ILHITREC Header & Logo 
At the Forefront of Healthcare Transformation! 
global_business_people.jpg
L earn More About FY 2019 Medicare IPPS and LTCH Final Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued updates to Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Medicare payment policies and rates under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System (PPS) final rule. The final rule changes the following aspects of the Promoting Interoperability (PI) Programs (formerly known as the EHR Incentive Programs):
  • Sets a new performance-based scoring methodology for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program, that has a smaller set of objectives that will provide a more flexible, less-burdensome structure.
  • Requires the use of 2015 Edition CEHRT for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) beginning in Calendar Year (CY) 2019.
  • Finalizes an EHR reporting period of any consecutive 90-day period for new and returning CMS or State Medicaid agency participants in CYs 2019 and 2020.
  • Finalizes changes to measures and removes certain measures that do not emphasize interoperability and the electronic exchange of health information beginning in CY 2020.
  • Requires eligible hospitals and CAHs to select one quarter of CY 2019 data during the EHR reporting period and choose at least four self-selected electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) from a set of 16 for eCQM reporting.
To learn more about these and other finalized changes, review the final rule, press release, and the fact sheet. For more information on the PI Programs, visit the PI Programs landing page.
Input Appreciated on Short Illinois Health IT Survey  
 
Illinois is updating the state of Health IT and needs your input on the 2018 Health IT Survey! The purpose of the survey is to determine the extent of health information technology use by providers and hospitals in Illinois. Survey topics include EHR adoption, utilization, and functionality, as well as Health Information Exchange participation. The results of this survey will help inform current and future support and resources for providers, practices and hospitals in Illinois.
Please complete the 5-10 minute survey  to help provide important data on the health information technology environment in Illinois.  We appreciate your participation!
National Immunizations Awareness Month and I-CARE

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is held each August to highlight the importance of vaccinations for people of all ages. Communities across the country use the month each year to raise awareness about the important role vaccines play in preventing serious, sometimes deadly, diseases across the lifespan.

In Illinois, I-CARE is the Immunization Information System (IIS) that offers a confidential, population-based, computerized database to record all immunization doses administered by participating providers to persons residing within a given geopolitical area. I-CARE (Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange) allows healthcare providers, individuals, patients and guardians and other institutions to track vaccination status throughout the lifespan.

I-CARE is designed to help healthcare providers record, track, and report their patients' immunizations. Providers should note that participating in I-CARE satisfies a requirement for the Promoting Interoperability (PI) program. The registry allows physicians to access patient records for information about immunizations administered outside their practices. Provider participation is voluntary and not all providers within the state choose to participate in the registry. Patient participation is also voluntary.  Use this resource for more information about I-CARE.
Update Provider Contact Information Now!       
 
For those participating in the Meaningful Use Medicaid incentive payment program (now called Promoting Interoperability), now is the time to be preparing for 2018 attestations. It is also a great time to review your provider's main contact email and phone number. During the 2017 attestation season, hundreds of providers had invalid email addresses.

Don't wait to update! During the attestation season from Jan. 1-March 31, changes in IMPACT can negatively affect your Medicaid attestation process. Email and address changes can be completed at the CMS Registration and Attestation Site https://ehrincentives.cms.gov/hitech/loginCredentials.action. If you are an existing user and need to reset your password, please go to the Identity and Access system https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/IAWeb/login.do.
Submit Patient Volume for Pre-Approval
for 2018 Medicaid EHR Program

ILHITREC encourages Illinois providers participating in the eMIPP program to submit patient volume for pre-approval for the 2018 Medicaid EHR Incentive Program as soon as possible to avoid any delays in attestation.
Use the format below to provide the following information via email to:  hfs.ehrincentive@illinois.gov:
  • TIN = _________________
  • Group or individual numbers?  _______________
  • Provider type:  (physician, hospital, dentist)  _________________
  • Selecting a Date Range: (Select Calendar Year 2017 only for Pre-Approval
     - Date Range: Calendar Year, any 90-day period in 2017  ___________
     - Can not use the same date or overlap date used for Attestation Year 2017
  • Straight Medicaid (only traditional Medicaid & All Kids) = _______________
  • Medicaid Managed Care = ________________
  • Total Encounters for all payees = ________________
Primary Contact:
Primary Phone:
Primary Email: 

Please note that ILHITREC's Clinical Informatics Specialists are trained to assist you with any questions or concerns related to the EHR Incentive Programs.
Contact us at  info@ILHITREC.org or visit ILHITREC.org for complete details on the wide variety of services provided by ILHITREC.
ILHITREC Website Offers Updated Resources  

ILHITREC's recently-updated website is designed to help providers navigate the often confusing world of health information technology and electronic health records incentive programs.
Special website pages include:
E-mail ILHITREC's Clinical Informatics Specialists with questions not answered on the website:  info@ILHITREC.org 
AUGUST 2018   
 






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 info@ILHITREC.org;  Phone : 815-753-5900; Fax: 815-753-7278.