As of May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has doled out $633.7 million this year in EHR incentive payments with the total amount paid to date at $15.1 billion, CMS Health Insurance Specialist Robert Anthony told the Health IT Policy Committee at its July 9 meeting.

Amid press reports that thousands of Medicare eligible professionals (EPs) who attested in 2011 for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ EHR incentive program did not return for the 2012 program year, CMS Health Insurance Specialist Robert Anthony took time to explain the exodus at the Health IT Policy Committee meeting on July 9.

“It’s just remarkable to look back at where we were four years ago and take stock as measured through these meetings how far we’ve come and the complexity of the policy issues we’ve had to consider to reach our goals,” reflected Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, national coordinator for health IT, during the July 9 Health IT Policy Committee meeting—the 50th meeting to date.

Up to nine of the 32 Pioneer ACOs may drop out and shift over to the less risky Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACO, confirmed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The growth rate in healthcare industry jobs outgrew other industries by ten-fold, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is requesting public comment on its Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) ICD-10 code conversion plan.

Springfield, MO, July 03, 2013-- TrustHCS announced the launch of a new coder academy designed to prepare coding professionals of various levels and new, novice entrants to the field. The TrustHCS Academy brings the strength of three companies together to meet the nationwide increase in coding demand associated with ICD-10. TrustHCS coding educators prepare new students and seasoned coding professionals to enter the field and by increasing their knowledge and related ICD-10 skills. Career Step delivers proven, on-line curriculum, and HIM Connections places trained and certified students—a critical component of the program’s launch. The announcement was made by Torrey Barnhouse, President, TrustHCS.

The Healthcare Billing and Management Association strongly recommends that the U.S. healthcare system learn from its experience transitioning from 4010 to 5010 last year when facing the transition to ICD-10.