PRACTICE TOOLS & RESOURCES

Complying with the Red Flags Rule
A do-it-yourself prevention program for businesses and organizations at low risk for identity theft.

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OSHA - Personal Protective Equipment
This informational booklet provides a general overview of a particular topic related to OSHA standards.

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Details on ICD-10 Implementation Date 2013 Push Back
On January 15, 2009, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they are postponing the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) implementation date to October 1, 2013, to allow health care providers and payers to prepare for the massive transition. ICD-10 is the newly developed procedure coding system and the postponed implementation is designed to give health care providers and payers time to learn and train on the new system and adjust their business systems to handle the increase in codes. For additional information on ICD-10, visit CMS’s website at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ICD10/.

CMS Regulatory Changes Could Impact the Way You Prescribe
On January 1, 2009, all computer generated prescriptions covered by the Medicare Part D program must be transmitted electronically. Even if you already use an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to prepare and submit prescriptions to pharmacies, it is possible that your EMR automatically routes the prescriptions to the pharmacy’s fax machine. These faxed prescriptions will not be in compliance.

e-Prescribing Readiness Assessment
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) is participating in a national program to help practices prepare for these new requirements. Visit www.GetRxConnected.com/AOA to complete a quick e-prescribing readiness assessment and instantly get a free, personalized capability report. Don’t have an EMR? The above link also provides guidance on how to evaluate and acquire e-prescribing technology.

e-Prescribing Resources
E-prescribing Incentive Program - www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI
Medicare Part D e-Prescribing Standards - www.cms.hhs.gov/eprescribing
A Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing - www.ehealthinitiative.org

Useful Website Resources
US Department of Labor - Occupational Safety & Health Administration
www.osha.gov

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
www.cms.hhs.gov

JustCoding.com
www.justcoding.com

CMS Listserv
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has created a new listserv for clearinghouses, software vendors, and billing services involved with submitting electronic transactions to, or receiving transactions from, Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) contractors. Messages sent on the listserv will inform subscribers when new CMS instructions are released that affect changes to electronic billing software or services. If you have a clearinghouse, billing service, or software vendor involved in your Medicare FFS billing, please advise them to go to the CMS Mailing Lists website at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/mailinglists/ and sign up for the “CLEARINGHOUSE” listserv located in the “Available Mailing Lists” menu.