Pilot Lets Beneficiaries Maintain PHRs
August 19th, 2008
CMS announced Aug. 11 a pilot program to test options for beneficiaries with Original Medicare to maintain their health records electronically, Medical News Today reports. Under this pilot program in Arizona and Utah, a beneficiary may choose one of the selected commercial personal health record (PHR) tools, and Medicare will transfer up to two years of the individual’s claims data into the individual’s PHR.
A PHR is a record of health information under the control of the consumer or patient, rather than the physician, as with EHRs. It may only contain data entered by the individual or their provider, but it can also include information from a health plan—as is the case in this pilot, where Medicare provides health information from its claims data base.
The program is scheduled to begin in January 2009. Medicare administrative contractor (MAC), Noridian Administrative Services (NAS), began solicitation to potential PHR vendors.
Related posts:
- CMS Presses On with PHR Program
- PHR Choice Pilot Companies Selected
- SSA: Access to PHRs Could Benefit All
- Portability Issues Give PHRs a Rocky Start
- San Diego Physician: “Maintain Your Practice’s Profitability”