Rockville, Md. —
DrFirst, Inc. today introduced its newest product, Rcopia-MU (Meaningful Use), a modular electronic health records (EHR) system which recently achieved official ONC-ATCB certification. Rcopia-MU is an upgraded version of DrFirst’s award-winning electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) product Rcopia combined with a national patient registry to allow qualified providers to meet Stage 1 and 2 meaningful use requirements in 2011 and 2012. Rcopia-MU enables eligible physicians to affordably meet meaningful use requirements under the HITECH Act (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) with a nonintrusive and easy-to-implement solution which will provide the tools needed to receive their federal incentives in early 2011.
By adopting DrFirst’s certified health information technology (HIT), providers can quickly
qualify for EHR incentive dollars at the end of 90 days if they are correctly utilizing the system as early as January 1, 2011. Rcopia-MU’s user-friendly technology enables practices to continue operating with minimal disruption to office workflow while continuing to use its paper medical records. In addition, when providers make the small investment in Rcopia-MU (a fraction of the overall EHR stimulus funds which can total to up to $18,000 in 2011), their practices can put the money towards implementing a complete EHR/EMR solution in the future and at their own pace.
“Rcopia-MU is a breakthrough meaningful use product for physician practices of all sizes,” said G. Cameron Deemer, DrFirst President and CEO. “Our certified product enables physician offices that may not be ready to go 100% paperless to begin qualifying for HITECH Act stimulus funds right away at the start of 2011. These providers can worry less about rushing into a decision solely for the purpose of qualifying for the HITECH bonus, and, instead, invest more time in researching a suitable EHR for their practice for the long term. This product ties closely with our goal of putting the needs of doctors first, and offering a stepping-stone approach to one of our rapidly growing list of EHR partners.”
The HITECH stimulus legislation defines program eligible providers as those who see Medicare and/or Medicaid patients and meet additional program requirements. Eligible providers may participate in either the Medicare incentive program or the Medicaid incentive program, but not both. These physicians must attest to meeting meaningful use regulations via a meaningful use secure Web site. Eligible providers who do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use by 2015 will have their Medicare reimbursement fees reduced between three and five percent. “By implementing and meaningfully using Rcopia-MU, eligible providers and their patients will also enjoy other benefits besides receiving incentive payments such as overall reduction in clinical errors, online availability of records and data, alerts, clinical decision support, and e-prescribing/refill automation,” said Thomas E. Sullivan, Chief Strategic Officer of DrFirst, and former President of the Massachusetts Medical Society.
Beginning in 2011, the HITECH Act will offer financial incentives of up to $63,750 to eligible providers who demonstrate meaningful use as defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). Electronic medical records stimulus incentives will be offered until 2015, after which time penalties may be levied for failing to demonstrate such use. The electronic medical records stimulus package funds associated with the Medicaid program vary from state to state.
The HITECH Act was created to stimulate the adoption of EHR and supporting technology in the United States. President Obama signed the electronic medical records stimulus package (EMR stimulus package) on February 17, 2009. The EMR stimulus package legislation is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), an overall economic stimulus bill.