ILHITREC Header & Logo 
At the Forefront of Healthcare Transformation! 

  
Eligible Hospitals and CAHs: The Meaningful Use  
Attestation System is Moving in 2018 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is continuing to take steps to make attestation simpler for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program.

What is changing?
  • For Medicare eligible hospitals and CAHs, we're migrating the 2017 meaningful use submission process from the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System to the  QualityNet Secure Portal (QNet). QNet is the same system you currently use for CQM reporting, so beginning January 2, 2018, you can submit both meaningful use and quality attestations in one place. The change applies to 2017 meaningful use data, as well as future reporting periods. CAHs that attest to meaningful use using QNet will also have the option to manually or electronically attest for CQMs using QNet.
  • The Registration and Attestation System will still be available for Medicaid eligible hospitals. Medicaid-only hospitals should contact their state Medicaid agencies for specific information on how to attest.
  • Hospitals and CAHs attesting for both Medicare and Medicaid (as dually eligible hospitals) will register and attest for Medicare on the  QNet portal and update and submit registration information in the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System.
What Do You Need to Do? Starting in October 2017, CMS will open new user enrollment registration on the   QNet portal . Between October and December 2017, you will be able to view your data in the existing CMS EHR Incentive Program's Registration and Attestation system.
As of Oct. 1, 2017, QNet enrollment is open. Read the full story here for action items and more information.
2016 Annual QRURs Webcast - October 19 
On Sept. 18, 2017, CMS made the 2016 Annual Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) available to all group practices and solo practitioners nationwide. A Webinar Oct. 19 will provide an overview of the report and explain how to interpret and use the information. Register for the Medicare Learning Network event Oct. 19. 
The 2016 Annual QRURs show how groups and solo practitioners performed in 2016 on the quality and cost measures used to calculate the 2018 Value-Based Payment Modifier (Value Modifier) and how the Value Modifier will be applied to payments for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Learn more on the   2016 QRUR and 2018 Value Modifier webpage. This event will be more meaningful if you have your report in front of you to follow along. Visit   How to Obtain a QRUR to access your report prior to the event.
Topics include: Overview of the 2018 Value Modifier and 2016 Annual QRUR; Information in the 2016 Annual QRUR and accompanying tables; How to access the 2016 Annual QRUR; and How to request an informal review of your 2018 Value Modifier.
ILHITREC Requests Your Input on
Our Provider Support Survey
ILHITREC offers healthcare providers technical assistance, guidance and information on best practices to support the achievement of Meaningful Use and quality improvement. Your feedback on our Provider Support Survey by Oct. 31, 2017, will be instrumental in shaping the current and future education, training, technology, and service needs of Illinois clinics, practices, and physicians. Please take 5 minutes to let us know how we can support your education, training and technical assistance needs.  Access the   Provider Survey here. Please complete and submit the survey by Oct. 31, 2017. Thank you for your participation and feedback!
Free CIHIE Webinar Nov. 2: Optimizing Care Coordination with ADT Notifications  
A Free Webinar entitled "Optimizing Care Coordination with ADT Notifications" is being offered by The Communities of Illinois Health Information Exchange (CIHIE). It will be held Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, from Noon-1 p.m. (CDT) Register here.  

CIHIE provides real-time notifications to clinicians when patients are admitted to, discharged from, or experience an emergency visit at a participating hospital. The Nov. 2 Webinar is designed for current subscribers and anyone interested in learning more about subscribing to the CIHIE ADT Notification Network.

Utilization of an (ADT) notification system can: Help decrease costs and improve patient outcomes; Identify potentially vulnerable patients before they need more intensive interventions.; Prevent costly re-admissions by identifying at-risk patients earlier; and  Improve care coordination in the outpatient setting.
 
Objectives of the Webinar Include: Understand the notification network infrastructure and connection; Review the benefits of ADT notification functionality, including Evidence-based practice and Financial advantages; and Discuss the application of ADT notifications in practice.
Changes Finalized for EPs Participating Under eMIPP
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued the IPPS Final Rule, which has implications for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs. CMS announced that it agrees with commenters about establishing a 90-day CQM reporting period during CY 2017 for all Medicaid EPs, regardless of submission method because it would reduce burden and streamline the program requirements. Therefore, CMS is establishing a CQM reporting period of any continuous 90-day period during CY 2017 for all Medicaid EPs, regardless of reporting electronically or manual submission. Illinois will allow both electronic and manual submission of CQMs. Read the Full Story. 
Corrected ACI Table in 2017 CMS
QRDA III Implementation Guide Available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has corrected an error in the 2017 CMS Quality Reporting Document Architecture Category III (QRDA III) Implementation Guide (IG) Version 1.0 for Eligible Clinicians and Eligible Professionals Programs. The updated version is a republication of the 2017 CMS QRDA III IG for Eligible Clinicians and Eligible Professionals published on 7/7/2017. This announcement is for vendors and data submitters about the correction in Table 49: Advancing Care Information Objectives and Measures Identifiers. The description of the measure identifier ACI_LVITC_1 now includes the word "Exclusion."There are no other changes in this document.
  • Measure Objective: Health Information Exchange 
  • Measure Identifier: ACI_LVITC_1
  • Measure: *Proposed Request/Accept Summary of Care Exclusion
  • Reporting Metric: Yes/No
Additional QRDA-Related Resources
You can find additional QRDA related resources, as well as current and past implementation guides, on the  eCQI Resource Center and the  CMS eCQM Library.  
Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Through 2021 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds Eligible Professionals (EPs) and Eligible Hospitals (EHs) that the  Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, which is administered voluntarily by states and territories, will continue through 2021. Read the full story here.
To participate in the program in 2017, EPs and EHs must attest to:
ILHITREC's Clinical Informatics Specialists are trained to assist you with any questions or concerns related to the EHR Incentive Programs. Contact us at [email protected] or visit ILHITREC.org for complete details on the wide variety of services provided by ILHITREC.  
Do we still need to participate in eMIPP if we are required to participate in MIPS this year?
Yes!   Some of the many reasons to continue in the Medicaid incentive program include:
  1. Funding! Participating providers can still earn $8,500 per provider per year through 2021 in achieving progressive levels of meaningful use.
  2. Alignment! The EHR program requirements currently align with other payers' requirements and incentive programs.
  3. Data! Tracking your data can help you realize areas you can improve on. Identify health trends for patients individually and as a group. To be able to measure patient outcomes and have this available to use as feedback for the patients, providers and staff.
  4. Support!  ILHITREC can provide support for your participation in this program at no cost
  5. Preparation! Continue to utilize benefits of the EHR you already have implemented and are paying for because this will prepare you for the transition to value-based payment models. Even if you are not required to participate in MIPS in 2017, its only a matter of time before all providers will be included in these programs.
  6. Rising Expectations! Patients now expect certain services associated with having an EHR, such as access to their online health records, lab results right away, electronic messaging, electronic medical record sharing with their other providers.
OCTOBER 2017  
 
 

ABOUT SUPPORT PROVIDED BY ILHITREC:
The Illinois Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (ILHITREC), under contract with the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services (HFS), is providing education, outreach, EHR, and Meaningful Use support to Medicaid providers for the Electronic Health Record Medical Incentive Payment Program (eMIPP). Contact us at [email protected];  Phone : 815-753-5900; Fax: 815-753-7278.