In comments to CMS, the ASC Association urged the agency to abandon its policy of counting patient encounters in an ASC towards the determination of whether a physician has met the requirement of utilizing a certified EHR in at least 50 percent of his or her patient encounters.
The letter notes it is unreasonable to expect ASCs to have certified EHR in place since, unlike hospitals and physician offices, surgery centers are not given incentives or penalties through Medicare and Medicaid health IT legislation.
The letter goes onto caution that "[b]y including patient encounters in ASCs in the denominator of the 50 percent threshold calculation, physicians will be punished for treating patients at ASCs because these physicians will be at significant risk of not having a sufficient number of encounters in a setting equipped with a certified EHR."
The letter emphasizes that the policy could force physicians to take more cases to the hospital setting, which is more costly and less convenient.
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The letter notes it is unreasonable to expect ASCs to have certified EHR in place since, unlike hospitals and physician offices, surgery centers are not given incentives or penalties through Medicare and Medicaid health IT legislation.
The letter goes onto caution that "[b]y including patient encounters in ASCs in the denominator of the 50 percent threshold calculation, physicians will be punished for treating patients at ASCs because these physicians will be at significant risk of not having a sufficient number of encounters in a setting equipped with a certified EHR."
The letter emphasizes that the policy could force physicians to take more cases to the hospital setting, which is more costly and less convenient.
Related Articles on ASC Legislation:
Illinois Rep Introduces Bill to Require Disclosure of ASC Charges
New Jersey Legislation Could Force Out-of-Network Physicians to Accept In-Network Rates
6 Legislative and Regulatory Changes Affecting the Ambulatory Surgery Center Industry