MEDICARE NEWS
From: CMS Office of Media Affairs
November 12, 2008
MEDICARE SELECTS FOUR COMPANIES WHERE BENEFICIARIES CAN
CHOOSE TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN PERSONAL HEALTH RECORDS
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the selection of four personal health record (PHR) companies to participate in the new Medicare PHR Choice Pilot in Arizona and Utah.
This pilot program will, beginning in early 2009, offer beneficiaries with Original Medicare the opportunity to choose one of the selected PHR companies to maintain their health record information electronically.
The four selected companies are Google Health, HealthTrio, NoMoreClipboard.com, and PassportMD. These choices offer beneficiaries a range of product choices from ones that are free to ones that have “concierge” service as well as a diverse set of connections to health care providers, pharmacies, and other sources of health information.
“This pilot is a major step forward for Medicare. It will provide information and tools that will empower consumers to manage their health better,” said HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. “Importantly, the pilot provides beneficiaries with a choice of products to meet their individual needs.”
PHRs are tools that can help consumers manage their health and health care services. A PHR is a record of health information that is under the control of the consumer or patient. Sometimes it only contains data entered by the individual or his or her provider, but it can also include information from a health plan – as is the case in this pilot, where Medicare will provide health information from its claims database.
A PHR, which is controlled by the consumer, is different than an electronic health record (EHR), which is owned by and under the control of the physician. A PHR may only contain data entered by the consumer or his or her health care provider.
Through this pilot beneficiaries who select one of the participating PHR vendors can add other personal health information if they choose. Medicare will also transfer up to two years of the beneficiary’s claims data into the individual’s PHR, if the beneficiary requests it.
Depending on the specific product, beneficiaries may be able to authorize links to other personal electronic information such as pharmacy data.
PHRs also may offer links to tools that help consumers manage their health such as wellness programs for tracking diet and exercise, information about drugs and medical devices, health education information, and applications to detect potential medication interactions. Beneficiaries can elect to allow family members, health care providers, or whomever they choose to have access to their PHR. This can allow caregivers to help manage loved ones health or be critical to a physician caring for you in an emergency.
Each company has privacy and security standards to protect the information transmitted and stored in their PHR records. More information on the specific security and privacy policies of each of the participating companies can be found on their websites.
CMS’ contractor, Noridian Administrative Services (NAS), led the intensely competitive selection process.
“At Medicare, we strive to find innovative ways to better serve our beneficiaries,” said CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems. “We encourage beneficiaries to consider whether a PHR is right for them. We plan to evaluate beneficiaries’ satisfaction, issues or concerns about PHRs, and whether PHRs seem to improve the health and associated costs for caring for beneficiaries as part of this pilot.”
More information about the selected companies may be found at these web links:
https://www.google.com/health
http://www.healthtrio.com/phr.html
https://www.passportmd.com/
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Joan Lunden Joins PassportMD Announces ConcierCare Service
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Oct. 14, 2008 – PassportMD, the award-winning provider in online health record and wellness services, announced today that television personality Joan Lunden has signed a multi-year partnership with the company. The announcement comes as PassportMD launches its innovative concierge service, ConcierCare™. Ms. Lunden, a mother of seven children, will educate busy moms across America about PassportMD’s concierge service, which helps users create an online health record for family members by collecting records, digitizing images, and assisting with other health and wellness tools.
As the primary caregiver of an aging mother and best-selling health and wellness author, Ms. Lunden understands the challenges that moms in the “sandwich” generation face as they manage the health and wellness of their children and parents.
“My brother took care of our mother’s health care information,” said Ms. Lunden. “When he passed away, I had to recreate her last 10 years of doctor visits and prescriptions. It was overwhelming. PassportMD’s ConcierCare is an invaluable tool for all moms.”
Ms. Lunden will not only help to create awareness of the importance of maintaining a Personal Health Record (PHR), but she will also be involved in future product development and is an active member of PassportMD’s advisory board.
Two New Services: ConcierCare and Doctor Access
ConcierCare is the first concierge service of its kind. With one simple phone call, users are able to have a dedicated concierge collect medical records of each person the account designates, including the user’s children and parents. Health records are obtained in a HIPAA-compliant manner using encrypted channels after users provide a secure, electronic signature. Collection and population of the PHR takes approximately two weeks.
“People understand the value of having their health records accessible and organized, but find the task of collecting and uploading them incredibly daunting,” said Steven M. Hacker, MD, Founder & CEO of PassportMD, Inc. “Our ConcierCare service removes this burden and makes the process simple.”
Another important feature of the PassportMD concierge service is the Doctor Access program, which not only makes communicating with physicians easier than ever, but also has the potential to reduce medical errors. Doctor Access is invaluable before physicians make treatment decisions concerning their patient’s health. A click of the mouse allows users to invite their doctors to share and review their medical records, including diagnostic quality images.
“Creating an easy way for consumers to invite authorized doctors to view selected health information is the challenge of most PHR companies,” said Dr. Hacker. “PassportMD solves this problem.”
As the primary caregiver of an aging mother and best-selling health and wellness author, Ms. Lunden understands the challenges that moms in the “sandwich” generation face as they manage the health and wellness of their children and parents.
“My brother took care of our mother’s health care information,” said Ms. Lunden. “When he passed away, I had to recreate her last 10 years of doctor visits and prescriptions. It was overwhelming. PassportMD’s ConcierCare is an invaluable tool for all moms.”
Ms. Lunden will not only help to create awareness of the importance of maintaining a Personal Health Record (PHR), but she will also be involved in future product development and is an active member of PassportMD’s advisory board.
Two New Services: ConcierCare and Doctor Access
ConcierCare is the first concierge service of its kind. With one simple phone call, users are able to have a dedicated concierge collect medical records of each person the account designates, including the user’s children and parents. Health records are obtained in a HIPAA-compliant manner using encrypted channels after users provide a secure, electronic signature. Collection and population of the PHR takes approximately two weeks.
“People understand the value of having their health records accessible and organized, but find the task of collecting and uploading them incredibly daunting,” said Steven M. Hacker, MD, Founder & CEO of PassportMD, Inc. “Our ConcierCare service removes this burden and makes the process simple.”
Another important feature of the PassportMD concierge service is the Doctor Access program, which not only makes communicating with physicians easier than ever, but also has the potential to reduce medical errors. Doctor Access is invaluable before physicians make treatment decisions concerning their patient’s health. A click of the mouse allows users to invite their doctors to share and review their medical records, including diagnostic quality images.
“Creating an easy way for consumers to invite authorized doctors to view selected health information is the challenge of most PHR companies,” said Dr. Hacker. “PassportMD solves this problem.”
Monday, September 01, 2008
For any skeptic that doesnt believe a consumer healthcare revolution is happening
For those of you that still maintain that the traditional doctor patient relationship is not undergoing a fundamental change daily...then you are not reading your newspaper...
Everyday, there is another company or another initiative embraced by our health insurers to shift the balance of power of healthcare to the consumer.
Here are some daily snippets ....
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin recently launched it's transparency initiative by giving it's 3 million members access to Anthterm's Care Comparison, an online cost camparison tools to compare prices and number of procedurs by hopsitals for 39 eleactive and high volume expensive inpatient procedures.
Transparency is the core of the consumer's "power" in understanding healthcare..so although this comparison tool falls short of a more comprehensive cost comparison solution..it is a start.
Cigna offers Online second opinions. The Cleveland Clinic's MyConsult will be offered to Cigna's members. A nurse coordinator follows up with the person to ensure the information is understood.
Online consultations have been growing in acceptance amongst patients and physicians and provide us with evidence that the technology aspects of consumer directed healthcare are being adopted despite skeptics view to the contrary as it relates to this physician patient interaction.
Teladoc is another one of these services..but more controversial..Teladoc provides physician "consultations" for select services not all problems just simple ones..
The "minute clinic" model in retail centers is another example of moving healthcare away from the doctor and making it selective as to complexity but in a "fast food environment".
Everyday, there is another company or another initiative embraced by our health insurers to shift the balance of power of healthcare to the consumer.
Here are some daily snippets ....
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Wisconsin recently launched it's transparency initiative by giving it's 3 million members access to Anthterm's Care Comparison, an online cost camparison tools to compare prices and number of procedurs by hopsitals for 39 eleactive and high volume expensive inpatient procedures.
Transparency is the core of the consumer's "power" in understanding healthcare..so although this comparison tool falls short of a more comprehensive cost comparison solution..it is a start.
Cigna offers Online second opinions. The Cleveland Clinic's MyConsult will be offered to Cigna's members. A nurse coordinator follows up with the person to ensure the information is understood.
Online consultations have been growing in acceptance amongst patients and physicians and provide us with evidence that the technology aspects of consumer directed healthcare are being adopted despite skeptics view to the contrary as it relates to this physician patient interaction.
Teladoc is another one of these services..but more controversial..Teladoc provides physician "consultations" for select services not all problems just simple ones..
The "minute clinic" model in retail centers is another example of moving healthcare away from the doctor and making it selective as to complexity but in a "fast food environment".
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The "Golden Age" of PHR's -now Medicare joins the mix
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking benefiiciaries in South Carolina to participate in a pilot program to assess the benefits of using PHR's.
Consumer awareness is getting tagged from a variety of angles now...
Seniors and medicare beneficiaries through Centers for Medicare Services, Internet giants such as Google Health and Microsoft Healthvault promote this technology to Internet users, Health Insurance providers promote this to their covered lives from insurance giants such as Aetna, Cigna and United Health care health portals, and Academic institutions such as Cleveland Clinic promote it to their patients...lastly, politicians promote this safely as a bipartisan non controversial initiative...
What does this mean?
It means soon we will all know the importance of using this technology...for us that have been fighting awareness in the trenches for the last few years..this is the "golden age".
Consumer awareness is getting tagged from a variety of angles now...
Seniors and medicare beneficiaries through Centers for Medicare Services, Internet giants such as Google Health and Microsoft Healthvault promote this technology to Internet users, Health Insurance providers promote this to their covered lives from insurance giants such as Aetna, Cigna and United Health care health portals, and Academic institutions such as Cleveland Clinic promote it to their patients...lastly, politicians promote this safely as a bipartisan non controversial initiative...
What does this mean?
It means soon we will all know the importance of using this technology...for us that have been fighting awareness in the trenches for the last few years..this is the "golden age".
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
A businessman without an M.D. working in the business of medicine just wont get HIPAA, why should he?
There are times when all the business expertise in the world won’t help you get past understanding the world of medicine and doctors mentalities, concerns, neuroses and motivators..
I have been saying this for years…ever since starting PassportMD in 2004, I have had to wear two hats..one as a physician and one as a businessman…The physician in me understands HIPAA from the “get go” and runs the business in the manner consistent with a medical practice, whereas most businessman that enter the business of medicine just don’t get it…and, understandably, the lay public struggle with this as well..
It has always been my contention and position to underscore the importance of protecting individual medical data through a company like PassportMD even though the type of business we are in is technically not under HIPAA’s current authority.
It is my feeling that one should practice to the “fullest intent” of the law , and even though HIPAA did not see the burgeoning industry of personal health records..it’s intent has always remained constant, and thus, we, at PassportMD, have always followed HIPAA guidelines despite it not being mandated.
PassportMD is not alone. We practice to the fullest intent of the HIPAA mandate and so do many others..however, there are those that find this loop hole , and hide under it…Well, eventually things will catch up and curious enough … An advisory committee in a recent report to Health and Human service Secretary Micheal Leavitt, recommended expanding health data protection beyond HIPAA’s current authority. This is what I have been talking about for the last 3 years to consumers, patients, our users and our partners. Granted I have the advantage of the familiarity of working within HIPAA mandate and understanding it’s logic and intent for years in the medical field. And, hence, therein lies my point..there are distinct advantages to physicians entering, running, executing a business that are clearly above those entities being run without the physician business man…The “medical advisor” is not sufficient as he or she is technically there to review the validatity of medical data, reports, content but doesn’t really have the business acumen on average that those physicians that are active in business from the business side have..Okay , off tangent slightly, but let me get back on point…
According to the report from the National Committe on Vital and Health Statistics, “NCVHS proposes that all organizations and individuals’ access to personal health data follow attributes of appropriate data stewardship”. The recommendations call for a long awaited “transformation” to enhanced protections for all users of health data by all users, independent of HIPAA covered entity status. I applaud that and although this is at least the third time that the committee has recommended expanding health data protection beyond HIPAA’s current authority, one of these times..it will stick. But, before then, at least as it relates to PassportMD, we will continue to exceed expectations and strive to provide the same HIPAA compliance that the covered entities must follow.
I have been saying this for years…ever since starting PassportMD in 2004, I have had to wear two hats..one as a physician and one as a businessman…The physician in me understands HIPAA from the “get go” and runs the business in the manner consistent with a medical practice, whereas most businessman that enter the business of medicine just don’t get it…and, understandably, the lay public struggle with this as well..
It has always been my contention and position to underscore the importance of protecting individual medical data through a company like PassportMD even though the type of business we are in is technically not under HIPAA’s current authority.
It is my feeling that one should practice to the “fullest intent” of the law , and even though HIPAA did not see the burgeoning industry of personal health records..it’s intent has always remained constant, and thus, we, at PassportMD, have always followed HIPAA guidelines despite it not being mandated.
PassportMD is not alone. We practice to the fullest intent of the HIPAA mandate and so do many others..however, there are those that find this loop hole , and hide under it…Well, eventually things will catch up and curious enough … An advisory committee in a recent report to Health and Human service Secretary Micheal Leavitt, recommended expanding health data protection beyond HIPAA’s current authority. This is what I have been talking about for the last 3 years to consumers, patients, our users and our partners. Granted I have the advantage of the familiarity of working within HIPAA mandate and understanding it’s logic and intent for years in the medical field. And, hence, therein lies my point..there are distinct advantages to physicians entering, running, executing a business that are clearly above those entities being run without the physician business man…The “medical advisor” is not sufficient as he or she is technically there to review the validatity of medical data, reports, content but doesn’t really have the business acumen on average that those physicians that are active in business from the business side have..Okay , off tangent slightly, but let me get back on point…
According to the report from the National Committe on Vital and Health Statistics, “NCVHS proposes that all organizations and individuals’ access to personal health data follow attributes of appropriate data stewardship”. The recommendations call for a long awaited “transformation” to enhanced protections for all users of health data by all users, independent of HIPAA covered entity status. I applaud that and although this is at least the third time that the committee has recommended expanding health data protection beyond HIPAA’s current authority, one of these times..it will stick. But, before then, at least as it relates to PassportMD, we will continue to exceed expectations and strive to provide the same HIPAA compliance that the covered entities must follow.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Being part of the HIMSS Show 2008
Well, I was definitely surprised. Initially, expecting just a relatively "mild mannered" trade show with computer geeks (like myself), and healthcare technophobes...I found that I was walking through a surreal convention...the world of healthcare technology and big business have clearly met, engaged, and seem to be walking hand in hand in marital bliss...
All I could think of was Comdex and Las Vegas..this show, HIMSS 2008, is clearly much bigger than ever before, it is over the top in fact... The exhibit booths and display of marketing muscle in terms of investment in presence is unprecedented...
I have seen many trade shows in my 20 years of medicine and business and I was blown away by the 2 and 3 story exhibits...Anyone who is anyone was an exhibitor..if you werent at HIMSS this year , you do not exist...
PassportMD was there and generated a significant amount of buzz....we had tremendous traffic and interest in what we are doing in the consumer directed healthcare space...
It was a very exciting event for us and for all those that participated...
Now, for the real news...
Microsoft Healthvault and Google Health ( http://www.healthvault.com/ and ttp://www.google.com/ig?hl=en) were both there...Contrary to popular opinion, I am in favor of Microsoft and Google's presence in the healthcare IT world...Although many privacy advocacy groups and other competitors, editors, journalists, healthcare veterans differ , I believe that their presence is critical to bringing up everyone's ultimate benefits and interoperability...I am impressed by Microsoft and Google's committment to working with other vendors such as PassportMD, and both are committed to privacy and security. I do not believe that Google or Microsoft are going to shy away from providing the very best in options for forwarding the cause of personal health records and to do it in a manner that is admirable...So, Cudos to Microsoft's Healthvault and to Google's Google Health...
I guess the only concern I would have is their vast underestimation of the significance of the problem of today's healthcare situation , their potential lack of understanding and their risk for arrogance and naivete as they enter this market...simply stated, it is not like entering the software or the Internet search market as they did over the last few decades..there are a number of stakeholders and their are real life critical health issues that need to be considered...I am hoping that PassportMD can help as can the myriads of other vendors that can provide some value and perspective to this massive undertaking ...
It is indeed a very exciting time to be in healthcare IT.
All I could think of was Comdex and Las Vegas..this show, HIMSS 2008, is clearly much bigger than ever before, it is over the top in fact... The exhibit booths and display of marketing muscle in terms of investment in presence is unprecedented...
I have seen many trade shows in my 20 years of medicine and business and I was blown away by the 2 and 3 story exhibits...Anyone who is anyone was an exhibitor..if you werent at HIMSS this year , you do not exist...
PassportMD was there and generated a significant amount of buzz....we had tremendous traffic and interest in what we are doing in the consumer directed healthcare space...
It was a very exciting event for us and for all those that participated...
Now, for the real news...
Microsoft Healthvault and Google Health ( http://www.healthvault.com/ and ttp://www.google.com/ig?hl=en) were both there...Contrary to popular opinion, I am in favor of Microsoft and Google's presence in the healthcare IT world...Although many privacy advocacy groups and other competitors, editors, journalists, healthcare veterans differ , I believe that their presence is critical to bringing up everyone's ultimate benefits and interoperability...I am impressed by Microsoft and Google's committment to working with other vendors such as PassportMD, and both are committed to privacy and security. I do not believe that Google or Microsoft are going to shy away from providing the very best in options for forwarding the cause of personal health records and to do it in a manner that is admirable...So, Cudos to Microsoft's Healthvault and to Google's Google Health...
I guess the only concern I would have is their vast underestimation of the significance of the problem of today's healthcare situation , their potential lack of understanding and their risk for arrogance and naivete as they enter this market...simply stated, it is not like entering the software or the Internet search market as they did over the last few decades..there are a number of stakeholders and their are real life critical health issues that need to be considered...I am hoping that PassportMD can help as can the myriads of other vendors that can provide some value and perspective to this massive undertaking ...
It is indeed a very exciting time to be in healthcare IT.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
long awaited HL 7 model to be released
Ever since the HL7 EHR technical committee formed the PHR working group in Feb 2005 ( 3years ago!) , the medical IT world has anxiously awaited their recs..it is interesting that the market and industry sped right past the committee, developing projects and initiatives and not waiting for adopted defined standards. The committee must have watched all of this happen at lightening speed and somehow hoped they would get these out as soon as possible. If they waited much longer..who knows.., the market would have reached the same complete chaos that the EMR market created for itself with development of many independent projects with no interoperability standards. Emr's are now struggling to retrofit to defined standards that should have been implemented 15 years ago. Anyways, finally, it is here..
Health level seven (HL7), has approved the Personal Health Record systme functional model (PHR-S FM) as a draft standard for trial use (DSTU).
I applaud the approval and intent, but wonder "what took so long?"
The PHR-S FM is not a fully American National Standards Institute accredited standard and this will take up to 2 more years to be revised from a draft to a standard...this will most likely be the first industry standard to specify functionality for PHR systems.
Clearly there are stakeholders that are involved and now pushing this initiative "front and center", hopefully the "stakeholders" are not competing for commercial profits but rather for consumer benefits, privacy and rights...
Health level seven (HL7), has approved the Personal Health Record systme functional model (PHR-S FM) as a draft standard for trial use (DSTU).
I applaud the approval and intent, but wonder "what took so long?"
The PHR-S FM is not a fully American National Standards Institute accredited standard and this will take up to 2 more years to be revised from a draft to a standard...this will most likely be the first industry standard to specify functionality for PHR systems.
Clearly there are stakeholders that are involved and now pushing this initiative "front and center", hopefully the "stakeholders" are not competing for commercial profits but rather for consumer benefits, privacy and rights...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Next Generation Healthcare
I am often asked, "What types of new IT products and services are going to be developed to meet the emerging needs of healthcare consumers, payors and providers?"
The short answer is...much simpler than what we have today. The long answer..well, that could take years, scientists, experts, and ridiculous pontificators like myself...but , here goes,
1. New telecommunications including broader use of satellites for a more robust, faster , real time communication.
2. Standardization of data , data query , and data sharing
3. Interoperability and work flow tools to enable real time seamless interface between payor, provider and consumer.
4. Imaging improvements with miniaturization of file burdens including adaptations and modifications of DICOM, non DICOM, pdf healthcare
5. Financial cross platform security protocols, shared risk programs, patient centric usability and information management solutions.
6. tools that take transparency to ROI for patients.
7. tools that take transparency to ROI for providers and payors.
8. Technology that assists with workflow mangement solutions
9. Proactive preventive healthcare solutions that transfer to consumer and provider ROI
10. Integration of standards, P4P, workflow and information management into real time processes.
The short answer is...much simpler than what we have today. The long answer..well, that could take years, scientists, experts, and ridiculous pontificators like myself...but , here goes,
1. New telecommunications including broader use of satellites for a more robust, faster , real time communication.
2. Standardization of data , data query , and data sharing
3. Interoperability and work flow tools to enable real time seamless interface between payor, provider and consumer.
4. Imaging improvements with miniaturization of file burdens including adaptations and modifications of DICOM, non DICOM, pdf healthcare
5. Financial cross platform security protocols, shared risk programs, patient centric usability and information management solutions.
6. tools that take transparency to ROI for patients.
7. tools that take transparency to ROI for providers and payors.
8. Technology that assists with workflow mangement solutions
9. Proactive preventive healthcare solutions that transfer to consumer and provider ROI
10. Integration of standards, P4P, workflow and information management into real time processes.
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