Ingenix Survey Finds Physicians Have Limited Understanding of new Government Stimulus Incentives for EHRs

Cost is Physicians` Top Concern about EHR Implementation

Ingenix Launches EHR/Stimulus Education Program to Help Physicians Maximize ARRA
Incentives, Value of EHR Technologies in Their Practices
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--(Business Wire)--
A recent survey found that cost is the top concern among physicians considering
electronic health records (EHRs) for their practices. Also, survey respondents
had limited understanding of the financial assistance for implementing an EHR
system now available to physicians through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

In response to these findings, Ingenix has launched a nationwide EHR/stimulus
education initiative to help physicians learn how EHR technologies and financial
incentives can support their efforts to enhance patient care.

Ingenix conducted the online survey of 1,001 U.S. physicians and physician
practice administrators to gauge attitudes toward EHR technologies, and to
understand how federal stimulus incentives might affect purchase decisions. Key
findings include:

* More than half (58 percent) of respondents have little or no familiarity with
the ARRA, while 42 percent have some familiarity with its provisions.
* Still, 82 percent say they are more likely to purchase EHR technologies if
they are reimbursed for their investment, including 34 percent who would be much
more likely to do so.
* Additionally, 77 percent say that penalties for not adopting EHR technology by
2014, as prescribed by the provisions of the ARRA stimulus, are likely to
motivate them to implement the technology.

The Ingenix EHR/stimulus education program features a webinar series that will
help physicians better understand the ARRA incentives for EHR adoption and their
eligibility requirements. Ingenix also launched a new online EHR/stimulus
education resource center (www.ingenix.com/ehr) that features additional details
about ARRA provisions and tools to help physicians assess their needs, advice
for selecting and reviewing EHR systems, and cost and savings information.
Webinar registration and scheduling details also are available on the site.

"Ingenix is meeting a critical need by providing physicians with the practical
information they need to make decisions about EHRs," said Kim LaFontana, vice
president, Ingenix. "While our survey indicates that the federal stimulus
incentives hit one of the sweet-spots in addressing physicians` primary concern
- reimbursing them for the cost of the technology - it also shows that there is
a real need for HIT companies to provide solutions and assistance in making the
technology a productive addition to the physician practice, not a drag on
productivity. Ingenix is helping physicians get the most of this opportunity and
select an EHR system that supports their biggest priority - caring for
patients."

EHRs reduce or eliminate the need for paper charts, and improve access to
patient-specific health information and medical knowledge at the point of care.
As such, health care policymakers believe EHRs are integral to improving the
quality and affordability of health care services. The federal stimulus
incentives promote widespread EHR adoption by providing $19 billion in special
Medicare reimbursement payments - up to $44,000 per physician over a five-year
period - to practices that demonstrate meaningful use of the technology.

Ingenix CareTracker EMR is a Web-based electronic health record solution that
fully integrates with all the operational functions of a physician practice.
Ingenix CareTracker offers three modules to support physician practice
operations: Ingenix CareTracker PM optimizes administrative workflows for
physician practices; Ingenix CareTracker EMR helps clinicians enter, retrieve
and correlate patient information at the point of care; and Ingenix CareTracker
Services improves revenue cycle management with comprehensive billing and
accounts receivable support. For more information, visit
www.ingenix.com/caretracker.

The Ingenix survey has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

About Ingenix

Ingenix, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is a leading provider of
health information, technologies and consulting services. Organizations,
institutions, businesses and government agencies that comprise the health care
system depend on Ingenix solutions and insights to improve their performance.
Visit www.ingenix.com for more information.

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Ingenix
Kyle Christensen, 952-833-7446
kyle.christensen@ingenix.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009