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Thanksgiving Closing

Thanksgiving gives us all the opportunity for some well deserved down time to spend with family and friends. DocuTrac offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 24th and 25th, and will reopen on Monday, November 28th.

We are, as always, thankful for you our loyal customers, and we hope you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

MIPS and Medicare Reimbursement

According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, it’s expected that most behavioral health organizations billing for Medicare Part B will be subject to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2017. The following describes clinicians who are MIPS eligible.

“Clinicians that will be counted for the 2017 reporting year include physicians (including psychiatrists), nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical nurse specialists and certified registered nurse anesthetists. Social workers and clinical psychologists may be added in 2019.” We will keep you posted.

“Maximum and Minimum MIPS Payment Adjustments are based on 2017 calendar year reporting, MIPS eligible clinicians will receive up to a 4 percent payment adjustment in 2019. Adjustments may be positive, negative or zero. The range of payment adjustments will reach +/- 9 percent by 2022. Clinicians may earn an extra bonus of up to 10 percent for exceptional quality from 2019 to 2024. All MIPS adjustments are budget neutral, which means that total upward and downward adjustments will be equal.”

CMS has been reviewing public comments and a finale rule is expected to be issued this month. For more information and further details, read the full text on MACRA’s Quality Payment Program: What Does it Mean for Your Agency’s Medicare Reimbursement?

The AIMS Scale in QuicDoc

This AIMS scale in QuicDoc Pro and Enterprise is provided for patients taking anti-psychotic or other medications. It is used to identify abnormal movements that are side effects of certain medications.

The scale rates facial, oral, extremity, and trunk movements in patients. It can also be useful in assessing a patient's response to medication used to reduce extrapyramidal side effects.

In QuicDoc Pro, you can access the AIMS scale from notes and treatment plans by clicking on the AIMS icon at the top of the window in the Medication section.

In QuicDoc Enterprise you can access the AIMS scale from notes and treatment plans by clicking on the AIMS icon in the window of the Medication section.

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Ransomware Targets Windows Hard Drives

Last month our newsletter included advice on keeping your computer virus free. With the rise of new, more sinister ransomware, it is even more critical. It’s been reported that 88% of ransomware attacks in the U.S. have targeted healthcare entities.

The latest in ransomware has the ability to encrypt entire hard drives. HDDCryptor, or Mamba targets network resources such as folders, drives, files, serial ports and printers and then locks down the drive, according to security firm Trend Micro.

This ransomware differs vastly from the majority of ransomware families only able to target specific file types or folders on drives, removable media and networks, according to HealthcareITNews.

HDDCryptor, or Mamba is targeting Windows users for now, and is distributed through phishing email campaigns that redirect users to malicious websites, where the ransomware is downloaded in the background. For more information read the article by Jessica Davis at HealthcareITNews.

Data Sharing for Enterprise Agencies

Many behavioral health agencies are faced with the demands and challenges of sharing patient information electronically. Dealing with sensitive, confidential, and highly regulated patient data on a daily basis can be a challenge, and even more so when that data needs to be shared with other healthcare entities.

QuicExchange™ for QuicDoc® Enterprise software is designed as a solution for health data interoperability requirements. QuicExchange is a secure channel that can safely and proficiently transfer private health information between two entities. QuicExchange permits data to be shared across clinicians, labs, hospitals, pharmacies, government reporting agencies, and others. It provides the easiest and safest solution to protect your agency and your patients’ data. Learn more at http://www.docutracinc.com/quicexchange/.

Business Associates Agreement and HIPAA Violation

In our September newsletter we included a section on the importance of Business Associates Agreements (BAAs). The Raleigh Orthopedic Clinic, P.A. of North Carolina settled with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for $750,000 because they failed to have a BAA in place before handing over protected health information (PHI) to a potential business partner - a HIPAA violation. You can read about the settlement on the hhs.gov. website.

Upcoming Free Webinar

Join us on Friday, November 18th at 12:00 pm EST for a free web session that will cover your questions about Office Therapy. Here’s your chance to get any question you have about Office Therapy answered. This session is a spin-off from our popular and well attended September webinar Getting the Most out of Office Therapy.

For more information and to register, for this webinar visit the Events page on our web site.

Wise Words

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.
by William Arthur Ward

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