How does Hello Health^® differ from other EHRs?

Hello Health^® is the only no-cost electronic health record (EHR) that can help primary care practices earn new incremental revenue. Our web-based revenue-generating platform integrates an electronic health record, practice management capabilities and an intuitive patient health portal on a single, secure platform. You offer patients secure access to the platform for a subscription fee starting as low as $4/month. Your share of the monthly fees turns your EHR into a revenue generator. Combined with incentives and other opportunities like direct pay services, revenue opportunities can exceed $35,000 per year for some practices.

Is Hello Health^® certified for Meaningful Use?

Hello Health Version 6.0 is 2011/2012 compliant and has been certified by the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT^®), an ONC-ATCB, in accordance with the applicable certification criteria for Eligible Providers adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This certification does not represent an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or guarantee the receipt of incentive payments. Read more about Meaningful Use and our certification.

Is Hello Health^® Surescripts^® certified?

Hello Health Version 6.0 is Surescripts certified for prescription routing and drug formulary and benefits checking. This means that elegible new prescriptions can be sent directly from Hello Health to the computer at a pharmacy of the patient’s choice. Renewal authorization requests can be sent directly to Hello Health. Physicians can then review and respond to pending requests with a few keystrokes. The Hello Health platform currently supports the interaction checks:

• Drug-drug
• Drug-allergy
• Drug-condition

What kind of computer equipment do I need?

Because Hello Health^® is a web-based platform, all you need is a computer and high-speed Internet connection. There are no expensive servers to buy and maintain, and our customer support team is always available.

How secure is Hello Health^®?

Both physicians and patients are naturally concerned with privacy and confidentiality of healthcare information. Hello Health uses the highest-level SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption and is fully HIPAA compliant. Unlike e-mail, which relies on multiple file servers distributed across the Internet, we use a single, centrally-managed secure database for all provider-patient communications. Access to the patient health and personal information is restricted to the patient and his/her care providers.

Can patients still phone to schedule appointments?

Patients are of course able to contact you by telephone regarding any matter, including appointments. However, to realize the full benefits of Hello Health^®, your practice should be encouraging all of your patients to subscribe to and schedule appointments through the patient portal. It not only streamlines your staff’s day, your patients will like it better too.

Won’t patients be emailing me all the time?

With the Hello Health^® portal, physicians and patients communicate via secure messaging and not personal e-mail. Giving patients secure messaging access is a sign that you respect their time, and experience has shown that they return that respect by messaging you only when it’s important. Using secure messaging can also help simplify your day because non-urgent responses can be made by you or your staff when it best fits into your practice’s workday.

We’re not computer savvy at my practice. Will using Hello Health^® be easy?

Like you, we’ve seen all those hard-to-understand applications for medical practices. We know that you want technology that fits seamlessly into your day, so we have designed Hello Health to be remarkably easy to use, for everybody at your practice, and your patients too. Like the best web sites we all use, it’s easy to navigate the platform, and view and enter information. Take a tour of Hello Health and discover for yourself how easy taking charge of your practice can be.

Can you quantify the revenue that my office will see on an ongoing basis?

Every practice is different, but the Hello Health^® business model enables you to generate additional revenue in a number of ways. You can offer Hello Health to your patients as a subscription-based service. A portion of the subscription fee goes to Hello Health; the rest goes to your practice.

You can also generate new revenue by offering patients enhanced services such as secure messaging, instant messaging and video visits on a fee-per-use basis. If you devote only an hour a day to enhanced online services, you may see $35-40,000 in new revenue per year.

And don’t forget that Hello Health is certified for Meaningful Use, helping you qualify for Federal incentive payments. Find out more about Meaningful Use.

How does Hello Health^® work with private insurance and Medicare?

Because the Hello Health^® subscription is not a “medical” service but a technology subscription, where patients pay for technology access and not specific medical services, your use of Hello Health should not violate private health care plan terms. Because the enhanced revenues you generate is for non-covered services, your agreements with payers should remain intact. Because of the dynamic nature of insurance contracts, we recommend that you review your specific plan terms to check that your implementation of Hello Health conforms.

I’m transitioning to a direct pay practice. Can I use Hello Health^®?

Hello Health^® is as well-suited to a direct-pay practice as it is to an insurance-based practice. You can benefit from similar administrative efficiencies, and also get the enhanced access and relationships enabled by our suite of communication tools. Patients paying directly expect a high level of service and engagement. With Hello Health, it’s easy to deliver and create really loyal patients.

What is the cost for implementation and training?

The cost of initial training for your staff and on-site implementation services depends on the size of your practice. If a fee applies, it is not collected up front but will be folded into the first year subscription fee. There is no additional cost for maintenance (daily backup), upgrade or ongoing support services.

If Hello Health^® doesn’t cost me anything to buy, how do you make money?

Our revenue comes from a percentage of the subscription fees your patients are charged. These revenues support your implementation, ongoing product development, system maintenance costs and training programs.

How many of my patients need to sign up for Hello Health^®?

We take into consideration the size of your panel but what is more important is your motivation to sign up your patients. That being said, the practice can electively determine who can opt out. For example, we do not expect elderly patients with no computer skills or the indigent to have to sign up.

How long does it take to transition to Hello Health^®?

The implementation timeline varies significantly depending on the size and organization of the provider’s practice. Of course, the provider and staff’s motivation also plays a significant role in the length of this process. We aim to reach a go-live between 10 and 12 weeks from contract execution. This includes complete implementation of our EHR as well as all applicable modules. It also includes complete implementation of the patient communication portal and assistance with Meaningful Use attestation.

Can Hello Health^® help a physician transition from an existing EHR?

The Hello Health implementation team is available to review your existing practice model and make recommendations on the best way to transition to our solution. We can port all your patients’ demographic information from your current patient management software into Hello Health. This importing service is offered free of charge.

How will my records be moved to Hello Health^®?

It’s simple for us to import patient demographics into the Hello Health^® platform, which we do at no charge as part of our implementation procedure. If you still use paper records, we will work with you to scan all of the records to our system. We even bring the scanner!

How do I tell my patients that I’m moving to Hello Health^®?

We are convinced that patients will love using Hello Health^® once they’ve tried it – no more to-and-fro trying to find an appointment that works, no more forms in reception, much easier follow-ups – and that’s just the start. We provide the material you need to communicate why you’re moving to Hello Health, including your new website, patient letters and marketing material for your office. These are designed to explain clearly and in a positive way to patients why you are adopting Hello Health, and why it’s important – and beneficial – for them to subscribe.

What if a patient doesn’t want to join Hello Health^®?

Your practice will achieve the maximum benefits when as many patients as possible have signed on as subscribers. We encourage practices to develop clear and straightforward policies regarding Hello Health, including the benefits of subscribing, and details about opt-in potential (when applicable).