With both seasonal influenza and H1N1 influenza circulating this flu season, the American Medical Association has expedited the publication of new health care codes specific to the H1N1 vaccine product.

The new Category I Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes issued by the AMA will streamline the reporting and reimbursement procedure for physicians and health care providers who are expected to administer nearly 200 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine in the United States. The codes will also help to efficiently report and track immunization and counseling services related to the H1N1 vaccine throughout the health care system.

In consultation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the AMA CPT Editorial Panel created code 90470 to report H1N1 immunization administration and counseling. Code 90663 was revised by the CPT Editorial Panel to refer specifically to the H1N1 vaccine product.

For quick reference, the two codes are below:

90470 -- H1N1 immunization administration (intramuscular, intranasal), including counseling when performed
90663 -- Influenza virus vaccine, pandemic formulation, H1N1

Any claim which references code G9142 and G 90663 for the H1N1 vaccine should be billed for $0 dollars, since the federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge.

For more H1N1 information, please visit the AMA web site at www.ama-assn.org/go/h1n1 or the CDC's site at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.  Additionally for resources for your office on influenza and other vaccines visit www.immunize.org.

The H1N1 codes can be used alone if patients are coming in only for the H1N1 vaccine or can be combined with other codes if patients are there for other services, such as the seasonal influenza vaccine or care for a chronic condition.

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics also issued new ICD-9 codes effective Oct. 1. The number 488.0 should be used for influenza due to identified avian influenza virus, and 488.1 is the one for influenza due to identified novel H1N1 influenza virus.

A number of payors have announced their plans for reimbursing for the H1N1 vaccine administrative costs. 

As previously announced, UnitedHealthcare and their affiliated companies will reimburse for the administrative costs of H1N1 vaccine administration, regardless of the individual’s benefit plan. As such, UnitedHealthcare and other health plans are waiving deductibles and providing coverage for services rendered by out-of-network physicians, public clinics and pharmacies.

Listed below is information regarding some of the other payors.

Medicare: HCPCS G9141 should be used for the administration. HCPCS G9142 can be used for the vaccine.
Cigna: Either the CPT code 90470 or the HCPCS G9141 should be used for administration. This can be accompanied by vaccine codes 90663 or G9142.
Aetna: Either the CPT code 90470 or the HCPCS G9141 should be used for administration. Coding for the vaccine is unnecessary.
Priority Health: CPT code 90470 or HCPCS G9141 should be used for the administration, although any of the relevant vaccine codes will be accepted.
Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield (Mountain State):   Will cover physician services for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine for most members enrolled in its health insurance products and encourages physicians to immunize Mountain State patients who belong to high-risk groups identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Additionally, Mountain State will cover the number of vaccinations recommended by the CDC for the member’s age group and/or condition.

Providers are reminded to use NaviNet® or the applicable HIPAA electronic transactions to verify patients’ active/current Mountain State membership before providing immunization services, as non-Mountain State members may not be covered. Remember that real-time functionality on NaviNet allows your practice to verify coverage at the point of service.)

If you have questions, it is advisable to contact the individual insurers to determine how the claims will be processed.

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The WVSMA reminds physicians, that pending any further announcements to the contrary, the FTC Red Flags Rule is scheduled to go into effect Nov. 1, 2009.

As a means of review, the Red Flags Rule is an anti-fraud regulation, requiring “creditors” and “financial institutions” with covered accounts to implement programs to identify, detect, and respond to the warning signs, or “red flags,” that could indicate identity theft. The financial regulatory agencies, including the FTC, developed the Rule, which was mandated by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA). FACTA’s definition of “creditor” includes any entity that regularly extends or renews credit – or arranges for others to do so – and includes all entities that regularly permit deferred payments for goods or services. Accepting credit cards as a form of payment does not, by itself, make an entity a creditor. “Financial institutions” include entities that offer accounts that enable consumers to write checks or make payments to third parties through other means, such as other negotiable instruments or telephone transfers.

If your practice needs additional guidance materials to help prepare for the new November 1, 2009 implementation date, you may visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/physician-resources/red-flags-rule.shtml.

In addition, the FTC’s Red Flags Web site, www.ftc.gov/redflagsrule, offers resources to help entities determine if they are covered and, if they are, how to comply with the Red Flags Rule.  The website  includes an online compliance template that enables companies to design their own Identity Theft Prevention Program through an easy-to-do form, as well as articles directed to specific businesses and industries, guidance manuals, and Frequently Asked Questions to help companies navigate the Rule.

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The West Virginia Health Improvement Institute (the Institute) in conjunction with Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Public Employees Insurance Agency, and Unicare is establishing a medical home demonstration project that will assist primary care practices in achieving medical home recognition.

The Institute will provide learning sessions, technical assistance and coaching on functioning as a Medical Home as well as a stipend to cover lost revenue during the learning sessions. In addition, the Institute will provide a subsidy for the NCQA application fee.

The payors using their claims data will determine what savings are achieved across all providers and patients, and 2.5 percent of the savings will be used to create an incentive pool. Providers will receive a portion of the incentive pool based on their own performance on the clinical outcomes reported as well as utilization of emergency room visits and hospital admissions for their participating patients.

Practices agree to participate in a collaborative effort and to attend three learning sessions over the course of six months. Practices also agree to apply for Level I NCQA recognition status within nine months, track the incremental cost of doing so and report to the Institute monthly on the established measures. 
Clinical outcomes based on selected measures will be determined monthly and shared with all participants in the spirit of transparency and peer to peer learning.  Participants will also benefit from learning best practice approaches in West Virginia and nationally.
This is a great opportunity to receive technical assistance in how to achieve meaningful use of technology while becoming a medical home. Be positioned to take advantage of the incentives soon to be available through Medicare and Medicaid as well as to share in financial incentives established by the payors for this demonstration project.

For more information or to apply for the pilot go to www.wvhealthimprovement.org or contact Sandi Bauer at sbauer@spreadinnovation.com  or call 253-473-1716.

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The 2009 West Virginia Office Managers Association State Conference was held on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23 at the Pullman Plaza in Huntington, West Virginia.   As always, this conference was a great educational opportunity for office managers.   Excellent presentations were provided for attendees on such subjects as office leadership, management of employees, and risk management.   Additional sessions included a workshop on the latest state and federal issues impacting physicians and their practices (presented by WVMSA’s government relations specialist, Amy Tolliver), as well as workshops by WV Rx, Dr. Julian Espiritu and Tim Allman. 

Physicians—if your office manager is not a member of the OMA, encourage him/her to join this excellent educational association.  Your practice will benefit greatly from the knowledge that your office manager can obtain at OMA meetings and conferences.  By facilitating your office manager’s attendance at OMA functions, you stand to benefit from the latest information that can help your practice.  Your investment in your manager’s education can have a very positive impact on your practice.

Office Managers—if you’re not a member of an OMA chapter, you should join your peers and become active in the OMA chapter near you.   You will find the OMA to be a wealth of information, as well as a good source to provide answers for common management issues.  As many physicians and office managers  can attest---there is power in associations!

For additional information about the OMA , please contact Toni Charlton, OMA President (Antoinette.Charlton@sw-rmc.com), your local chapter of the OMA or Barbara Good (Barbara@wvsma.com).

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BrickStreet has issued a new Preferred Drug List (PDL) for physicians.  Several additions were made from the old list. A few of these include:

• Avelox- Generic available in December
• Imitrex (Sumatriptan- various dosages)
• Zyrtec (Cetiizine- various dosages)

The BrickStreet PDL is a listing of medications for which BrickStreet will reimburse without prior authorization. Any medication not listed on the PDL must be authorized for payment before the prescription can be filled.

Utilizing the medications on this list will help maximize benefits as well as minimize prescription medication costs.
For questions or more information, please contact BrickStreet at 866-45BRICK.
 

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PEIA has signed a contract with Humana, Inc. to provide Medicare Advantage benefits for the majority of the PEIA Medicare-eligible population, effective January 1, 2010. 

In order to provide an easier transition for this program, Humana has been holding free webinars for physicians and staff.  The webinars are designed to help increase awareness of the plan and how it will be administered by Humana. 

There is one other opportunity to participate in a free webinar.  The last Humana webinar is scheduled on Tuesday, November 11, from Noon – 1:00 PM.

If you are interested in participating in this webinar, please reply to Sherry Brown at sbrown33@human.com or call 1-800-664-2366.   You will be given log in information when you register. 
 

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on October 15, 2009 that distribution of 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) payments has begun. These payments will be issued to the Tax ID number by Medicare carrier via paper check or electronically. It will take at least a month to distribute all 2008 PQRI incentive payments. For those eligible professionals who were initially found unsuccessful under the 2007 program, 2007 PQRI re-run payments will be distributed in November 2009. Both 2007 re-run and 2008 PQRI feedback reports will be made available in early November.

CMS has also created an alternative process that individual eligible professionals may use to request 2007 re-run and 2008 PQRI feedback reports based on their individual NPI. This additional option is not applicable to group practices, which must use the Individuals Authorized Access to CMS Computer Services (IACS) system to access a feedback report.

Beginning on October 19, individual PQRI participants can call Palmetto GBA Provider Contact Center to request the 2007 re-run and 2008 PQRI feedback reports that will contain data based on his/her individual NPI. This means that physicians who are part of a group practice can get an individual feedback reports.  When requesting feedback reports, physicians will be asked to provide an e-mail address.   He/she can then expect to receive the e-mailed feedback report within 30 days.

For additional information regarding this alternative PQRI feedback report request process, please read the October 14 CMS Medlearn Matters article number SE-0922 found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0922.pdf.

Additional information about the PQRI program and the 2008 incentive payments and feedback reports may be found under the Spotlight section of the CMS PQRI website at www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri.

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UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc. (UniCare) offers a variety of health education programs for members, at no cost to the physician or member.  The plan is now offering Tobacco Cessation Counseling to their members.  Information about the Unicare tobacco cessation program is provided below.

Billing Code Information

New CPT coding is available for smoking cessation counseling. UniCare requests that physicians use the following codes:

99406: Smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling visit; intermediate
(greater than three minutes, up to 10 minutes)
99407: Smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling visit; intensive
(greater than 10 minutes)

Quit Line Available to Assist with Tobacco Cessation Services

As of April 1, 2009, UniCare began providing members with access to the West Virginia
Tobacco Quit Line.   If your patients are UniCare members enrolled in the Mountain Health Trust program and they are interested in tobacco cessation services, they should first meet for a counseling session and then be referred to the Quit Line at 1-877-966-8784.

The Quit Line will triage callers, provide counseling services and assist members with obtaining Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Physicians may find a Quit Line Form on the UniCare website, www.unicare.com.   Below are more detailed instructions for completing the form.

1. Enter www.unicare.com into your web browser.
2. Select Providers on the left side of the screen and under Learn More, select State
Sponsored Plans.
3. Click the link West Virginia – Medicaid Managed Care.
4. Scroll to the subheading Programs and Services and click the link Health Education
Programs: Programs to Keep You Well.
5. Scroll to the subheading Smoking Cessation for the Quit Line Fax Referral form and
other information on smoking cessation.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services allows these services to be provided by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, qualified psychologist, or clinical social worker. CMS does not have specific training requirements. The counseling must be provided face-to-face with the patient.

Please contact UniCare’s Community Resource Center at 1-888-611-9958 if you have questions or need a copy of the form faxed to your office.

More resources about Unicare’s health education programs are available online at
www.unicare.com, on the provider resources page. Click the link Health Education Programs: Programs To Keep You Well.

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What You Need to Know About the New HIPAA Breach Notification Rule

(This information is supplied by the American Medical Association)

New regulations effective September 23, 2009 require all physicians who are covered by HIPAA to notify patients if there are breaches of security involving their medical information. These requirements apply in addition to any notification obligations imposed by state law. These requirements also supplement the obligations imposed by the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.

HIPAA covered entities (i.e, health plans, health care clearinghouses, physicians, and other health care providers who transmit any health information electronically in connection with a HIPAA standard transaction) must comply with the new breach notification requirements specified in interim final regulations promulgated pursuant to the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” that was signed into law on February 17, 2009. Following the discovery of a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI), physicians must provide notification to affected individuals, to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and in some cases, to the media.

The breach notification provisions are effective, and compliance is required for breaches occurring on or after September 23, 2009. However, HHS will use its discretion not to enforce the new breach notice requirements and will not impose sanctions or financial penalties for breaches discovered before February 22, 2010.

After the breach notification rule takes effect, but before HHS imposes sanctions, HHS expects compliance with the breach notification requirements. Accordingly, the American Medical Association recommends that physicians (and their business associates) plan immediately to comply with these new breach notification requirements.

This new HIPAA Breach Notification Rule only concerns the unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of unsecured patient health information as a result of a security breach. This Rule does not replace the existing HIPAA Privacy Rule that permits a covered entity (i.e., physician) to use and disclose patient health information, within
certain limits and protections, for treatment, payment, and health care operations activities.

Breach Notification Requirements

What Constitutes a Breach

A breach is defined as the acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of unsecured PHI which is not permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rules and compromises the security or privacy of
the PHI. In order to determine whether a breach of unsecured PHI has occurred, the Rule calls for physicians to perform risk assessments to establish whether a significant risk of financial, reputational, or other harm to the affected individual(s) exists. If the physician performs a risk assessment and determines that there is significant risk of harm to the affected individual(s) as a result of the unauthorized use or disclosure of unsecured PHI, then breach notification(s) are required. For example, a stolen laptop containing patient health records that is not encrypted would constitute a breach and trigger notification requirements, unless the laptop was returned and a forensic analysis demonstrates that the PHI was not accessed or otherwise compromised.

What Constitutes Unsecured PHI

Unsecured PHI is any patient health information that is not secured through a technology or methodology, specified by HHS, that renders the PHI unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals. Unsecured PHI (i.e., patient’s full name, patient’s address, social security number, diagnosis) can be in any form or medium including electronic, paper, or in oral form.

Exceptions to the Breach Notification Requirements

The law identifies the following circumstances when a breach notification is NOT required: 

      o Any unintentional acquisition, access, or use of the PHI by a workforce member (i.e., employees, volunteers, trainees, and other persons whose conduct is under the direct control of a covered entity, whether or not they are paid by the covered entity) or an individual, acting upon the authority of the HIPAA covered entity or a business associate (BA), who acquired, accessed, or used the PHI in good faith and within the normal scope of his/her authority, and if that PHI is not further used or disclosed. For example, breach notification would not be required where a billing employee receives and opens an email containing PHI about a patient which a nurse mistakenly sent to the billing employee but, upon noticing that he/she is not the intended recipient, the billing employee alerts the nurse of the misdirected e-mail, and then deletes it; 

      o Any inadvertent disclosure by a person who is authorized to access PHI at a covered entity or BA to another person authorized to access PHI at the same covered entity, BA, or organized health care arrangement2 in which the covered entity participates, and the PHI is not further used or disclosed in violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rules; 

      o A disclosure of PHI where a covered entity or BA has a good faith belief that an unauthorized person to whom the disclosure was made would not reasonably have been able to retain such information (i.e., a laptop is lost or stolen and then recovered, and a forensic analysis of the computer shows that information was not opened, altered, transferred, or otherwise compromised); 

      o If law enforcement determines that notification would impede a criminal investigation or cause damage to national security, covered entities are allowed to delay notification, but only for up to 30 days as orally directed by the law enforcement agency, or for such longer period as the law enforcement agency specifies in writing; and 

      o Encryption and destruction are deemed as the technologies and methods for securing PHI. Covered entities that have thus secured their PHI through appropriate encryption or destruction methods are relieved of the notification obligation (unless otherwise required by federal or state law or necessary to mitigate the harmful effect of the breach). The encryption must be an algorithmic process with a confidential process or encryption key, and the decryption tools are stored at a location separate from the encrypted data.. With regard to destruction, paper copies of PHI must be shredded or destroyed and electronic media copies of PHI must be cleared, purged, or destroyed such that PHI cannot be retrieved..

Breach Notification

HIPAA covered entities (i.e., physicians) are required to notify the affected individuals of any unauthorized acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of unsecured PHI without unreasonable delay but not later than 60 calendar days after discovery. Thus if the physician has compiled all of the necessary information to provide notification of a breach of unsecured PHI to affected individual(s) by day 10 (10 days from the day the breach was discovered) but waits until day 60 to send notifications, this would constitute an unreasonable delay.

BAs who have access to PHI are required to notify the covered entity of any such breach, including the name of any individual whose unsecured PHI has been released. Physicians should make sure that their agreements with BAs address these new breach notification requirements, including the timing of BA notification to a physician following a breach and responsibility for paying costs resulting from a breach. While HHS has indicated that the parties to BA agreements have flexibility in this regard, it has encouraged the parties to ensure that individuals do not receive notification from both the BA and the covered entity, as this could be confusing.

Discovery of Breaches
Breaches are treated as discovered as of the first day on which the breach is known or should have been known to the physician (or where the BA is acting as their agent).

How to Provide Notice
Physicians should send written notification via first class mail to each affected individual
(or if deceased, the individual’s next of kin) at the last known address, unless the individual has indicated a preference for e-mail. In situations where a physician deems possible imminent misuse of unsecured PHI, the physician may provide other forms of notice, such as by telephone or e-mail, in addition to the written notice.

If the address is unknown for fewer than 10 individuals, then a substitute notice must be provided by other means reasonably calculated to reach the affected individual, such as by telephone. If the address is unknown for 10 or more individuals, then a substitute notice must be provided by either a conspicuous posting on the entity’s web homepage for a specified period of time (period of time proposed by HHS is 90 days) or a conspicuous publication in major print or broadcast media in the geographic areas where the individuals affected by the breach likely reside. The substitute notice must include a toll-free number that remains active for at least 90 days.

Notice to 500+ Affected Individuals

If the breach of unsecured PHI affects 500 or more individuals, then the notice must also be provided to major media outlets serving the relevant State or jurisdiction. The notice to the media must contain the same information as the written notice to individuals, and must similarly be provided without unreasonable delay, but in no case later than 60 calendar days after discovery of the breach.

Notice to HHS
Additionally, the physician must notify HHS, in the manner specified on the HHS website, contemporaneously with the notice sent to the individuals. The HHS website will have a list that identifies the covered entities involved in a breach in which 500 or more individuals are affected. If less than 500 individuals are affected then the covered entity may maintain a log of the breaches and must submit this log annually to HHS (within 60 days after the end of each calendar year).

Contents of the Written Notice
The written notice must contain the following content:
1. Notification must be written in plain language;
2. A brief description of what happened, including the date of the breach and the date of the discovery of the breach to the extent these dates are known;
3. A description of the types of unsecured PHI that were disclosed in the breach (i.e., full name, social security number, date of birth, home address, account number, diagnosis, disability code, etc.);
4. Steps that the patients should take to protect themselves from potential harm resulting from the breach of unsecured PHI (such as contacting their credit card companies);
5. A brief description of the actions taken by the physician to investigate the breach, mitigate harm to individuals, and to protect against any further breaches; and
6. Contact procedures for individuals to ask questions or learn additional information, including a toll-free number, an e-mail address, website, or postal address. 
 
Compliance with Federal and State Laws on Breach Notifications

The new HIPAA breach notification requirements override any conflicting state laws. However, physicians must comply with both federal and state breach notification laws if the state law does not conflict with these new HIPAA breach notification requirements (i.e., a state law requires the covered entity to send a notice of a breach of unsecured PHI to the affected individual(s) in 30 calendar days (not 60 days), and the physician has all of the necessary information to comply with the state’s 30 day requirement. Issuing the notice by day 30 does not conflict with federal law.)
These requirements similarly do not override obligations imposed by other federal laws, such as requirements imposed by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to the notice by those with Limited English Proficiency, and requirements imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure effective communication of the notice to individuals with disabilities.

Additional Requirements

In addition to the breach notification requirements, the federal regulations impose additional compliance obligations on physician practices consistent with those imposed by other HIPAA obligations, including the requirement to:
 1) Revise the practice’s policies and procedures and Notice of Privacy Practices to reflect the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule. For example, physicians should make sure that their practice’s HIPAA compliance program, including record retention practices, address risk assessments for determining whether a breach of unsecured PHI has occurred;
 2) Train their workforce members on the practice’s policies and procedures with respect to the notification requirements;
 3) Allow individuals to complain about those policies and procedures, or whether the notification requirements have been violated;
 4) Sanction workforce members who violate the notification requirements; and
 5) Refrain from retaliating against those who exercise their rights.

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(This information has been supplied by the West Virginia Medical Insurance Agency)

The West Virginia Medical Insurance Agency, a wholly owned subsidiary of the West Virginia State Medical Association, reports that physicians should be aware of the new Medicare reporting requirements that place new obligations on professional liability insurance companies and others effective January 1, 2010.  In general, the new law requires insurance carriers notify Medicare of any payment made to a Medicare beneficiary after this date.  The only exception to the reporting requirements includes payments below the mandatory reporting threshold (which decreases from $5,000 for payments made on or after January 1, 2010 to $2,000 for payments made on or after January 1, 2011, and further to $600 for payments made on or after January 1, 2012).

Why do you need to know this:   because any physician who pays an excess-of-threshold settlement out-of-pocket to a Medicare beneficiary must self-report as a “self insured” – becoming a “Responsible Reporting Entity” (RRE), per Medicare.  The same is true for medical entities that do so.  And the process of registering with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) as a self-insured is complicated, expensive, and time consuming.  Any insured considering such a settlement payment (noting the thresholds and dates noted above) should first obtain extensive information on reporting, including electronic requirements, and be aware of the steep penalties for failure to report. 

There are 129 fields in the electronic form that “Responsible Reporting Entities” (RRE) must submit to Medicare, including information about the Medicare beneficiary’s attorney, date and details re: the incident that gave rise to the injury, detailed information regarding the payment, etc.         
                                                                                                 
The West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company, the endorsed carrier of the West Virginia State Medical Association,  has registered with CMS as an RRE, and is preparing the programs and protocols necessary to be compliant with this new reporting requirement.

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(This information supplied by the West Virginia Medical Institute)

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Federal government is offering resources and incentives for primary care physicians to acquire electronic medical records and to demonstrate that you are using the technology to improve the health of your patients. The law calls this meaningful use—another one of those new words. 

These payments could range from $44,000 over 5 years under Medicare or $63,750 under Medicaid for every primary care physician in the form of incentive payments for using Health Information Technology (Health IT).  If you miss the opportunity or opt out from benefiting from these resources, you could well find yourself subject to penalties in the form of reduced reimbursement from Medicare.

How can I learn more about the incentives?

The federal government is making available a resource specifically for primary care physicians with technical assistance and support.  In West Virginia, West Virginia Health Improvement Institute is applying to become a Heath IT Regional Extension Center (HITREC).  The sole purpose of the HITREC, or Extension Center, is to help you choose, implement, and demonstrate you are using electronic medical record technology in a meaningful way.

So how can I be part of the HITREC?

The Extension Center will provide you with the following support services:

•     Regular updates on funding opportunities for HIT and what you need to do to avoid penalties.
•     If you currently don’t have an EHR, assistance to select a system that meets your needs.
•     Assistance with negotiating contracts to ensure you are getting the best value for your money.
•     Direct, “hands-on” consultation and assistance during the implementation process, including workflow review and adjustment.
•     If you already have an EHR or will be acquiring one, training and coaching for you and your staff on using the EHR to drive improvements in the health of your patients.
•     Help desk support for routine issues using your technology.
•     An HIT coach as a single point of contact to help you sort through all the bureaucracy, chaos, and confusion while helping to  safeguard your valuable time.

Join the Extension Center’s Users Group by signing the attached agreement. There is no cost or obligation to join now.

In the event that West Virginia Health Improvement Institute receives funding to become the Extension Center, the Federal government will provide us for two years with a 90% subsidy to provide the services noted above to what they define as priority practices. Sorting through the federal guidance and opportunities can be very time consuming, challenging and confusing. The Extension Center can help you navigate these challenges.  Unfortunately, the resources are limited and clearly favor those who act early. 

We urge you to commit to working with us, since the Extension Center represents the largest Federal commitment ever to assist practices to implement HIT. We pledge to bring your practice to meaningful use of Health IT as quickly as possible, and to maintain that status, so that you may secure the Medicaid or Medicare incentives that will significantly defray your cost for purchasing and implementing HIT and, in the case of Medicare, avoiding penalties for not meeting meaningful use standards.

 
Regional Extension Center Provider Users Group Agreement

(An authorized representative of the practice may sign this form, but this representative should include each name and NPI number of each provider. Make copies, if needed to list all providers.)

I would like to sign up to become a member of the Extension Center’s Provider Users Group. I understand that I am under no obligation by signing up for the Extension Center Provider Users Group. Doing so only signifies my understanding of the mission of the Extension Center and my agreement with that mission.
 
Joining Users Group Only  _____   

__________________________________ _____________________
Authorized Representative    NPI, if applicable

__________________________________ _____________________
Signature      Phone

__________________________________ _____________________
Address      email address

__________________________________ _____________________
Address      FAX Number

__________________________________ _____________________
Provider Name     NPI

__________________________________ _____________________
Provider Name     NPI

__________________________________ _____________________
Provider Name     NPI

__________________________________ _____________________
Provider Name     NPI

Return by November 2, 2009 to:

Jill Aliff, RN
West Virginia Medical Institute
3001 Chesterfield place
Charleston, WV 25304
        or
Fax:  304-347-8663
Questions? Email or phone…
jaliff@wvmi.org
 304-346-9864 extension 4247
 

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• • Influenza and H1N1 Update
• • Red Flags Rule Scheduled to Take Effect on November 1, 2009
• • Primary Care Providers Being Recruited to Participate in Pilot Projects
• • West Virginia Office Managers Association Holds Successful Conference
• • BrickStreet Update
• • Don't Miss This Important Webinar!
• • CMS Announces 2008 PQRI Payments and Feedback Reports
• • UniCare News
• • The New HIPAA Breach Notification Rule
• • Mandatory Medicare Reporting Requirements as of January 1, 2010
• • EHR Assistance Program Available for West Virginia Physicians