U.S. health care organizations have recently—or are currently—assessing their information technology operations and software systems for the effects of compliance with electronic health record (EHR) requirements and the pending implementation of ICD-10.
Independent hospitals have successfully faced difficult circumstances in the past, but new challenges are pushing the hospital industry onto more difficult footing. Fundamental, long-term industry challenges, including competitive disadvantages in size and scale, limited access to capital and competition for and with physicians, have increased the need for independent hospitals to re-examine their operational and financial strengths and weaknesses
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made some very restrictive interpretations of what costs are eligible for electronic health records (EHR) incentive payments for critical access hospitals (CAHs). These interpretations could seriously limit CAH options for obtaining, financing and paying for a viable EHR system and limit the incentive payments Medicare will pay. The problems revolve around the language in Section 1814(l)(3)(C) of the Social Security Act .