Ingenix CareTracker practice management, EHR system available to Federally Qualified Health Centers

Ingenix, a leading health information technology and services company, today announced it is making a specially-designed version of its Ingenix CareTracker practice management and electronic health record (EHR) system available to Federally Qualified Health Centers. Ingenix CareTracker, which provides all of the capabilities physicians need to demonstrate "Meaningful Use," will offer these community health centers a cost-effective, Web-based, practice management and EHR option that will help them improve operational efficiency and patient care, and qualify for incentives offered by the federal government for demonstrating Meaningful Use of health IT.

“Ingenix is making it easier for Community Health Centers - organizations that provide medical care to many of the nation's poorest and most vulnerable people - to access and use advanced health information technology systems to enhance patient services and eliminate disparities in care”

"Ingenix is making it easier for Community Health Centers - organizations that provide medical care to many of the nation's poorest and most vulnerable people - to access and use advanced health information technology systems to enhance patient services and eliminate disparities in care," said Steven Tolle, senior vice president, Physician Solutions at Ingenix. "Ingenix CareTracker delivers tools and technologies that will help community health centers get more from limited financial resources, help ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, and reduce administrative complexity, so they can focus on caring for patients. The system makes it easier to connect with hospitals, labs and health plans, expediting access to clinical and patient information that can support better health outcomes."

Community health centers play a vital role in ensuring all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care services, providing care to a large number of uninsured or underinsured patients. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides eligible physicians, including those who practice in Federally Qualified Health Centers, with up to $63,000 in Medicaid reimbursements for demonstrating Meaningful Use of an EHR system.

To augment these incentives, Ingenix provides a package of interest-free financing and Meaningful Use guarantees that eliminate the up-front costs of implementing an EHR system. Because Ingenix CareTracker EHR costs less than $5,000 per year per physician, federal stimulus funding may cover most or all of the subscription costs for the service through the end of the ARRA reimbursement period, depending on the composition of a physician's patient mix.

Ingenix CareTracker for Federally Qualified Health Centers offers a specially-designed suite of administrative management tools and EHR capabilities that address the unique challenges facing these health centers, including:

• Eligibility verification that shows health plan participation and helps users determine patient eligibility for sliding-fee scales for individuals whose out-of-pocket costs are based on their ability to pay;
• Sliding-fee scale calculators that eliminate errors when determining co-pays, and allow administrators to inform patients of their out-of-pocket obligations at check-in;
• Uniform Data System data collection and reporting modules that allow Community Health Centers to ensure compliance with legislative mandates and submit timely, accurate reports to Congress, the Office of Management and Budget and other agencies that monitor federal spending and programs; and
• Support for printing assessments, medical instructions and after-care notes in Chinese, English, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese languages.