General FAQs

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH or The Act) is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

ARRA contains incentives related to health care information technology in general (e.g. creation of a national health care infrastructure) and contains specific incentives designed to accelerate the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems among providers. Included (available to each physician through Medicare over five years starting in 2011) is a significant financial incentive for clinics, hospitals, and even small medical practices, to adopt the use of electronic medical records (EMR).

Meaningful Use of certified EHR technology:
For physicians to take advantage of incentives, they must be able to demonstrate "meaningful use" of health information technology:

• The EHR is being used to e-prescribe
• The EHR is connected to provide electronic exchange of health information to
  improve quality and promote care coordination

The EHR is able to report on clinical quality measures as specified by the Secretary

The InteliChart HITECH Action Team will help you to enroll in the HITECH Act incentive program, and our HITECH Action Team will work to ensure that your participation and reporting meets the governments meaningful use guidelines.

We will keep you informed of requirements when they are released and work with you to maintain best practices. However, it is critical that you comply with the standards under applicable privacy and security rules, and also, ensure that you meet and report specific required quality or administrative outcomes, with specific performance goals. Both of these requirements lay outside of InteliCharts control and can only be met by the individual physician.

• $2B for HIT infrastructure, especially HIE
• $17.2B Medicare/Medicaid incentives to doctors and hospitals for "meaningful" use of certified HIT (net after government projected savings)
• $4.7B for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
• $2.5B for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program
• $1.1B for comparative effectiveness grants from AHRQ, NIH, and HHS- does automation improve care
• $1.5B for the community health centers through the Health Resources and Services Administration;
• $500M for the Social Security Administration;
• $85M for the Indian Health Service; and
• $50M for the Veterans Benefits Administration
• Assorted "pockets" of HIT funding in state and community funding allotments.

$29.6B IN TOTAL (not counting local funding)

Note: There is actually another $20B for Medicare Incentives before government calculations for savings. The real total for Health IT is about $50 B.)

• Incentives will start in 2011
• Available to all non-hospital physicians who see Medicare patients
• Eligible physicians can receive up to $44K over a five-year period
• Minimum for Medicare participation: Providers must bill 125% of the total incentive received over the five-year period of incentive distribution
• Must prove "meaningful use" of an EHR

 *Physicians who have not adopted an EHR by January 1, 2015 will be penalized by reduced Medicare payments

Yes. All of the InteliChart Products meet or exceed HIPAA security requirements.

All patient data is kept in a de-identifiable and encrypted format while cryptography algorithms ensure privacy and data integrity.

No. Our platform is vendor neutral so patients have the convenience of having just one portal even though their providers utilize multiple vendors.

Yes. Because the InteliChart Patient Portal is fully integrated with your current EHR and practice management system, patient-entered information is completely discrete and can be imported into your EHR database.

The InteliChart Patient Portal offers many features for patients including: online bill pay, E-Visits (virtual office visits) as well as text and email appointment reminders. 

Yes. For example, if your patient has four children, he or she can link their dependents through just one account. 

Yes. Your patients will be able to fill out medical forms through the Patient Portal prior to their visit saving both parties time.

Yes. Patients can make payments online through the Patient Portal. Payments automatically post to your PMS (835/ERA)