The WVRHITEC will offer members a number of key services and benefits:
- Membership provides access to information, services, support and training on how to implement and use certified health information technology and achieve health improvement outcomes through “meaningful use.” These services are provided to members at a special rate ($100 an hour), and can include:
- Evaluating and using certified EHR products that offer best value for a provider’s needs;
- Achieving effective implementation of a certified EHR product;
- Training support;
- Enhancing clinical and administrative workflows to optimally leverage an EHR system’s potential to improve quality and value of care, including patient experience as well as outcome of care; and
- Sharing best practices to manage and protect the privacy, security and exchange of patients’ health information.
- Since early 2010, priority primary care physicians in small practices, and at rural centers or critical access hospitals have been entitled, as WVRHITEC members, to receive some services at subsidized, discounted rates. At the present time, all of these subsidized membership slots are full. However, the WVRHITEC is still able to work with all providers on a fee-for-services basis at rates below market, and these rates are discounted for WVRHITEC members. The WVRHITEC staff will work one-on-one and share their HIT/EHR knowledge and experience...and offer their technical expertise on how to manage relationships with vendors, how to extract and analyze health data, and how to negotiate work-flow change and implement quality improvement methods.
The WVRHITEC member rate for services in 2012 is $100 per hour.
Non-members of the WVRHITEC may contract with the center at a rate of $150 per hour.
- Membership in the WVRHITEC also will help get providers ready to take advantage of federal HIT financial incentives. Eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers who are successful in implementing electronic health records and achieving federal “meaningful use” standards can now receive reimbursement payments for their electronic health record systems. These payments may range between $44,000 per provider and $63,750 per provider in future federal Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide these incentives for the next several years.(NOTE: beginning in 2015 CMS will reduce Medicare reimbursement for providers who have not adopted EHRs.)
- Membership also can provide access to group purchasing discounts.