Implication of Stage 2 delay on Cardiology Practices – equipped with medical billing support

“Irrespective of the decision, it may be fool-hardy to assume that cardiologists themselves will be able to elevate their practices to the requisite demands of Meaningful Use Criterion. Therefore, it is becomes imperative that they avail proven services from credible sources for medical billing solutions.”

The recent decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer health care providers additional time to meet Stage 2 meaningful use objectives for Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Incentive Programs seems to have brought in the much needed relief to the medical practitioners across the nation’s healthcare continuum. While the EHR adaptability measure for Stage 1 meaningful use criterion was started in 2011, it is yet to realize its objective in full as a considerable number of medical practitioners are still to catch up pace owing to financial as well as technological reasons. Therefore, this extension, it is believed will provide both avenue for sourcing the requisite finance as well the time to adapt to the EHR environment. And, amongst all the specialties, it is the physicians in the cardiology who will be more relieved – cardiology EHR compliance is believed to be more challenging and capital intensive than the rest. Moreover, cardiology accounts for the majority of reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid.

Notwithstanding the common consensus amongst the cardiologists, there is still a section of the physicians who feel the delay would actually take away the intensity. Their reasoning is based on the knowledge that with so much of outsourced Medical Billing Services available these days, physicians could easily have complied with the earlier deadline for Stage 1. But, with the decision for postponing the commencement of Stag 2 having already been made, the date gets pushed back to 2014. Therefore, all those who started the preparation for Stage 1 this year, will have time till 2014 for Stage 2 preparation while those starting as early as 2011 for Stage 1 must attest Stage 2 standards beginning in 2013. Irrespective of the decision, it may be fool-hardy to assume that cardiologists themselves will be able to elevate their practices to the requisite demands of Meaningful Use Criterion. Therefore, it is becomes imperative that they avail proven services from credible sources for medical billing solutions.

Here, Medical Billing Companies have the dual-role of not only ensuring EHR is implemented for the requirements of Meaningful Use Criterion, but also changing the way clinical services are provided across the cardiology destinations. Such competence can only be expected from those service providers who themselves have a perfect blend of human capability and the requisite technology. Therefore, cardiologists are advised to be diligent before selecting their prospective service providers. While the task of selecting may even warrant a thorough analysis of your prospective service providers’ credentials, it is always wise to bank on proven service providers.

Medicalbillersandcoders.com (www.medicalbillersandcoders.com), by virtue of being one of first to reciprocate to the physicians’ need for comprehensive solutions in EHR implementation for complying with Meaningful Use Criterion, stands out to be a distinctive name. Its growing reputation as the leading consortium of Medical Billing Services is a true testimony of its credentials and competence. While cardiologists seek to accomplish EHR compliance, outsourcing our EHR specific services could prove to be a double advantage: qualifying for incentives under Meaningful Use Criterion and mitigating the penalty for non-compliance.