dentists and meaningful use: stage 1
DESCRIPTION
Is there an opportunity for dentists to receive Meaningful Use Incentive funds? What measures must be performed to qualify, and are those measures the same as other physicians? Find out in this informative presentation on Dentists and Meaningful Use.TRANSCRIPT
Dentists & Meaningful Use: Stage 1Adele Allison,National Director of Government Affairs, SuccessEHS
The Opportunity
•Dentists are eligibleunder both Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Programs
However…
•Medicare does notcover General Dentistry; No Medicare, No Incentive
And…
• No oral health measures in Meaningful Use Stage 1
–No Standards for EDR Certification
–All applicable measures must be performed using EHR Functionality
•253 dentists were paid during Year One of the Incentive Program
YTD earnings = $5,376,250
•Same Stage 1 Criteria applies
•Consider 13 exclusion clauses
Medicaid EHR Incentives: Highlights
• Types of (Medicaid) Providers – §495.100–Physicians, Dentists, Certified
Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants (In FQHC/RHC led by PA)
• Year 1: Adopt, Implement, Upgrade – §495.100
–Acquire, purchase or secureaccess to certified EHR technology
–Install/use certified EHR technology capable of MU
Or…
−Expand functionality of certified EHR solution at the practice with:−Staffing−Maintenance−Training−Upgrading from existing EHR to
certified EHR technology.
• Year 2: Meaningful Use for 90 continuous days.
• Years 3 – 6: Meaningful Use for a full year.
• Must meet the individual state requirements for volume threshold–20% for Pediatricians–30% for FQHCs and RHCs–30% for all others
• Defined in the State’s SMHP – Method’s available–By Encounter–By Panel–By Group–Other
•“Needy Individual” is a patient who… §495.302 (FQHC/RHC)−Receives Medicaid or CHIP assistance−Receives uncompensated care by the provider
•“Needy Individual” is a patient who… §495.302 (FQHC/RHC)−Services provided at no cost or reduced cost based on sliding scale and ability to pay
Dentists & MU: Metrics
•67% of U.S. dentists are in a solo practice
•65% of U.S. dentists are “General”
•70% of Americans see the dentist one time a year
•2% of dentists work full-time in safety net
•4.6 million children receive no dental care due to cost
•33.3 million live in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas
•6.7% of general dentists’ patients are publicly insured
•18.9% of pediatric dentists’ patients are publicly insured
Dentists & MU: Barriers
•Few dentists meet the 30% volume threshold requirement for MU
•20% volume threshold does not apply to pediatric dentists
•Dentists are not on REC “hit list,” including safety net dentists
•Dentistry uses “procedure codes.” This does not include Diagnostic Codes (ICD-9)
•Dentists must continue CMS communication
•Most patients see the dentist when “Well.” This is a missed opportunity for point-of-care alerting
•The IT infrastructure that is common to physicians and hospitals is virtually non-existent in dentistry
•U.S. dentists use the current dental terminology
•There is a lack of EHR and EDR standards-based interoperability in marketplace
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