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3 Min Read

Now's the time to harness telemedicine, EHRs

The AMA made many exciting strides toward more robust health IT earlier this month at the 2014 AMA Annual Meeting, adopting policies on such timely topics as telemedicine and electronic health record (EHR) usability.

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Leadership
Leadership Viewpoints
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2 Min Read

Officials making physicians' health IT concerns a priority

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has released its 10-year vision for health IT, setting its sights on one of physicians’ biggest concerns: achieving nationwide interoperability of electronic health records (EHR).

Digital
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3 Min Read

Improve EHRs before expanding meaningful use, AMA tells ONC

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology issued a proposed rule containing voluntary certification criteria for EHR systems in 2015 to be used by physicians participating in the meaningful use program. The rule was to give vendors flexibility in upgrading their systems and offer a look at the 2017 edition. The AMA submitted comments on the proposed rule.

Medicare & Medicaid
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4 Min Read

Making EHR meaningful use less burdensome

About 20 percent of eligible professionals—mostly physicians—have dropped out of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) meaningful use electronic health record (EHR) incentive program, according to an AMA analysis of data from the agency.

Digital
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4 Min Read

Why permanent SGR repeal lost to another temporary payment patch

I posed an important question in an AMA Viewpoints post two weeks ago: Would the bipartisan legislative policy for repealing Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula turn into a missed opportunity? For Congress, it certainly did. For physicians, the story is more complicated.

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Leadership
Leadership Viewpoints
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2 Min Read

Casting aside reform bill, Congress passes another Medicare patch

The U.S. Senate Monday evening voted in favor of yet another temporary measure in a long line of Medicare payment patches, casting aside broadly supported legislative policy that instead would have reformed the Medicare payment update system.

Medicare & Medicaid
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3 Min Read

Meaningful use exemption added as EHR program moves forward

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced an addition to its hardship exemptions available to physicians who are unable to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR).

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 Min Read

House resorts to "trickery" in passing unwanted Medicare patch

In a move that is being called an “outrageous” ploy, the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday used a voice vote—absent the majority of representatives—to pass a Medicare payment patch strongly opposed by physician groups. 

Medicare & Medicaid
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2 Min Read

Act now before Medicare patch expires, AMA tells Senate

As the March 31 deadline for reforming Medicare’s broken payment update system draws near, the AMA sent a letter Wednesday to the U.S. Senate, calling on Congress to work across party lines to eliminate the sustainable growth rate (SGR) payment formula while there’s still time.  

Medicare & Medicaid