CMS drops new EHR incentive requirements

With help from Arthur Allen (@arthurallen202) and Darius Tahir (@dariustahir)

CMS DROPS NEW EHR INCENTIVE REQUIREMENTS: CMS issued a 2,693-page payment rule Thursday outlining new requirements for doctors and hospitals participating in its EHR incentive programs, now known as “promoting interoperability.”

The agency’s final 2019 hospital payment rule accepts a 90-day EHR reporting period, requires the use of 2015-certified EHR software and lowers the number of meaningful use measures while focusing on e-prescribing and data exchange, reports Morning eHealth’s Arthur Allen, who delved into the document.

The rule makes querying a PDMP and verifying opioid treatment agreements optional quality measures for 2019. It removes certain care coordination and patient engagement measures.

It also renames several EHR meaningful use measures. For example, “send a summary of care” becomes “support electronic referral loops by sending health information,” while the “patient electronic access to health information” objective becomes “provider to patient exchange.” Pros can learn more here.

STABLE WEEK FOR EHR EARNINGS: A slew of public EHR companies reported their finances this week, though none were especially dramatic. Some highlights from Cerner and AllScripts:

—VA bounce for Cerner: Kansas City-based Cerner got a bounce from its VA contract in the second quarter. Bookings rose by 9 percent relative to the second quarter of 2017, while revenues rose by 6 percent. That performance was above expectations, and Cerner executives attributed it to the company’s new relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs. President Zane Burke said Cerner firm “remain[s] on track to begin the next wave” of DOD deployments this year as well.

The company also has been partnering with telehealth provider American Well, and Cerner executives indicated that they were pleased by recent developments in Medicare reimbursement for the modality.

—Less regulatory pressure means more uncertainty for Allscripts: The company reported $278 million in the second quarter compared with $407 million in the same period last year. Allscripts President Rick Poulton said during an earnings call that leadership was “a bit disappointed” with the results, noting that there’s less regulatory pressure to buy the software (especially as federal incentive programs have already taken effect). “The market has moved to [return-on-investment]-driven demand,” he said, which makes the market more difficult to predict. Poulton said he expected to see quarter-over-quarter volatility in bookings.

eHealth Tweet (and photo!) of the day: John P. Leonard, MD @JohnPLeonardMD A patient brings us fresh-picked blueberries, my physician assistant turns them into muffins, I eat - we are truly a multidisciplinary collaborative team in our clinic (excuse my purple fingers)

It’s FRIDAY at Morning eHealth, where your author has characteristically waited ‘til August to do her spring cleaning. What nonprofits accept large volumes of old clothes? Suggestions and news tips go to [email protected]. Reach the rest of the team at @arthurallen202, @dariustahir, @ravindranize, @POLITICOPro and @Morning_eHealth.

FCC ADVANCES $100 MILLION TELEHEALTH PILOT CONCEPT: The Federal Communications Commission unanimously agreed Thursday to advance an inquiry on building a $100 million pilot fund supporting remote monitoring programs.

The FCC is now seeking comment about a Universal Service Fund that would support broadband-enabled telemedicine services, especially those delivered directly to patients at home. Commissioner Brendan Carr originated the concept.

Sen.Brian Schatz, a co-author of the CONNECT for Health Act, which aims to expand access to telehealth services, thanked Carr and the commission for “looking at new ways to extend the benefits of telehealth to more veterans and families who are still struggling to get the care they need.”

Carr said in a release that the effort could “help bridge this doctor divide.” More for Pros here.

MEDICINE GETS THE GIG ECONOMY TREATMENT: A growing number of recruiting companies — some of which compare themselves to ridesharing giant Uber — are offering doctors the chance to take on virtual side gigs from their homes or offices. There’s little data on how widespread the practice is, but these sites hint at a future in which doctors can cobble together virtual opportunities instead of being tied to one provider network.

Telemedicine is increasingly a viable option, particularly for “physicians who are starting to want to slow down, or who have more flexible time, but they don’t want to exit the market,” says Jeff Decker, president of Staff Care, a short-term health care recruiting company that has been connecting its customers to virtual opportunities for a few years.

Telemedicine could address some severe shortages of physicians, especially in rural areas, and also help reduce with high physician burnout by letting doctors take calls from home or a nearby facility instead of traveling, Decker tells Morning eHealth.

Competitor Nomad Health launched its telemedicine-jobs marketplace in 2017 with a mission to “connect supply and demand,” CEO Alexi Nazem says.

Its customers include AmericanWell, which has a staff of on-call doctors providing virtual care in most states, and Roman, a men’s health site with 25 clinicians — all of whom treat erectile dysfunction. Roman doesn’t require particular hours and views its clinicians as independent contractors, said Tzvi Doron, Roman’s clinical director. Many work for Roman in addition to regular in-person jobs, though a handful are remotely finding opportunities on Roman and other platforms that add up to full-time work. Pros can read the rest of the story here.

SOFTWARE UPGRADE EXPOSES 19,000 PATIENT RECORDS: Orlando Orthopaedic’s transcriptionist vendor inadvertently caused more than 19,000 patient records to be exposed, HealthcareITNews reports. The vendor made an error during a software upgrade that left a server open to the public without authentication; exposed data included patient names, birth dates, and medical treatment, among other sensitive information.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK: ONC’s Interoperability Forum runs Monday through Wednesday.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS: The Consumer Technology Association has hired Rene Quashie as its first digital health vice president. Quashie joins from law firm Cozen O’Connor, where he focused on policy surrounding telehealth and mobile health.

WHAT WE’RE CLICKING ON:

—Bloomberg reports on the gaps in DNA privacy pledges.

—NBC reportsCDC data showing a surge in e-cigarette sales.

—A Sequoia Project posts an updateon CommonWell sites now exchanging with Carequality