Content about Emdeon

April 16, 2013
Keys to a successful 2013 flu season: Planning starts now

In today’s world, April is the time to begin preparations for the wave of patients who will start visiting pharmacies as early as August to be immunized. On the heels of a severe flu season, past trends suggest the demand for flu shots this year will be tremendous, says Emdeon's Mike Carmody.

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. It signals the end of many things and the start of others. Winter becomes spring. Flowers bloom. March Madness wraps up and The Masters’ tee off. Flu season transforms into flu season. Skiing and snowboarding melt into surfing and kayaking.

Wait, what? Flu season transforms into flu season?

March 20, 2013
Pharmacy interoperability and emerging care models: Conversations from HIMSS13

One major theme resonating across the show floor at HIMSS13 was the importance of interoperability within healthcare ecosystems. Emdeon's Lathe Bigler discusses how interoperability in the pharmacy space has been centered on advances in e-prescribing and clinical messaging.

In early March, more than 30,000 healthcare industry participants swarmed upon New Orleans for the annual HIMSS conference. In the words of keynote speaker James Carville, this is the Super Bowl of conventions. Most attendees arrived on Sunday to discover a water outage warning. Even when the water pressure returned to normal, the message was clear — do not drink it! On Monday morning, there was not a latte to be found in the entire city. We were roughing it…

January 28, 2013
Pharmacy trends and outlook for 2013

Health care is evolving. As obvious of a statement as that is, it doesn’t change the fact that it is very real. Throughout last year, there was intense discussion on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and what impact the outcome of the presidential election might have on its future. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled and elections are settled, healthcare companies and providers across the country are implementing strategies to meet ACA requirements.

Health care is evolving. As obvious of a statement as that is, it doesn’t change the fact that it is very real. Throughout last year, there was intense discussion on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and what impact the outcome of the presidential election might have on its future. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled and elections are settled, healthcare companies and providers across the country are implementing strategies to meet ACA requirements.

December 11, 2012
Electronic prescribing comes full circle with automated refill authorizations

E-prescribing offers many well-known benefits to physicians, pharmacists and patients alike. Beyond the well-known patient benefits, real-time transactions with automated requests and responses promise to create efficiencies by speeding the medication ordering process, reducing or eliminating the back-and-forth communications between pharmacists and clinicians commonly associated with handwritten prescriptions.

E-prescribing offers many well-known benefits to physicians, pharmacists and patients alike. Beyond the well-known patient benefits, real-time transactions with automated requests and responses promise to create efficiencies by speeding the medication ordering process, reducing or eliminating the back-and-forth communications between pharmacists and clinicians commonly associated with handwritten prescriptions.

November 21, 2012
It's the most magical time of the year - looking forward to pharmacy 2013

Each year, we say goodbye to the current year and welcome in the New Year full of hope and aspirations for a successful year ahead. Customers turn out in droves for “New Year, New You” specials and when they reach the register, the retail pharmacy world knows the scenario quite well.

Each year, we say good-bye to the current year and welcome in the New Year full of hope and aspirations for a successful year ahead. Customers turn out in droves for “New Year, New You” specials and when they reach the register, the retail pharmacy world knows the scenario quite well. In a few short weeks’ time, you and your staff will be asking these all too familiar questions, “Did you have any insurance changes? Did you have a change in benefits?  Did you know your brand drug is now available in generic?” and so on.

October 2, 2012
PDX, Emdeon sign patient medication history deal

Two companies have signed a deal to provide access to real-time medication history to healthcare providers.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two companies have signed a deal to provide access to real-time medication history to healthcare providers.

Pharmacy management services provider PDX and healthcare revenue and payment cycle management and clinical information exchange services provider Emdeon announced the deal Monday, whereby medication history will be delivered from PDX's Electronic Pharmacy Record to Emdeon's Clinical Exchange and then to hospitals, providers, health information exchanges, nursing facilities and ambulatory and acute inpatient facilities that request it.

September 25, 2012
Where oh where did my reimbursements go? Today’s pharmacy audit landscape

There is no doubt about it. Pharmacy audits can be time consuming and laborious for all parties involved. And as both government and commercial money gets tighter and tighter, all of health care is searching for the most effective means to manage the financial challenges associated with doing business. In addition to the clinical aspects, audits are used to identify genuinely fraudulent or erroneously paid healthcare claims. Nevertheless, a survey released in September 2012 by the National Community Pharmacists Association found that nearly 87% of those surveyed stated that reimbursement and auditing practices are “significantly” or “very significantly” affecting their ability to provide patient care and remain in business.

There is no doubt about it. Pharmacy audits can be time consuming and laborious for all parties involved. And as both government and commercial money gets tighter and tighter, all of health care is searching for the most effective means to manage the financial challenges associated with doing business. In addition to the clinical aspects, audits are used to identify genuinely fraudulent or erroneously paid healthcare claims.

July 23, 2012
Electronic medication reconciliation: When the healthcare industry collaborates, everyone wins

Healthcare providers in today’s environment are committed to promoting patient safety while providing access to the most reliable and innovative treatments. Medication reconciliation, which is defined by The Joint Commission as “the process of comparing a patient’s medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking,” is designed to prevent drug-related errors — including adverse interactions, overdoses or allergic reactions — and can assist healthcare providers, especially during care transitions when patients are most likely to receive new medications or alternative doses.

Healthcare providers in today’s environment are committed to promoting patient safety while providing access to the most reliable and innovative treatments.

May 11, 2012
The benefits of e-prescribing beyond achieving meaningful use

E-prescribing owes a debt of gratitude to meaningful use. Without the Office of the National Coordinator’s inclusion of the capability as a core measure, enabling physician technologies may not have taken off with such vigor. But where MU’s e-prescribing requirements — such as two-way transmissions, complete active medication lists and formulary information — leave off, real innovation — characterized by real-time transactions, automated requests and responses, and Intelligent Routing like Emdeon provides — begins with many valuable benefits for providers, pharmacies and patients.

E-prescribing owes a debt of gratitude to meaningful use. Without the Office of the National Coordinator’s inclusion of the capability as a core measure, enabling physician technologies may not have taken off with such vigor.

April 13, 2012
NCPDP conference preview: D.0, PBMs and HIE, oh my!

The Emdeon team always looks forward to the NCPDP Annual Conference. The 2012 version is coming up in early May at the Arizona Biltmore. As expected, NCPDP has done an excellent job in scheduling a large number of important and interesting topics. Emdeon’s Lathe Bigler will be discussing the impact of health information exchanges (HIEs) and accountable care organizations (ACOs) on our industry, and I am scheduled to talk about the industry’s observations and lessons learned regarding the implementation of D.0.

The Emdeon team always looks forward to the NCPDP Annual Conference. The 2012 version is coming up in early May at the Arizona Biltmore. As expected, NCPDP has done an excellent job in scheduling a large number of important and interesting topics. Emdeon’s Lathe Bigler will be discussing the impact of  health information exchanges (HIEs) and accountable care organizations (ACOs) on our industry, and I am scheduled to talk about the industry’s observations and lessons learned regarding the implementation of D.0.

March 27, 2012
HIE, mobile technology dominate conversations at HIMSS

A few weeks ago, we joined some 37,000 of our closest friends for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference. HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of health care.

A few weeks ago, we joined some 37,000 of our closest friends for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference. HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology and management systems for the betterment of health care.