Publications: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Opens Enrollment in EHR Incentive Programs

On January 3, 2011 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) opened registration in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The incentive programs provide eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and eligible critical access hospitals (CAHs) incentive payments if they demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

Through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 in incentive payments over the course of five years. Eligible hospitals and CAHs are also eligible for financial incentives including a $2 million base payment. Beginning in 2015, professionals, hospitals, and CAHs that do not demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs will see cuts in their Medicare reimbursement rates.

Similarly, many states are offering eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and eligible CAHs incentive payments through the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. Under this program, eligible professionals can receive up to $63,750 over the course of a six-year period in which they enroll in the program. As with the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, hospitals and CAHs are also eligible for financial incentives including a $2 million base payment under the Medicaid program. Unlike the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, however, the Medicaid program currently does not impose any payment adjustments for failing to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology after a certain time. As of January 3, not all states have opened enrollment in their Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. To date, only Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas have opened registration. Other states are expected to open registration during the Spring and Summer of 2011.

For those providers who already comply with the requirements for meaningful use of certified EHR technology, registering through the web system is the first step toward receiving incentive payments under the EHR Incentive Programs. After registering, eligible providers will have to complete an attestation that asserts they are demonstrating meaningful use of certified EHR technology in order to receive incentive payments. Eligible providers who have yet to obtain certification of their EHR from an Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Testing and Certification Body (ONC–ATCB) are still able to register for the Medicare and, to the extent they are currently accepting enrollment, Medicaid Incentive Programs. They will not, however, be able to complete the attestation and receive incentive payments until their EHR has been tested and certified by an ONC-ATCB.

CMS encourages providers to register for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs as soon as possible.

Additional general information on the Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Programs can be found here. Specific information regarding registration for both EHR Incentive Programs can be found here.

Should you have any questions or need assistance with registration for the EHR Incentive Programs please contact a member of the Ungaretti & Harris Healthcare Group.