Allscripts in predicament after portal provider cancels contract
Health IT solutions company Medfusion has officially terminated its contract with EHR giant Allscripts following a series of unresolved payment disputes, company officials announced Monday.
Medfusion, known for its online patient portal solution for providers, said it will allow time for its 30,000 Allscripts customers to transition from Medfusion's portal technology.
"We tried to resolve some differences with (Allscripts) for quite some time and weren't able to do that," Steve Malik, Medfusion CEO, told Healthcare IT News. Overall, it was an unwillingness of Allscripts to resolve the disputes. "Ultimately, that's the way it came down," he said.
Due to the canceled contract, the company will work with its some 30,000 Allscripts customers throughout the transition. Current customers will receive free portal service through the end of May and after will have the choice of going through a month-to-month contract with the company or opt for a discounted long-term contract if they stay with Medfusion.
Medfusion is currently partnered with some 40 EHR companies, Malik pointed out.
[See also: SEC charges former Allscripts accountant.]
The announcement of the severing of ties comes at a difficult time for providers working toward meeting Stage 2 meaningful use requirements, one of which mandates that eligible hospitals extend patient portal access to more than 50 percent of inpatient or emergency department patients within 36 hours of discharge. Moreover, at least 5 percent of patients must view, download or transmit the data to a third party. The move also doesn't appear as good news for Allscripts. The company does, however, provide its own patient portal, FollowMyHealth, as Allscripts officials pointed out.
[See also: Former Allscripts CEO onto new venture.]
"Our absolute focus is on our clients and providing them with the best possible consumer/patient engagement solutions," said Allscripts spokesperson Concetta Di Franco, in an emailed statement.
And, according to Allscripts, only several hundred physician practice clients are live on the Medfusion portal.
[See also: Clients seek swift Allscripts turnaround.]
"Healthcare providers are under a lot of pressure to meet government requirements," said Vern Davenport, Medfusion president, in an April 28 statement. "Medfusion's job is to help providers do that in the most effective manner and help them ensure their incentive payments are awarded. As we enter this most exciting era of consumerism in healthcare, we will continue to offer solutions for patients who want to understand and play a more active role in their overall care."
