inside costco Stimulus is scheduled to end in 2015 per the ARRA. Stimulus timeline Healthcare on the record
Starting in 2011
Starting in 2013
$39,000
Starting in 2014
$24,000
Costco offers a software solution
for healthcare providers
By Steve Fisher
FOR AT LEAST half a decade, there has been
bipartisan support for the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR)—or Electronic
Medical Records (EMR)—as a component of
controlling healthcare costs and improving
medical care. The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) contains
incentives designed to help healthcare providers achieve that goal.
While many hospitals and large medical
practices have already embraced the technology, independent physicians and small practices may have found it daunting, both
logistically and economically. Costco is providing members with an affordable solution.
What are some of the benefits
of EHR/EMR?
• A patient’s complete, and current, health
information is available as needed to
facilitate more coordinated care.
• Providers can send prescriptions and
insurance claims electronically.
• Patients can be better informed and have
more access to their healthcare records.
• Providers can be alerted to potential
conflicts when a new medication
is prescribed.
• Paperwork time and costs can be
reduced for providers.
What should providers consider when
shopping for an EHR?
To qualify for federal stimulus money,
providers must implement a certified EHR
system and demonstrate “meaningful use”
as described in the ARRA. Other considerations when choosing an EHR system are:
• Ease of IT setup
• Fully integrated practice management
• Minimal interruption to work flow
• A secure, hosted solution to eliminate
the cost of in-house servers and
technical staff
• Backup and system recovery
safety features
• A well-designed system that streamlines
record keeping, provides easy access to
information, offers useful tracking of
patient care, improves documentation
and has advanced features such as clinical decision support
• Web-based patient portal with secure
messaging, prescription refill requests,
health maintenance reminders and more
The technology is state-of-the-art, but the
pricing is perhaps more astounding. Costco
Executive Members pay just $499 per month,
no money down. Gold Star and Business
members pay $599 per month, no money
down. (The price reflects the monthly fee for
a 60-month lease-to-purchase contract. Pricing
is subject to third-party credit approval and
terms and licenses in purchase and lease documentation.) Costco’s research shows this
represents up to 40 percent savings over comparable offers elsewhere.
What is Costco offering?
Costco has partnered with two leaders in
healthcare technology, Etransmedia and
Allscripts, to offer a comprehensive EHR and
Practice Management (PM) software solution
at a Costco value.
This exclusive offer to Costco members
includes Allscripts MyWay™ EHR and PM
ARRA-certified software, with:
• Unlimited electronic claims
• ePrescribing
• Clinical reporting
• Training and implementation
• Hosting, maintenance and support
Why should providers subscribe now?
The federal government sees EHR as a
vital part of the healthcare system and is
offering federal stimulus incentives up to
$44,000 before 2015. (See the chart above;
eligibility requirements apply.) C
Connecting
For more information, or to schedule a free
demo, call toll-free 1-877-347-6114, or visit
Costco.com and search “EHR.”
