January 2009 - Posts

Clear the Helipad
January 29, 2009 2:35 PM by Cheryl McEvoy

The economy's so far down the tubes, even health care's feeling financial pains. I scan news sites for blog-worthy developments as part of my morning routine, and I've noticed that a frightening number of articles reporting hospital layoffs are popping Read More...

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He’s No Dr. Quinn
January 27, 2009 8:55 AM by Cheryl McEvoy

I usually like to share a newsworthy item or intriguing tidbit on our staff blog, but today I'm in the mood for some personal griping. Despite my daily immersion in health care at the office, I've had limited experience with hospitals outside of work. Read More...

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Rising Unemployment Threatens Medicaid Programs
January 23, 2009 11:29 AM by Cheryl McEvoy

We all complain about health insurance, but oh how reassuring it is to tote an insurance card in your wallet. I remember counting the days until my coverage kicked in; after graduating from college, I was promptly dropped from my parents' plan and was Read More...

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Paperless
January 21, 2009 3:48 PM by Lynn Jusinski

Editor's Note: This is a guest blog written by Scott Warner, MLT(ASCP), laboratory manager at a critical access hospital. It gives HIM professionals a peek into the "other side" of HIT implementation. We should be paperless by now. We have computers, Read More...

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Database Settlement Expands Scope
January 19, 2009 9:14 AM by Cheryl McEvoy

Health insurers are facing the costs of underpaying patients for out-of-network care. Last Tuesday, UnitedHealth Group settled an investigation by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that alleged the company's database was miscalculating reimbursement Read More...

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AAPC Pleased With ICD-10 Implementation Date
January 16, 2009 2:39 PM by Lynn Jusinski

The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) scored a victory yesterday when it was announced that ICD-10 implementation would be pushed back from 2011 to 2013. AAPC took an opposing view to that of the American Health Information Management Association, Read More...

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ICD-10 Final Rule Issued; Implementation Slated for 2013
January 15, 2009 12:22 PM by Lynn Jusinski

The eagerly awaited Final Rules for adoption of ICD-10 will be published in the next few days, and the implementation date has been bumped from 2011 to 2013. The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) released a brief statement today Read More...

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Insurer Settles in Database Investigation
January 14, 2009 10:29 AM by Cheryl McEvoy

UnitedHealth Group has agreed to a settlement in the investigation of its insurance database by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. According to reports, the company allegedly ran a database through its Ingenix business unit that repeatedly Read More...

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Report Notes Downside to EHR
January 13, 2009 1:23 PM by Cheryl McEvoy

EHRs have been on the HIM talk circuit for years, but until recently they haven't had much buzz amid the ordinary folk. I admit I didn't know much about EHR when I came on board at ADVANCE last summer, save for a mention by Sen. Hillary Clinton at a pre-primary Read More...

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Obama Echoes Bush's Call for EHRs
January 9, 2009 9:16 AM by Lynn Jusinski

Ever since President Bush's 2004 State of the Union address, when he called for the use of electronic medical records for most Americans by 2014, journalists in the HIT realm have used that line as the foray into many stories (look, I'm doing it right Read More...

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