Physician Alignment Presents Challenge in Forming ACOs, Survey
Healthcare administrators and physicians report one of the biggest obstacles they face in forming accountable care organizations (ACOs) is physician alignment, according to a survey conducted by AMN Healthcare, a healthcare staffing organization.
The survey of more than 800 administrators and physicians found that 58 percent said they were in the process of forming ACOs or are considering doing so, while 42 percent said their facilities would not be forming ACOs in the foreseeable future.
Of the administrators and physicians moving toward ACOs, 42 percent said physician alignment is the most serious obstacle to their efforts. Forty percent of the physicians and administrators who are not forming ACOs said physician alignment was the reason.
Other obstacles to forming ACOs included lack of capital, the absence of integrated IT systems, and no evidence-based treatment protocol data, according to the survey.
CMS permits practice administrators to register and attest for EMR meaningful use
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published their new policy permitting third parties to register and attest for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive program on behalf of eligible professionals (EPs). Under this program, EPs are eligible for up to $44,000 over five years under the Medicare program and up to $63,750 over six years under Medicaid. MGMA strongly advocated to persuade CMS to permit practice administrators to register with the agency on behalf of the practice’s EPs. CMS requires users registering or attesting on behalf of an EP to have an Identity and Access Management System (I&A) Web user account that must be associated with the EP’s National Provider Identifier. Practice administrators that do not have an I&A Web user account can create one on the CMS Website.
