Cognitive dissonance in health IT, in one infographic and one tweet
ONC paints an awfully rosy picture of the current state of health IT, specifically in the area of consumer access. Small practices may beg to differ.
‘Every ICD-10 Code’ seems to have missed a few
At least we now know that "other contact with crocodile" is a billable medical condition in ICD-10.
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When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
CIO: ICD-10 has been OK so far, but don’t call it a win yet
Medicare payments for claims submitted since the switch to ICD-10 should hit any day now.
Looking for ICD-10 coding tools? Here’s my list
A full list inside. But do any of them do the job?
AMA gets on board with ICD-10 after CMS eases rules
The American Medical Association has publicly expressed support for newly announced flexibility in enforcement of ICD-10 rules.
Soul-crushing regulations: How bureaucrats are chasing smart young entrepreneurs out of HIT
At the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s second roundtable on digital health, Jonathan Bush spoke up for the people who were not in the room. He and several of 10 panelists explained that the culture of “wanton, random, soul-crushing regulation” was scaring many entrepreneurs and millions of VC dollars away from healthcare. He had two […]
Power Politics and the Hijacking of Healthcare Policy
The Delay of ICD-10 Dealing from the bottom of the deck. Winning at any cost. If I can’t get what I want from you at the front door you might find me crawling in your window at midnight. Politicians like to say they care about transparency, just like many of them claim to be a […]
CMS reschedules ICD-10 implementation for Oct 2015
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have confirmed that, after a surprise delay in ICD-10 implementation, October 1, 2015 will be the new deadline for the medical codes to be put in place. Some media reports observed that the language in CMS’ short statement on the issue indicates that it wants hospitals to use ICD-9 […]
Will you be prepared for the transition to ICD-10? DocuTAP says only 30% of payers are ready
Surprisingly, things can move fast in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, March 27, the House of Representatives passed bill H.R. 4302 (Protecting Access to Medicare)—known as the ‘Doc Fix’ bill—by voice vote. This bill’s main provision is to adjust the sustainable growth rate (SGR) for Medicare payments, which states how much physicians get paid for services. […]
ICD-10 — What next?
After the senate vote on HR 4302 last night , I sent an email to the CIOs of payers and providers in Massachusetts, suggesting that we need to capture the millions spent locally in ICD-10 preparations before mothballing our projects. I suggested that we should continue with testing and go live with as much […]
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Where doctors should be in the onward march of ICD-10
There is much fear and concern among doctors and other healthcare workers surrounding the implementation of ICD-10. Many are predicting a delay in reimbursements in October when ICD-10 is made mandatory for insurance reimbursement. Surely those who wait to near the deadline will have problems. Doctors should be preparing from now, if not sooner. Where […]
I think I’m suffering from post-traumatic electronic overload disorder
I have been a way from blogging for a bit – tried to clear my head a bit with a vacation skiing – left the computer at home, disconnected (as best I could), and had the luxury of feeling the knees working less fluidly than they had before, but still had some fun for a […]
ICD-10 Delays – Detaching Physicians
The changed ICD-10 deadline has left physicians deviating from their plans to implement the new diagnostic codes. The deadline, once set for 2013, was shifted to October 2014, with many physicians still left behind the timeline, causing it to act as a red herring. A survey by the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange has revealed […]
Does ICD-10 pilot forecast a perfect storm for healthcare?
Let me concede from the outset that, in this blog post, I lean toward the negative—dire predictions, worst-case scenarios, a bit of doom and gloom, etc. But I ask you, oh gentle, patient reader, how could I not? Let’s go to the satellite. You can see warm air from a low-pressure system (Meaningful Use Stage […]
This picture book of strange ICD-10 codes is perfect for every health IT geek’s coffee table
The transition to ICD-10 is no joke, but a new book full of artistic interpretations of the most bizarre and unlikely ICD-10 codes is kind of hilarious. A group of artists, entrepreneurs and healthcare professionals teamed up to put together the picture book, appropriately titled Struck By Orca. Other codes depicted in the book include […]