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Serenity EMR

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Am I eligible to get the stimulus money if I use Serenity EMR?

Yes, and since the money is not tied to what you pay for your EHR, you get to pocket what you get instead of giving it to your EHR vendor. Serenity is as eligible for the stimulus money as any other EHR vendor at this time!

Here is a summary of how it currently stands. Healthcare providers are expected to implement and achieve “meaningful use” of electronic health record systems (EHRs) by the year 2015 or be subject to financial penalties from Medicare. Remember, this money could get slashed from a future budget and the actual rules for applying and receiving the money are not finalized - for example there is no recognized certifying bodies as yet (that's right, CCHIT certified doesn't mean you are using a "certified" EHR as defined by the HITECH legislation).

So here is a summary of the legislation as we understand it.

1. Eligible providers can choose to get money based on their Medicare collections or their Medicaid patient volume, but not both.

2. For Medicare, if you meet the criteria and use a "certified" EHR in a "meaningful" way (again, neither of these official terms are finalized - so currently NO EHR IS TECHNICALLY ELIGIBLE) you can get 75% of your Medicare collections, or $44,000 - whichever is less. For example, if you collect $24,000/year (or more) in Medicare payments, then you are could receive:

$18,000 in 2011 (or 75% of your Medicare collections, whichever is less)
$12,000 in 2012 (or 75% of your Medicare collections, whichever is less)
$ 8,000 in 2013 (or 75% of your Medicare collections, whichever is less)
$ 4,000 in 2014 (or 75% of your Medicare collections, whichever is less)
$ 2,000 in 2015 (or 75% of your Medicare collections, whichever is less)
= $44,000 total from Medicare

$44,000 is the maximum you can get. Unfortunately, what many vendors fail to explain as they try to sell you their $44,000 EHR, is that if you collect less than $24,000/year from Medicare, as many of us do, you get less. For example, if you collect $10,000/year from Medicare, this is how the money would turn out:

$ 7,500 in 2011
$ 7,500 in 2012
$ 7,500 in 2013
$ 4,000 in 2014
$ 2,000 in 2015
= $28,500 total

Despite being significantly less, $28,500 is still nice. What is even nicer, is that since this money is not related to the price of software or hardware purchased, users of less expensive EMR/EHRs like Serenity will get to pocket the money instead of giving it to their EMR/EHR vendor.

3. For Medicaid, the rewards are potentially higher, but so are the requirements. Physicians deciding to go for Medicaid money can get up to $63,750 but are required to have a minimum of 30% Medicaid patients. There may be some latitude, however. For example, pediatricians who do not meet this minimum but have at least 20% Medicaid patients can receive up to $42,500. Similarly, physicians who practice in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) or rural health clinics (RHCs) may also be provided some leeway in that if at least 30% of their patients are "needy" - defined as patients who have Medicaid, receive uncompensated care, or for whom charges are adjusted on a sliding scale - they may also be eligible for the Medicaid money.

Our understanding is that if you go for the Medicaid option and meet the criteria of using a "certified" EHR in a "meaningful" way, and if 30% (or more) of your practice volume is Medicaid beneficiaries, then you are slated to receive:

$21,250 in year 1
$ 8,500 in year 2
$ 8,500 in year 3
$ 8,000 in year 4
$ 8,500 in year 5
$ 8,500 in year 6
= $63,750 total from Medicaid

4. Again, the details of the stimulus money are not clearly stated in a way that the average physician, EHR vendor, or government employee understands. As far as our investigation, nobody knows for sure how this money will actually be paid out (e.g., in one lump sum payment each year), or how the government would validate physician claims that they meet the required criteria.

In our opinion purchasing an EMR/EHR today based on the expectation of receiving stimulus money is just plain crazy. That said, we recognize that this isn't chump change, and Serenity is committed to ensure that our software can meet the government requirements in time for our users to get every penny of the stimulus money to which they are entitled.

Issues we see is that nearly all the other EMR/EHR vendors are hyping the HITECH stimulus to convince you to purchase their products. Their web sites are plastered with white papers, worksheets, and other collateral, all designed to do one thing – make you feel panicked so you'll quickly buy a bloated, overly expensive solution that will neither make you happy, improve workflow or make your life easier. We see it just the opposite. One of the latest statistics we have seen said that around 65% of providers purchasing an EMR/EHR in the next 12 months will purchase again due to choosing one based on worries of receiving the stimulus money. Take your time and choose wisely, the money will be there (if it's not cut out of the budget!).

A lot of the EMR/EHR's out there are filled full of bells and whistles that you are required to complete before signing the chart. All this does is take up valuable time and efforts which in the end cuts in to your pockets. These bells and whistles are all fine and dandy, but do they make your life easier?

First, we believe an EHR should be purchased only when you are ready – and not a day before. That's why we encourage you to use Serenity free for 30 days. We require no long-term contract.....or even a contract for that matter! This will allow you to decide if Serenity is right for your office.

Second, there are still too many unknowns about the ARRA HITECH Stimulus money. After nearly two years, terms like “meaningful use” and “certification” are still not finalized. Even when this is finally understood by those running the show, the details of exactly how and when these payments will be made is unresolved and at risk of being cut. Faced with massive Federal budget deficits, who knows how Congress will “modify” these incentives in the future?

Serenity would like to wish you the best of luck in your EMR/EHR adventures!