According to Beavercreek-based Oncore Associates, physicians offices that switch from paper to EMRs can receive $18,000 in Medicare incentives if they successfully navigate the transition this year. Making the change next year can yield $12,000 in Medicare benefits.
Federal regulators are encouraging the change in the belief that use of EMRs are more efficient, which, some say, will save money over time.
But the American Hospital Association last week publicly asked the government to ease deadlines in the move to EMRs. Last week, the Health Information Technology Committee — which reports to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — voted 12-5 to recommend that the department push back deadlines for doctors to prove they can “meaningfully use” EMRs from next year to 2014, and only when at least 75 percent of hospitals and physicians have been able to complete the first stage of meeting EMR requirements.
“The scope of change currently under way is creating a ‘perfect storm’ of overlapping requirements that threatens to overwhelm (health care) providers,” the AHA wrote in a letter dated June 6.
Chantal Worzala, director of policy for AHA, said most physicians and hospitals welcome EMRs, but they need more time.
“It’s not just the electronic health records,” she said. “The federal government is looking for a lot of different changes ... pretty much all at the same time.”
“They’re extremely busy,” Jeffrey Back, Oncore managing partner, said of hospitals and doctors. “It takes a lot of time.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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