Reston, VA, February 10, 2014 -- The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Cooperative Exchange and other private industry partners, today announced the launch of its ICD-10 Success Initiative webinar series. The purpose of these webinars is to help health IT stakeholders meet the October 1 ICD-10 compliance deadline and to provide answers to common questions.

ICD-10 implementation will cost physicians “dramatically” more than previously estimated, according to a cost study initiated by the American Medical Association (AMA) and conducted by Nachimson Advisors.

The government's release of first-year cost-savings results for its accountable care organization (ACO) project and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center delivery system reform pilot projects have drawn criticism from both the New York Times and the Washington Post, which published articles pointing out the problems with drawing conclusions from studies that are not true randomized controlled trials. In short, correlation is not causation, and the early results, while interesting, are not the same as proof that ACOs and new reimbursement methods like bundled payments actually deliver better care more cheaply. In a commentary, Bloomberg News summarized the controversy.

Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Angus King (I-Maine) announced legislation that would limit FDA’s regulatory oversight to focus on products that pose the greatest health risks.

The H.R. 4015/S. 2000, SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment Modernization Act of 2014, bills also contain provisions that impact more than just physician pay. Among the provisions tucked inside the bill are these five.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is giving eligible professionals an additional month to attest to Meaningful Use for the Medicare EHR incentive program 2013 reporting period. The announcement effectively pushes back the deadline from Feb. 28 to March 31.

Two of the biggest federal mandates facing providers this year were in the news this week—for good and bad reasons.

Clinical decision support, patient engagement, care coordination and population management are the four areas of special emphasis reflected in Meaningful Use Stage 3 draft recommendations, Paul Tang, MD, MS, Palo Alto Medical Foundation and chair of the MU workgroup, said at the Health IT Policy Committee meeting on Feb. 4.