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/.