Federal officials announce final regulations for the second stage of Meaningful Use, NCG’s Perfect Care is in compliance every step of the way.
Orlando, Fla. – (Aug. 27, 2012) – The Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) announced Stage 2 rules for the meaningful use of electronic health records by physicians will begin in 2014.
NCG Medical applauds the new stage and will continue to stay in compliance with the new rules. The announcement gives doctors more time to get used to Electronic Health Records before gradually increasing the standards.
NCG Medical powers Perfect Care EHR, a leading electronic health record solution for physicians. Stage 2 is the second in a three- stage incentive program for electronic health records (EHRs) following the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Perfect Care EHR has distinguished itself because of its ease of use and high success rate by doctors seeking to collect stimulus money for successfully proving they are actively participating in the electronic health record movement. Perfect Care EHR has a federal attestment rate of more than 80 percent – four times the national average.
"We are proud of our record of helping physicians understand how simple the transition to electronic health records can be,’’ said Antonio Arias, senior vice president of business development for NCG Medical. “We’ve been a leader during the first of electronic health records and we are positioned to continue our leadership role in helping physicians successfully migrate to electronic health records.”
NCG Medical has focused Perfect Care EHR for practices that need to meet the guidelines and also maintain a high performing office. Perfect Care EHR is built to satisfy federal rules as simply as possible.
Upon announcing the final regulations, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius stated, “The changes we're announcing today will lead to more coordination of patient care, reduced medical errors, elimination of duplicate screenings and tests and greater patient engagement in their own care."
Similar to the proposal announced earlier in February, Stage 2 continues to enforce switching to electronic health records to gain economic incentives, but also reduces some of the hurdles and deadlines several providers were struggling to meet.
Some key points about the Stage 2 requirements announced include:
- Stage 2 will begin as early as 2014 and no providers will be required to follow the regulations outlined before 2014.
- Eligible professionals and hospitals will be assured the systems they use will work, as well as, help them meaningfully use health IT and qualify for incentive payments, due to the certification criteria being clearly outlined.
- Modifications have been made to ensure the certification process be more efficient.
- Sufficient time has been give to providers to adopt or upgrade to the latest EHR technology certified for 2014.
The second stage will require physician advances reporting requirements for physicians including new core objectives. Arias said Perfect Care EHR is set up to meet new guidelines.
Physicians who start to comply with Electronic Health Record by 2012 can earn up to $44,000 in federal incentives.
NCG Medicals Perfect Care continues to not only guarantee to meet all the federal requirements of both Stage 1 and 2 of Meaningful Use, but also minimizes additional workload on the physician. Perfect Care has been a leader in revenue cycle management & EHR for more than two decades and will continue doing so in compliance with the new regulations.
To learn more about Perfect Care EHR visit http://www.ncgmedical.com/products or call 800-959-1906.
About NCG Medical (http://www.ncgmedical.com/)
NCG Medical is a global leader in integrated health information technology solutions for ambulatory medical practices and regional extension centers. Based out of Orlando, Fla., NCG Medical is a pioneer of electronic health records. Physicians and medical institutions turn to NCG Medical for solutions in practice management, electronic health records, and medical billing. NCG Medical is ranked among the top three providers of practice management software, Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Electronic Health Records (EHR) Systems technology, and billing nationwide. To learn more, visit NCG Medical at www.ncgmedical.com.