Hill Country Practice Management

Hill Country Practice Management Copyright (c) 2010,2011 AO Design -. All rights reserved. http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/ Medical Software and Support Laurl Mountan Reasearch - Hill Country Practice Management en-us Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:33:34 -0600 5 Hill Country Practice Management 336 93 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/ http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/images/logo.jpg Webinar Series: Ask the ANSI 5010 Experts http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=19 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=19 Medical Software and Support Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:15:00 -0600 <div style="font: bold 18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ff6600;">Webinar Series: Ask the ANSI 5010 Experts</div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">The new HIPAA 5010 standards (a.k.a. ANSI 5010) went into effect January 1, 2012.  Whether you have already upgraded to a 5010-compliant practice management system or are considering an upgrade, chances are you have quetsions.</div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">Here's your chance to get your product-related 5010 questions answered by one of McKesson's 5010 experts. Our product managers and EDI support manager will conduct six Q&A webinars over the next couple of months as we move toward the March 31 enforcement deadline.</div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">Register to attend one of the webinars listed in the box. All webinars will be from 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.</div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;"></div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">If you haven't upgraded to Medisoft Version 17, don't put your cash flow at risk.</div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;"></div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;"> </div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333; text-align: center;">Attend Webinar</div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;"> <div style="font: 16px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff;">Asttend Webinar</div> <div style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">Join one of six "Ask the ANSI 5010 Experts" webinars to ask your 5010 questions to McKesson's product management and support experts. Webinars will be held on the following dates from 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST:</div> <ul> <li style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">January 30</li> <li style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">February 8</li> <li style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">February 20</li> <li style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">February 27</li> <li style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">March 7</li> <li style="font: 12px/18px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">March 19</li> </ul> </div> Meaningful Use Strategic Team Update (MUST) http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=18 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=18 Medical Software and Support Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:12:00 -0600 Philip Wilson of PPS Academy provided an update on the activities of the new Meaningful Use Strategic Team (MUST). Of particular note, the MUST team held a VAR webinar on Friday, January 20 to introduce MUST and its initiatives. On the call, the team also provided an update on how to use PPS products o meet Meaningful Use, and hosted a Q&A session specifically for our Value Added Resellers. If you were unable to attend or would like to review the recording again, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www118.livemeeting.com/cc/mckesson/view?id=B5KJNN&pw=RZ-9K%7dz" target="_blank">please click here</a>. Thank you to everyone who participated on the February VAR In the Know call. If you have ideas for future topics, please email <a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:holly.wilson@mckesosn.com">holly.wilson@mckesosn.com</a>. 4010/5010 Transition http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=17 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=17 Medical Software and Support Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:11:00 -0600 Due to time constraints on the call, the 4010/5010 transition discussion was cut short. We know that there is a lot of confusion in the market right now regarding the transition, and we are working to bring clarity as soon as possible. Be on the lookout for additional information and updated 5010 tools to come soon. In the meantime, review the 4010/5010 transition slides from the VAR In the Know call. They include testimonials from VARs and customers regarding the transition as well as an overview of what we are hearing in the industry. Also, we are hosting “Ask the ANSI 5010 Experts” webinars over the next several weeks. These webinars are designed for customers and VARs to get their 5010 questions answered by product management and support. CMS Delays Enforcement of HIPAA 5010; Compliance Date Remains January 1, 2012 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=16 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=16 Medical Software and Support Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:37:00 -0600 <div>CMS Delays Enforcement of HIPAA 5010; Compliance Date Remains January 1, 2012   On November 17, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Office of E-Health Standards and Services (OESS) announced that it will not enforce compliance with the ASC X21 Version 5010 (a.k.a. ANSI 5010) standards until March 31, 2012. However, the January 1, 2012 ANSI 5010 compliance date remains in effect. Essentially the OESS, which enforces compliance with HIPAA transaction and code set standards (i.e., ANSI 5010), is granting a grace period to ensure that the industry has fully tested for 5010 before it takes enforcement action against HIPAA-covered entities that are not compliant. A HIPAA-covered entity is any healthcare provider that conducts certain transactions in electronic format as well as clearinghouses and health plans. </div> <div>CMS made this decision with 45 days remaining until the January 1, 2012 compliance date because:</div> <ul> <li>Testing by the covered entities and their trading partners had not reached a threshold whereby a majority of covered entities would be compliant by January 1, 2012.</li> <li>The number of submitters and volume of transactions and testing data used as indicators of 5010 readiness have been low across some industry sectors.</li> <li>Many covered entities are still completing software upgrades.</li> </ul> <div>What does this mean to you? </div> <ul> <li>To reiterate, the compliance date for 5010 has not changed. Per CMS, payers that are certified on 5010 can enforce and require 5010-formatted claims beginning January 1, 2012. </li> <li>CMS encourages covered entities to continue work to be 5010-compliant by January 1, 2012. </li> <li>McKesson's 5010-compliant practice management products for independent and group practices are Medisoft Version 17, Lytec 2011, Practice Partner 9.5.2 and Horizon Practice Plus 12.5. </li> <li>If your practice has plans to upgrade its McKesson practice management system to a 5010-compliant version, please continue with the upgrade as planned. </li> <li>If you have not purchased or scheduled your upgrade to a 5010-compliant release, please do so as soon as possible to ensure that your practice is ready to submit 5010-compliant claims when your payers are ready to accept them. Contact your McKesson representative or value added reseller to request your upgrade.</li> </ul> <div>What does your practice need to do?</div> <div>Once you are live on a 5010-compliant practice management system you should work with your clearinghouse and/or payers to test your 5010 transactions. In addition, you are responsible for making updates to your current production environment to ensure your smooth transition to 5010 production standards. The RelayHealth clearinghouse has been actively testing 5010 claim transactions with Medicare, Medicaid, BlueCross BlueShield, and commercial payer lines of business. Through their extensive testing, they have identified that each payer line of business is continuing to reject test claims from providers because they do not meet 5010 Errata requirements. Please review these common rejections and requirements, and update your production environment accordingly:</div> <ul> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe30157371600375741770&ls=fdf81c707261077f7616717d&m=feed1d787c6206&l=fe8d16747c62037977&s=fe2f12717263047d7d1770&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">Common 5010 Institutional Rejections and Requirements</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2f157371600375741771&ls=fdf81c707261077f7616717d&m=feed1d787c6206&l=fe8d16747c62037977&s=fe2f12717263047d7d1770&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">Common 5010 Professional Rejections and Requirements</a></li> </ul> If you have questions about the steps you need to take to be ready for 5010, please contact your McKesson representative or value added reseller. Practice Choice, Practice Care Launch Event in Orlando http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=15 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=15 Medical Software and Support Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:17:00 -0500 <div>Your Customers are Invited to the McKesson Practice Choice, Practice Care Launch Event in Orlando</div> <div>McKesson Physician Practice Solutions is hosting a special launch event for the McKesson Practice Choice and McKesson Practice Care solutions on September 13 at the ICEBAR in Orlando during the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Scientific Assembly. McKesson Practice Choice is a new SaaS-based electronic health record/practice management system developed by McKesson from the ground up to add to our portfolio of client/server solutions that includes Practice Partner, Medisoft/Medisoft Clinical and Lytec/Lytec MD. McKesson Practice Care is a service offering designed to help independent physician practices run the business side of their practices more efficiently so they may optimize revenue and the vitality of their practices. To learn more about these solutions, go to <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mckessonpracticecare.com/" target="_blank">www.mckessonpracticecare.com.</a></div> <div>Please help us promote the exclusive launch event to your customers. A promotional flyer is posted in the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mckessonmpt.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=6900" target="_blank">VAR In the Know Forum</a> on the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mckessonmpt.invisionzone.com/index.php?act=idx" target="_blank">Invision Power Board</a>. Customers may register online at: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mckesson.cvent.com/event/AAFP2011" target="_blank">http://mckesson.cvent.com/event/AAFP2011</a>. There is no fee to attend the event, but advance registration is required and space is limited. Any questions can be directed to <a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:PracticeCareInfo@McKesson.com">PracticeCareInfo@McKesson.com</a> or <a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:Lisa.Santos@McKesson.com">Lisa.Santos@McKesson.com</a>.</div> As a reminder, Sean Delaney and the EHR Channel Managers are conducting webinar training sessions on McKesson Practice Choice. To learn more, go to the following link on the Invision Power Board: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mckessonmpt.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=6850" target="_blank">http://mckessonmpt.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=6850</a> Join Us for a Special Launch Event in Orlando at AAFP http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=14 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=14 Medical Software and Support Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:17:00 -0500 Join Us for a Special Launch Event in Orlando at AAFP We will officially launch our new solutions on September 13 at a launch event in Orlando at the ICEBAR, and at booth #1229 at the Annual American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Scientific Assembly. This is a complimentary event. <a style="color: #054796;" rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2915727d61037d771277&ls=fdef13767360027970117474&m=feed1d787c6206&l=fe8c16747063017a70&s=fe2f12717263047d7d1770&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">Register Today!</a> Special PPS Announcement: New Products Launching http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=13 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=13 Medical Software and Support Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:16:00 -0500 <div style="font: 12px/16px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">Special PPS Announcement: New Products Launching This fall marks a significant achievement for McKesson Physician Practice Solutions (PPS), and we are thrilled to share this exciting news with our loyal customers and partners first.</div> <div style="font: 12px/16px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">As many of you know, PPS' mission is to enhance the vitality of physician offices nationwide. We see physician practices as the cornerstone of healthcare - they are the front line to the patient and have the strongest patient-physician relationship. However, with the ever-changing healthcare regulations and business aspects related to running a small office, physician practices are struggling to maintain that independence and thrive as a business. McKesson PPS created teams to identify and deliver solutions that would address the challenges of the small physician practice. As a result, we are excited to introduce two new solutions to the independent physician practice market - McKesson Practice ChoiceTM and McKesson Practice CareTM. <a style="color: #054796;" rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2a15727d61037d771276&ls=fdef13767360027970117474&m=feed1d787c6206&l=fe8c16747063017a70&s=fe2f12717263047d7d1770&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">Access</a> the newsletter for the complete announcement and details on these new solutions.</div> 2011 User Group Meeting Guest Speaker Announced http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=12 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=12 Medical Software and Support Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:15:00 -0500 <div style="font: 12px/16px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">2011 User Group Meeting Guest Speaker Announced The Physician Practice Solutions team is pleased to announce that John Hammergren, McKesson Chairman, President and CEO, will address attendees at our User Group Meeting, October 16-18, 2011 in Orlando. John looks forward to speaking at our meeting where he will share his perspective on the issues and opportunities facing healthcare today. Drawing on his experience with organizations across healthcare - from hospitals and retail pharmacies, to payers, manufacturers and physician practices - John will discuss the path to better health for our industry and the patients we serve. He will also share his views on the role of leadership in driving transformational change, the role of Physician Practice Solutions in McKesson's overall strategy, and McKesson's focus on building customer relationships for life.</div> <div style="font: 12px/16px Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #333333;">Register today to secure your spot at the meeting. <a style="color: #054796;" rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2a15727d61037d771276&ls=fdef13767360027970117474&m=feed1d787c6206&l=fe8c16747063017a70&s=fe2f12717263047d7d1770&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">Access</a> the newsletter for details on how to register for the event.</div> Links to News Articles from around the Healthcare Industry http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=9 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=9 Medical Software and Support Tue, 10 May 2011 11:02:00 -0500 Click on the following headlines for recent healthcare information technology industry updates: <ul> <li><a title="AMA President Testifies Before Congress, Urges Medicare Physician Payment Reforms" rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2415717c6d057b7d1676&ls=fdfb13717765067976137874&m=fe6715707761027c7317&l=fe8f1674756d00797c&s=fe2113747c610d79771270&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">AMA President Testifies Before Congress, Urges Medicare Physician Payment Reforms</a></li> <li><a title="The Rise of Social Media & Participatory Medicine" rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2315717c6d057b7d1677&ls=fdfb13717765067976137874&m=fe6715707761027c7317&l=fe8f1674756d00797c&s=fe2113747c610d79771270&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">The Rise of Social Media & Participatory Medicine</a></li> </ul> PPRNet Network Meeting , August 21-23, 2011 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=8 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=8 Medical Software and Support Tue, 10 May 2011 11:02:00 -0500 The 2011 Practice Partner Research Network (PPRNet) Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, August 21 though Tuesday, August 23 at the Embassy Suites Charleston Historic District Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. Major topics for the meeting will include: <ul> <li>Medication Safety </li> <li>Using the PPRNet Improvement Model</li> <li>PPRNet and The Patient Centered Medical Home</li> <li>Updated Reports with Meaningful Use Clinical Quality Measures</li> <li>And More.... </li> </ul> If you or your customers would like to attend the meeting, register at <a href="http://www.musc.edu/PPRNet" target="_blank">www.musc.edu/PPRNet</a>. <a title="PPRNet Network Meeting details" rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2515717c6d057b7d1675&ls=fdfb13717765067976137874&m=fe6715707761027c7317&l=fe8f1674756d00797c&s=fe2113747c610d79771270&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">PPRNet Network Meeting details</a> as well as an overview of the PPRNet organization are posted in the VAR In the Know section of the Invision Power Board. BillFlash Increases Per-statement Fee to Coincide with Postage Increase http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=7 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=7 Medical Software and Support Tue, 10 May 2011 11:01:00 -0500 On April 17, 2011, the United States Postal Service (USPS) increased rates on first-class commercial letters. The USPS did not change the fist-class non-commercial full rate of $0.44. As a result of this USPS rate increase, the fee for a BillFlash first-page mailing has also increased $0.01 in accordance with our Service Agreement (which passes postage increases through to our customers). Respectively, the BillFlash fee increase is also effective April 17, 2011.   Please begin quoting the new BillFlash first-page mailing rate immediately...just add $0.01 to your current price schedule. Or, you can download a current Billflash Fee Schedule at http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2615717c6d057b7d1674&ls=fdfb13717765067976137874&m=fe6715707761027c7317&l=fe8f1674756d00797c&s=fe2113747c610d79771270&jb=ffcf14&t=. Talking points to consider: <ul> <li>This is the first USPS postage rate increase since 5/11/2009 even though the cost for a gallon of gas has risen 92% from $2.06 (5/4/09) to $3.95 (5/4/11). Source: <a href="http://gasbuddy.com/" target="_blank">gasbuddy.com</a></li> <li>This $0.01 increase is approximately a 1.5% increase to BillFlash customers.</li> <li>The increased customer cost for every 500 mailed documents is $5.00 per month. </li> </ul> With no relief in sight from the rising cost of fuel, NexTrust is developing a new paperless document delivery service to give customers a secure option to turn off the mail (and reduce related costs). NexTrust anticipates this new BillFlash service, and a new ePay service, will be available later in 2011. Practice Partner, Medisoft Clinical, Lytec MD Achieve Five-Star Usability Rating from CCHIT http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/news.php?id=6 http://www.lmr-hcpm.com/rss.php?id=6 Medical Software and Support Tue, 10 May 2011 10:59:00 -0500 CCHIT rated all of its certified products and awarded its highest five-star usability rating to Practice Partner, Medisoft Clinical and Lytec MD. To determine the ratings, CCHIT selects an independent group of jurors to rate certified products on their usability because highly usable systems will increase adoption while less usable systems could require more training and decrease adoption. For this study, usability is defined as the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which the intended users can achieve their tasks in the context of product use. The five-star rating signifies that: <ul> <li>All key features were discoverable and usable. </li> <li>User efficiency would not be dramatically impeded by any of the observed usability issues.</li> <li>All or most observed usability issues would only have the potential to cause low-level user irritation.</li> <li>Use of system functionality that is critical to user efficiency or patient safety would not be hindered. </li> </ul> The five-star usability rating is displayed on each product's page on the CCHIT Web site at <a title="www.cchit.org" rel="nofollow" href="http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe2815717c6d057b7d1672&ls=fdfb13717765067976137874&m=fe6715707761027c7317&l=fe8f1674756d00797c&s=fe2113747c610d79771270&jb=ffcf14&t=" target="_blank">www.cchit.org</a> .