CMS is putting the finishing touches on its proposed 2012 Physician Fee Schedule and expects to release it "very shortly," in the words of Stewart Streimer, director of the agency's Provider Billing Group. This vague hint was one of the first announcements Streimer made during today's physician open door call.

You've done it -- implemented an electronic health record (EHR) system successfully, met stage 1 meaningful use requirements (all 20 of them!) and even proceeded to have your providers finish attesting using CMS's online system. Where then, is your money? The answers are in the fine print, CMS says in a new addition to its frequently asked questions website on EHR.

Just in time for the deadline, CMS defines the 10% threshold needed to earn the e-prescribing (e-Rx) bonus in the FAQ and updated others, which could put some of your concerns to rest.

Preview: At least 10% of your Medicare Part B allowable charges must be comprised of codes from the CPT/G-codes in the measure's denominator as part of the e-prescribing requirement (NPP 6/27/11).

Most electronic health record (EHR) vendors have a meaningful use "guarantee" -- but the fine print usually specifies that their EHR product has the capability to meet meaningful use and earn you incentive money, if you do your part. But athenahealth (the company name is deliberately lower case, for whatever reason) is trying to stand apart from the pack by offering a more substantive meaningful use guarantee.

Medicare’s new preventive services are not as popular as CMS would like which has sparked intensification of efforts in providing preventive care to all Medicare patients through a “word of mouth” and media campaign, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebeliusannounced in a news conference Monday.