Medicare Begins Pilot Program for PHRs

BALTIMORE–In January, Medicare patients in Arizona and Utah
will test a new CMS pilot program that allows them to maintain
their health records electronically, CMS announced Aug. 8.

Under the pilot, a beneficiary may choose one of the personal
health record, or PHR, vendors CMS selects, and Medicare will
transfer up to two years of the individual’s claims data into the
PHR.

A PHR is a record of health information under control of the
patient, so beneficiaries can also add other personal health
information of their choosing. (An electronic health record, or
EHR, is owned and controlled by a physician.)

According to CMS, PHRs can offer tools that help consumers
manage their health, such as wellness programs for tracking diet
and exercise, medical devices, health education information and
applications to detect potential medication interactions.

Depending on the specific product, beneficiaries may be able to
authorize links to other personal electronic information such as
pharmacy data. The pilot would also allow family members and health
care providers access to the beneficiary’s PHR.

According to CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems, “This pilot
is designed to evaluate how well PHRs meet the needs of our
beneficiaries and whether PHRs can improve health outcomes and
lower costs.”

CMS launched a similar program in South Carolina in April (see

HomeCare Monday, May 8).

For more information on the program, visit http://www.NoridianMedicare.com/phr/.