MIPS Claims Its First Casualty in Outpatient Rehab
Those of you who want to opt into MIPS and “be ready for tomorrow” are discovering an unexpected headwind.
At first glance, your EMR’s approach to MIPS looks great, it’s comforting to know that your technology partner has your back.
BUT . . .
Then you notice the add-on charges for tracking outcomes.
Plus, the monthly fees for patient relationship/engagement.
And don’t forget the new charges for the MIPS data registry submission.
Our favorite reaction was from Mike, a practice owner, who lamented: “Our top priority was to avoid the MIPS takebacks. But when we got into the details, we realized that our EMR’s fees were roughly the same amount!”
The first casualty claimed by MIPS has been completely unexpected: It’s your EMR’s integrity.
Still reeling from the CMS’s recent final rule that announced the future, lower “fixed rate” reimbursements for daily visits, followed by an additional 15% reimbursement reduction for PTAs and COTAs, THE LAST THING practice owners can absorb is significant price hikes from their EMR.
Partner? Or Predator?
In a well-orchestrated presentation, your EMR has laid out the complexities of MIPS. “Complex” doesn’t come close to describing the new requirements. “Intimidating” is an understatement. After skillfully backing you into a dark, scary corner, your EMR explains, “Our costs have increased, it’s only fair that we share these new expenses.”
Systems 4PT has a one-word response for the EMRs, currently swindling their customers with higher fees, using MIPS as the rationale:
Deceitful
Yes, MIPS carries with it some new requirements. Your EMR says, “these changes are expensive.” But stop and think about it. What happens when the CMS announces their next bureaucratic program? Will there be yet another price increase from your technology “partner?” And then another and another?
And looking at the fees, it’s obvious to all of us that these add-on charges are not “costs.” We all see it. This is a new profit center for greedy EMRs and the venture capital banks who own them.
Your Practice, Held Hostage
We’re not being unfair. Your EMR is forcing you to choose between profitability and compliance. They are showing you their true motivations and loyalties.
The One EMR Who Hasn’t Sold You Out
We rely on our practices to restore their patients’ function.
And we understand, that our practices rely on Systems 4PT to innovate new technologies as healthcare reform continues to morph in complexities.
We get it. Our job is to invent technologies that enable our therapist to spend their time treating, not typing.
Our innovations enable therapists to comply with MIPS using a 20-second workflow. A workflow that’s demonstrated a 99.3% compliance track record in the past.
It’s as simple as this: Medicare is not judging you with an army of employees. They are judging you with a “Super Computer.” The way to thrive with MIPS is to use a “Super Computer” of your own.
That’s what we’ve invented.
Literally, the therapist can’t sign the note unless the MIPS codes are correct.
And Systems 4PT provides this to our practices, without higher fees or add-on charges of any kind.
Yes, Systems 4PT was faced with the same wave of new costs related to outcomes, patient engagement, and registry submission. But we “thought outside the box.” We “put the squeeze to our business partners’ pricing.” We literally invented new ways to solve the problem, at lower costs than anyone else can deliver. Still, in the end, our costs are higher with MIPS than without MIPS.
But Systems 4PT didn’t raise prices.
“The Best EMR” Isn’t the One Who Spends All Day Calling Themselves “The Best”
A little background. The prior paragraphs discuss EMR companies who didn’t have the financial strength to endure on their own. Those familiar EMRs who act like they’re run by therapists are now owned by venture capital banks. With that background, it’s not surprising that they are swindling their practices out of higher MIPS fees.
Systems 4PT is 17 years old. We are owned and managed by our founding management team. Not only have we demonstrated the financial competence to maintain our company’s independence, but when recently faced with higher MIPS costs, Systems 4PT had the financial strength to absorb those expenses because that was the right thing to do for our customers.
This Is What A Business Partner Looks Like
If you want to spend your time treating rather than typing … if you would like to increase reimbursements while lowering EMR/billing costs… if you want to work with the unmatched compliance leader, a business partner who earns your trust, instead of advertising that they’re trusted…