Health Information Technology and Health
Information Exchange (HIT/HIE)
Eligible Professionals
Eligible Professionals can apply for EHR payment agreement on Feb. 3, click here to start application process.
Eligible Hospitals
EHR Eligible Hospital payment agreement, click here to start the application.
Webinar #6 HER Application Process/MAPIR Overview – Feb. 8, 2012
- Webinar #6 Presentation (may take several minutes to load)
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Re: Hospital Medicaid EHR Calculator
On Monday, January 23, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) informed KDHE that the methodology used in Kansas regarding patient volume calculations for Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive payments requires that a hospital use both inpatient and ER encounters. Before this correction, KDHE had indicated that hospitals have the option to calculate Medicaid patient volume using only emergency room (ER) encounters, or using only inpatient encounters, or using both ER and inpatient encounters. We regret any inconvenience this miscommunication has caused.
We have replaced the Kansas Hospital Calculator on the KDHE website with an updated calculator. The new calculator has been developed with the Kansas Hospital Association and it includes this change as well as some other clarifications from CMS.
If there are hospitals that do not meet Medicaid patient volume requirements using both inpatient and ER encounters, we ask that they contact Carrie Kimes in HP Customer Service at 1-785-274-4220. We will work closely with these hospitals and CMS to ensure the hospitals are calculating patient volume correctly and have the best chance to qualify for the program.
EHR Incentive Program for Medicaid Providers:
To facilitate the deployment of health information technology and exchange, Congress has authorized incentive payments for Medicare and Medicaid providers for the "meaningful use" of certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology. Funding for the incentives was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Division of Health Care Finance, as the single state Medicaid agency in Kansas, is responsible for implementing this incentive program in Kansas. DHCF anticipates it will be able to issue incentive payments in the fall of 2011.
On July 28, 2010, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published final rules for the EHR Incentive Program. Complete details of the EHR Incentive Program are available on the CMS EHR website.
CMS has adopted a three-stage approach for providers to achieve meaningful use of electronic health records. Read a summary of the Stage 1 requirements.
More on Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
EHR Eligible Professional Meaningful Use Core and Menu Set Measures
EHR Eligible Hospital and CAH Meaningful Use Core Objectives and Menu Set Objectives
Notable Differences between the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs
Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Decision Tool
Providers needing more information about EHR selection or achieving meaningful use should contact the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care (KFMC) EHR Regional Extension Center (REC). KFMC's REC was established by the Office of National Coordinator (ONC) to assist providers in the adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health records.
Kansas Foundation for Medical Care (KFMC) is pleased to announce that all Tier 1 Electronic Health Records (EHR) Vendor Partners have been selected. All vendors are understood to offer products that meet the minimum test of functionality, that have been certified as being capable of satisfying Stage I Meaningful Use criteria, and offer a comprehensive set of support services to both the Regional Extension Center and contracting providers. The information at this link http://www.kfmc.org/rec/vendors/vendorpartners.html will identify the EHR vendors selected to work with KFMC.
Registration
Effective Jan. 3, 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began accepting registration from Eligible Providers and Eligible Hospitals interested in participating in the EHR Incentive Program.
Eligible providers are: acute care hospitals, children's hospitals, physicians, dentists, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC) that is so led by a physician assistant.
The video provides a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) overview for Federal registration - the State registration cannot be fully explained as the programming is still being addressed, and the documentation is being worked on by the vendor. Once this is completed, additional policies are potentially going to need to be added.
The registration user guide and additional information can be found at:https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/20_RegistrationandAttestation.asp#BOOKMARK1. Eligible Providers must first register with CMS into the National Level Repository (NLR) and then register with the State of Kansas (Kansas is participating in a multi-state initiative to design and develop the application to support the incentive process to receive registrations and provide incentive checks. This is currently targeted for a go-live in Fall, 2011).
Note: Hospitals which are eligible for EHR incentive payments under both Medicare and Medicaid when registering with CMS, should select "Both Medicare and Medicaid" during the registration process, even if they plan to apply only for a Medicaid EHR incentive payment by adopting, implementing, or upgrading certified EHR technology. Dually-eligible hospitals can then attest through CMS for their Medicare EHR incentive payment at a later date, if they so desire. It is important as a dually-eligible hospital to select "Both Medicare and Medicaid" from the start of registration in order to maintain this option. Hospitals that register only for the Medicaid program (or only the Medicare program) will not be able to manually change their registration i.e., change to "Both Medicare and Medicaid" or from one program to the other) after a payment is initiated and this may cause significant delays in receiving a Medicare EHR incentive payment.
Certified HIT Software:
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) maintains a list of Electronic Health Records software and modules that have been certified under the Temporary Certification Program. Please see the Certified Health IT Product List for complete details.
BACKGROUND/ISSUE
The Medical Assistance Provider Incentive Repository (MAPIR) is the product that will be used in Kansas to accept and process applications for Electronic Health Record (EHR) provider incentive payments. KDHE has been working with the Kansas Medicaid Fiscal Agent, HP Enterprise Services, to customize and install MAPIR in Kansas.
At the November 9, 2011 Kansas Health Information Exchange (KHIE) Board Meeting, we reported that we would begin accepting and processing applications/attestations from all applicable medical providers in February 2012. We also reported that we were hoping to be ready to accept (not process) attestations from hospitals in December 2011. We advised the Board we were not ready to commit to the December date at that time but would provide an update in mid-November. Due to some delays in receiving the necessary hardware and due to networking issues, we now know that we will not be able to accept hospital attestations/applications in December 2011. Attestations will now begin in January 2012.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR HOSPITALS
Hospitals will still be able to receive EHR Incentive payments for program year 2011 if they complete the attestation process by January 31, 2012. No delays to hospital EHR incentive payments for program year 2011 are expected because of the new January 2012 attestation start date. KDHE expects that attestations received by January 31, 2012 will be fully processed and subsequent payments will be disbursed by April 30, 2012.
We have received verbal assurance from CMS that they will allow a 120-day grace period in Kansas for hospitals to attest on program year 2011. We expect written documentation from CMS regarding the grace period next week.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR ELIGIBLE PROFESSIONALS
As was previously planned, eligible professionals (EPs) will be able to apply for incentive payments in Kansas beginning February 2012. The program year for EPs ends with the calendar year and EPs have a 90-day grace period to attest on the prior program year. Thus, EPs will be able to attest on program year 2011 through March 31, 2012. KDHE expects that attestations received by March 31, 2012 will be fully processed and subsequent payments will disbursed by April 30, 2012.
HIT/HIE Initiative Webinar Series
Webinar #1: Overview of the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program — Aug. 31, 2011
Webinar #2: Hospital Program Overview — Oct. 5, 2011
Webinar #3: Patient Volume Calculation — Oct. 12, 2011
Webinar #4: Monitoring Oversight for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program — Oct. 26, 2011
Webinar #5: Eligible Hospitals – Application Assistance/MAPIR Overview — Jan, 11, 2012
Webinar #6: EHR Application Process/MAPIR Overview — Feb 8, 2012
Fact Sheets
Health Information Technology and Exchange are two of the cornerstones of efforts in Kansas to improve the coordination and delivery of health care services. They are also central to federal efforts under the Affordable Care Act to improve the quality and effectiveness of health care services.
Health Information Technology refers to electronic systems that make it possible for health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. Health IT includes the use of electronic health records (EHRs) instead of paper medical records to maintain people's health information.
Health Information Exchange refers to the electronic movement of health-related data and information among organizations according to agreed standards, protocols, and other criteria.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is the lead agency in charge of coordinating state efforts to secure federal HIT/HIE funding for Kansas. To facilitate that process, DHCF will participate with KDHE in working with stakeholder groups and other interested parties to help set priorities and develop specific proposals for the implementation of HIT and HIE in Kansas, and to ensure they are implemented in the Kansas Medicaid and HealthWave programs.
On October 27, 2010 DHCF received federal approval of its plan to administer incentive funding for Kansas Medicaid providers to assist them in acquiring and implementing HIT and HIE. Additional information is available in State Medicaid HIT Plan (SMHP).
In 2010, the State of Kansas issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to obtain competitive responses from vendors to develop a State Medicaid HIT Plan. This RFP closed December 1, 2010. See links below to view the RFP, Amendment 1, Amendment 2 and additional attachments and exhibits related to this RFP.
Additional Attachments and Exhibits
Related Topics:
KATCH - The Kansas Access to Comprehensive Healthcare initiative: DHCF 's program to increase enrollment and coverage in Kansas through improved technology and community outreach.
HITECH All-Stakeholder Meeting Materials:
News Release - DHCF Taking Next Steps in Modernizing Health Records
Kansas HITECH Meeting (Minutes March 19, 2009)
Other Documents:
Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) Kansas State of the State Report
Development of the Kansas Medical Home Model
Kansas Fact Sheet on Health-Related Provisions of ARRA