Health Information Technology (Health IT) Resources and Activities
AMA stimulus comments and updates
Meaningful use
At their June 16 meeting, the HIT policy committee, created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), released a meaningful use matrix for comment. AMA provided comments via sign-on letter and the attached recommendations for defining and demonstrating meaningful use.
The HIT policy committee will make recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) on a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information infrastructure, including standards for the exchange of patient medical information.
Health IT webinars
Stimulus Health IT provisions webinar at Annual Meeting
Overview: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Health Information Technology ProvisionsPresenter:
David Hunt, MD, Chief Medical Officer for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Listen to the archived program
Free ARRA webinar series
Are you ready to maximize American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) opportunities in your practice? As new information becomes available, experts and health care leaders representing diverse sectors will review key components of ARRA and offer insights on the impact to the physician community.
Stimulus 101: Basics of the Health Information Technology Provisions
Thursday, May 21, 12:00 p.m. CST
Presenters:
Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer, Allscripts
Margaret Garikes, Director of Federal Affairs, AMA
Listen to the archived program
View Stimulus 101 questions and answers
Stimulus 102: Update on the Health Information Technology Provisions
Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 12:00 p.m. CST
Presenters:
Russ Keene, Vice President, Ingenix CareTracker
Amanda Ervin, Director of Health IT, AMA
Listen to the archived program
ARRA regional center descriptionStimulus 103: Real World Perspectives
Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 12:00 p.m. CST
Register for the event
AMA ePrescribing Learning Center
With so many questions surrounding ePrescribing, who can you turn to for answers?
The learning center features:
• Unbiased coverage of ePrescribing system vendor pricing and features, plus side-by-side system comparison and rate a vendor capability
• Customized system recommendations based on answers from an interactive questionairre
• Calculators to estimate potential time savings and determine Medicare ePprescribing incentive payments
• Readiness and planning tools to map out an implementation plan
Physician practices can learn more about ePrescribing by reading A Clinician's Guide to Electronic Prescribing. In addition, the AMA has compiled a list of FAQs and other informational resources regarding Medicare’s Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program.
CMS ePrescribing Incentive Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now offers eligible providers incentive payments for using electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) systems to prescribe for Medicare patients. The CMS electronic prescribing incentive program was authorized by the “Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008” (MIPPA), which became law on July 15, 2008.
For 2009 and 2010, ePrescribing incentive amounts will be 2% of a provider's total estimated allowed charges for covered professional services during the reporting period (one calendar year). The incentive amount reduces to 1 percent in 2011 and 2012 and finally to 0.5 percent in 2013.
This frequently asked questions (FAQ) flier will help providers determine their eligibility for the incentive program and learn more about the reporting requirements. Providers may also consult the following resources:
- list of Medicare allowed frequency and charges by specialty from 2007 (PDF, 24 KB)
- presentations from the AMA House of Delegates Interim 2008 meeting: Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program (PDF, 235 KB) and SureScripts-RxHub electronic prescribing overview (PDF, 2 MB)
Find general information about e-prescribing in "A Clinician's Guide to Electronic Prescribing."
