Author Archives: C.B. Gavant

How Does Version 5010 Compare to the Current X12 Standard Format?

Dec 08 2011 by C.B. Gavant

Around the US, hospitals and health care providers, as well as insurance companies and clearinghouses, are making the slow and painstaking transition from HIPAA 4010, the former standard version for electronic medical record transactions, to HIPAA 5010, the new version mandated by the federal government. Version 5010 is a major upgrade from 4010, the first major upgrade issued in ten years, an eon in the high-tech world. What exactly does this new version do, and what does it mean for the hospitals, health care providers, and insurance companies implementing it… Continue reading

Pros and Cons of Patient Access to Medical Records

Nov 22 2011 by C.B. Gavant

Switching over to electronic health records (EHR) is leading to changes on many levels, with many of those changes being facilitated and accelerated by Meaningful Use. One significant change is the requirement to provide patients with electronic copies of their health records, as well as clinical summaries after each visit. As a result, patients throughout the United States will soon have access to their own medical records through a patient portal – a revolution being debated by physicians and health care providers… Continue reading

Will Meaningful Use Change Your Practice?

Oct 26 2011 by C.B. Gavant

Doctors across the US have the opportunity to receive thousands of dollars worth of grants if they switch over to electronic health records (EHR). In an effort to boost the numbers of physicians and hospitals moving their practices over to EHR, the government has enacted both a Medicare EHR Incentive Program and a Medicaid EHR Incentive Program which allow eligible professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to gain significantly if they demonstrate Meaningful Use of their electronic health technology… Continue reading