Netsmart Supports HITECH Amendment Act to Add Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Provider Eligibility for Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Funds
Legislation Corrects Oversight That Excluded Key Entities from Medicaid and Medicare Funding Eligibility.

GREAT RIVER, NY, April 19, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Netsmart Technologies, Inc., a provider of enterprise-wide software and services for health and human services organizations, today urged support for the Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010.

Introduced today by U.S. Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Tim Murphy (R-PA), the proposed amendment extends eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare incentive funds for the "meaningful use" of electronic health records (EHRs) to behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment professionals and facilities that were not previously included as eligible in the HITECH Act, a component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

The proposed amendment clarifies the definition "health care provider" to include behavioral and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, psychiatric hospitals, behavioral and mental health clinics and substance use treatment facilities. It also expands the Medicaid/Medicare incentives through the following:

- Expands the types of providers that are eligible for the Medicare incentives for the "meaningful use" of EHRs to include licensed psychologists and clinical social workers. Currently, behavioral healthcare provider organizations can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive funds only through the current definition of eligible professionals, which includes physicians and nurse practitioners that are affiliated with their facilities. The typical behavioral health organization has a limited number of these professionals compared to psychologists and other clinical social workers.

- Expands Medicare Hospital meaningful use incentive funding eligibility to include inpatient psychiatric hospitals;

- Expands Medicaid Hospital meaningful use incentive funding eligibility to include mental health treatment facilities, psychiatric hospitals and substance abuse treatment facilities;

- Expands Medicaid Provider meaningful use incentive funding eligibility to include behavioral and mental health professionals, and substance abuse treatment professionals.

"As co-chairs of the 21st Century Health Care Caucus, Congressman Murphy and I have long advocated for the adoption of electronic health records as an efficient means to lower health care costs and reduce medical errors," said Kennedy. "This legislation would further extend the incentives included in the HITECH Act to the mental and behavioral health community. It acknowledges what was established with the passage of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act - that we need to treat illnesses of the brain just as we would ailments of any other part of the body."

"This proposed legislation corrects an oversight that excluded a major component of the U.S. healthcare system from critical funding that will help organizations accelerate their adoption of Electronic Health Records," said James L. Conway, chief executive officer, Netsmart Technologies.

"We have worked with behavioral health industry and advocacy organizations for nearly a year to help bring this oversight to the attention of key policymakers. We're gratified that Representatives Kennedy and Murphy and the amendment's co-sponsors, Representatives Gene Green (D-TX), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), and Christopher Murphy (D-CT) have introduced this legislation that recognizes the need to treat the entire person, including both primary and behavioral health, which many times are interrelated."

Netsmart is well-positioned to help its customers qualify for the incentives that begin in 2011. Netsmart's Avatar , CMHC/MIS and Insight enterprise software products, in conjunction with Netsmart's order entry, e-prescribing, interoperability technology and consumer Web portal solutions will equip behavioral and public health provider organizations with the functionality required to meet Meaningful Use criteria.

To read the full text of the Health Information Technology Extension for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010, to view questions and answers about the legislation, and to receive information about how to assess your organization's readiness to qualify for incentive funds, visit www.ntst.com/legislation.

Press Release Contact Information:

Dave Kishler
Netsmart Technologies
Director, Mkt & Communications
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Columbus, Ohio
United States of America 43212
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