Morning Headlines 5/16/14

Medfusion sues Allscripts for breach of contract

Medfusion files a breach of contract lawsuit against Allscripts because the company acquired and then began marketing a competing patient portal system while it still had an active contract to resell the Medfusion patient portal. Allscripts announced the acquisition at the start of HIMSS 2013, giving "virtually no advance notice to Medfusion, whose representatives were attending and prepared to jointly market the portal with Allscripts at the show.”

Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 90 Individuals for Approximately $260 Million in False Billing

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force announces that a nationwide investigation running across six cities has resulted in 90 individuals, including 27 clinicians, being charged with Medicare fraud. Collectively, the defendants received $260 million in fraudulent reimbursements from Medicare.

Seeking Your Meaningful Use Experiences

The Health IT Policy Committee’s Meaningful Use Workgroup is soliciting the feedback of providers, hospitals, payers, and vendors. HITPC is interested in hearing about experiences in developing, adopting, and meaningfully using electronic health records. Webinars will be held on May 20 and May 27.

Group urges Congress to make telehealth mandatory

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation issues a report calling on Congress to pass the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2013, a bill that was introduced by Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) on December 12, 2013 and immediately referred to the Subcommittee on Health, where it remains.