available: immunization, specialty and syndromic surveillance registries. Unlike in 2015, CMS released guidance that the alternate exclusions did not apply for 2016.[1] On Feb. 25, 2016, four days before the active engagement deadline, CMS released new guidance allowing EPs to use alternate exclusions for 2016 reporting as well.[2] EPs can now claim alternate exclusions for syndromic surveillance reporting and specialized registry reporting.[3] Below is an excerpt from a CMS FAQ: “We will allow providers to claim an alternate exclusion for the Public Health Reporting measure(s) which might require the acquisition of additional technologies the providers did not previously have or did not previously intend to include in their activities for meaningful use … EPs … [m]ay claim an Alternate Exclusion for Measure 2 and Measure 3 (Syndromic Surveillance and Specialized Registry Reporting).”[4] As noted, CMS did not intend to force providers to buy and implement new technologies they did not plan for and released this new guidance to meet its intended goal.[5] Our interpretation of CMS’s new guidance is that if you had planned only to connect to an immunization registry to meet Stage 2’s Public Health Reporting objective, EPs can now do so by claiming alternate exclusions for syndromic surveillance and specialty registry reporting. Greenway Health understands that many customers have already made plans and purchases based on CMS’s prior guidance. While meaningful use and other government programs are subject to frequent changes, sometimes shortly before regulatory deadlines, we are here to serve and support you in this dynamic industry. If you believe you qualify for the above exclusions for 2016, we want to ensure you have the flexibility to adjust your meaningful use strategy in light of the recent changes. To modify an order you’ve placed, based on CMS’s former guidance, please email cemmanagement@greenwayhealth.com with the subject line “Specialty Registry Reporting” by March 14, 2016.

The information below is provided by the Medical Group Management (MGMA) Government Affairs staff. 

 

                See MGMA information below regarding Upcoming federal quality reporting program deadlines.

Last day to submit 2015 PQRS data:

March 11 via Certified EHR Technology or Data Submission Vendor, GPRO Web Interface, Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) QRDA III format

March 31 via QCDR XML format, Qualified Registry

 

Last day to attest for 2015 Meaningful Use:

March 11 via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – attestation portal

 

 

Study: Practices spend $15.4 billion annually on quality reporting

According to a Health Affairs study of MGMA member practices, each year physician practices in four common specialties spend, on average, 785 hours per physician and more than $15.4 billion on quality measure reporting programs. As the study cites, the majority of time spent on quality reporting consists of “entering information into the medical record ONLY for the purpose of reporting for quality measures from external entities,” and nearly three-quarters of practices stated that their group was being evaluated on quality measures that are not clinically relevant.

 

The study results confirm what physician practices have known for many years – that reporting varying quality information across multiple payers runs counter to the stated goals of these programs, which are to improve efficiency and clinical outcomes while reducing waste. “As the largest contributor to the problem, the federal government needs to get out of the business of dictating patient care through wasteful mandates and create simplified systems to support medical practices in improving quality across the country,” challenged Halee Fischer-Wright, MD, MMM, FAAP, CMPE, MGMA’s president and CEO.

CMS details 2016 Value Modifier bonus and penalty amounts

In the 2016 payment year, the Medicare Value-Based Payment Modifier (VBPM) applies to 13,813 group practices with 10 or more eligible professionals. According to results released earlier this week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 1% of these group practices will receive a significant bonus payment for achieving high scores under the VBPM analysis, which compares a group’s cost and quality data against national benchmarks. Fifty-nine practices will be subject to a penalty for poor performance under VBPM metrics, while all other groups who were subject to the VBPM cost and quality analysis will receive no bonus or penalty in 2016. However, 5,418 groups were excluded from the VBPM’s analysis because they did not successfully report PQRS quality data in 2014. As a result, those practices will be subject to an automatic 2% penalty in 2016, in addition to the separate 2% PQRS penalty. MGMA has long advocated that the VBPM’s reliance on the burdensome PQRS reporting program is flawed, as many practices are unable to report clinically-relevant data.

 

To better understand how the 2016 VBPM results impact your practice, download your 2014 Quality and Resource Use Report. Learn how to obtain these CMS reports here.

Medicare plans to test new payment models for drugs

Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to test different payment models for reimbursing Medicare Part B drugs administered in physician offices and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). Currently, CMS pays practices and HOPDs the average sales price (ASP) of the drug plus a 6% “add-on” payment. Beginning in late 2016, Medicare would pay ASP plus 2.5% and a flat payment of $16.80 per day per drug payment to physician practices and HOPDs in certain geographic areas in order to determine whether this change affects prescribing incentives. CMS is also proposing to test additional drug payment models, such as eliminating patient cost-sharing and establishing reference prices, beginning in 2017.

 

Practices and other stakeholders may submit comments in response through May 9, 2016. Access CMS’ factsheet for more information. 

Medicare Part D prescriber requirements delayed to Aug. 1, 2016

As a result of insufficient outreach by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to promote provider awareness as well as a backlog from Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to process enrollment applications, the agency announced a delay in the Medicare Part D prescriber enrollment requirements for physicians and eligible prescribers. In order to prescribe under Medicare Part D, those prescribing must be enrolled in Medicare or, for those who have opted out of the program, have a valid affidavit on file with their MAC. Beginning Feb. 1, 2017, Medicare Part D sponsors will deny claims for providers who do not meet this criteria. Prescribers of Part D drugs who are not currently enrolled in Medicare should submit their enrollment as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for processing before the Aug. 1, 2016 deadline. Access more information on these Part D prescriber requirements.

“Clinical Direct Messaging”

SureScripts is the nation’s largest health information network that software vendors must certify their applications with in order to connect to, facilitating the electronic exchange of prescription information.

Providers are able to exchange clinical messages over the SureScripts network if their EHR vendor, HIE or HISP is connected to the SureScripts network. In addition, providers affiliated with EHNAC/DirectTrust accredited* organizations can exchange clinical messages with SureScripts users as a result of participation in the EHNAC/DirectTrust accreditation program (DTAAP).

Please visit http://surescripts.com/network-connections for a list of organizations connected to the SureScripts network for clinical messaging services. *Direct Trusted Agent Accreditation Program. See http://www.ehnac.org/direct-trusted-agent/ for more information.

In order for a provider to obtain a direct address their EMR software vendor must be contracted directly with SureScripts or any other organization for HISP services. This is not something a provider can obtain directly from SureScripts. Please contact your software vendor to determine if they are engaged with any other HISP service or what their plans may be for engaging with SureScripts for this service. A list of vendors who are certified for Clinical Direct Messaging on the SureScripts network can be found here: http://surescripts.com/networkconnections/cns/connected-technology-vendors.