Industry Reports and Acts
Getting an NPI is Free; Not Having One May Be Costly
If you are a health care provider who bills for services, you probably need a National Provider Identification number, or “NPI.” If you bill Medicare for services, you definitely need an NPI. The first step is to get your NPI. Note: once you obtain your NPI, it will take an estimated 120 days to complete the remaining work necessary for you to use it. This includes working on your internal billing systems, coordinating with billing services, vendors, and clearinghouses, and testing with payers. If you delay applying for your NPI, you risk an impact on your cash flow.
The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) mandated that physicians and other health care providers obtain and begin using a National Provider Identifier (NPI) by May 23, 2007. This one number will replace all the assorted numbers assigned to you by Medicare, Medicaid and private health plans. The number will not change but will remain with you regardless of job or location changes. There is no charge for an NPI.
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You can apply for an NPI online or obtain a printed application that you can submit via mail.
To apply online, go to:
https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov
To obtain a printed NPI application:
Phone: 1-800-465-3203
TTY: 1-800-692-2326
E-mail: customerservice@npienumerator.com
Mail: NPI Enumerator, P.O. Box 6059, Fargo, ND 58108-6059
To read frequently asked questions about the NPI, go to:
https://questions.cms.hhs.gov
Enter "NPI" in the search box.
Electronic Health Record (EHR)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the first ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) products have been certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHITSM). Twenty-two EHR products achieved CCHIT Certified status after undergoing inspections that demonstrated their compliance with CCHIT's published criteria. Inspections are continuing, with additional results to be announced quarterly. While there are numerous barriers in moving to an EHR, this action by CCHIT begins to remove one of the concerns that many practices justifiably had.
HealthMatics EHR by Allscripts
TouchWorks by Allscripts
PowerChart by Cerner Corporation
Companion EMR by Companion Technologies
eClinicalWorks by eClinicalWorks, LLC
Intergy by Emdeon Practice Services
e-MDs Solution Series by e-MDS
EpicCare Ambulatory EMR by Epic Systems Corporation
Centricity EMR by GE Healthcare
EncounterPRO by JMJ Technologies, Inc.
Horizon Ambulatory Care by McKesson Corporation
mMD.Net EHR by MCS-Medical Communication Systems, Inc.
MedcomSoft Record by MedcomSoft Inc.
WebChart by Medical Informatics Engineering, Inc.
Misys EMR by Misys Healthcare Systems
NextGen EMR by NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc.
myNightingale Physician Workstation by Nightingale Informatix Corp.
Practice Partner Patient Records by Practice Partner
MEDENT by Community Computer Service, Inc.
Medical Practice Management Client/Server by LSS Data Systems
iMedica Patient Relationship Manager 2005, version 5.1, by iMedica Corporation
Praxis Electronic Medical Records, version 3.4, by INFOR-MED Corporation
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DC Department of Health Implements Physician Profile
The DC Board of Medicine (BOM) is preparing to bring its electronic physician profile online in early October 2006. The Physician Profile is a database of information that will include comprehensive information about a physician's education, professional experience, credentials and licensure status. The Profile will also include any adverse actions taken against a physician, including misdemeanor and/or felony convictions, actions by regulatory boards and malpractice actions. Physicians will have to provide detailed information to the DC BOM when applying for and renewing licenses. Doctors will not be allowed to renew their licenses until they complete the online profile. Detailed information will be provided in the renewal notices. Expect the renewal notice to arrive in October.
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INFORMATION on Legislation/Regulation Impacting the Practice of Medicine
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RESOURCES on Insurance Programs and Products
- Medicare Part D Toolkit (Link to downloadable toolkit on the web site of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
If you don't have Acrobat Reader on your computer, click here to download it free of charge,
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