EHR/EMR Software Stimulus Package
Electronic Health Record Incentives HITECH Act
Final Rules Governing Meaningful Use Released 7/13/2010
Already have a certified electronic medical records system to chart patient encounters and prescribe electronically? The EHR stimulus through the HITECH Act will provide you with incentives automatically beginning in 2011 - provided you meet Meaningful Use objectives.
Spotlight on EMR Software Incentives
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Medicare EMR Stimulus - Ambulatory Physicians.
Providers who accept Medicare can receive up to $44,000 over a 5 year period (2011 - 2016). EHR Meaningful Use begins 1/1/2011 and EMR stimulus payments are expected to begin in May of 2011. -
Medicaid EMR Stimulus - Ambulatory Physicians.
Physicians who see more than 30% Medicaid patient volume (or 20% for pediatricians) are eligible for payments up to $64,000 starting in 2011. Medicaid stimulus payments are state-based, and first payouts are expected early to mid-2011. -
What Happens to Medicare Fee Schedules for Non-Adopters?
Providers who do not demonstrate 'meaningful use' of a certified EHR system by 2014 will see a decrease of 1% in their Medicare fee schedules for 2015. Medicare fee payment reductions will continue annually, up to a maximum of 5% if it is determined that total EHR adoption is under 75% of eligible providers by 2018.
On 7/13/2010, final rules governing Meaningful Use of an electronic health records system, standards and interoperability, and EHR Certification were released. These final rules are important for physician practices to understand in order to ensure they quality for Medicare or Medicaid incentives.
The earliest adopters that begin the transition to an EHR immediately and demonstrate 'meaningful use' of the EHR will realize the highest possible financial incentive through the stimulus. Physician practices that elect not to utilize an EHR system by 2015 may see Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement penalties starting at 1% in increasing up to 5%.
As you can see from the table below, providers who adopt and are "meaningfully using" a certified EHR system by 2011 and 2012 will realize the highest Medicare incentive of $44,000. Providers who adopt in 2011 will receive the first payment of $18,000 beginning in 2011. If you are one of the 44,000 United States eligible Medicaid professionals - see the Medicaid EMR Stimulus schedule.
Additional incentives of up to $63,750 are available for pediatricians with 20-30% patient volume of patients receiving Medicaid assistance, as well as uninsured and low income providers.
* HITECH ACT PHYSICIAN REIMBURSEMENT PLAN (Medicare):ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS SOFTWARE |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EHR Adoption 2011 |
EHR Adoption 2012 |
EHR Adoption 2013 |
EHR Adoption 2014 |
EHR Adoption 2015 |
|
| 2011 ($) |
$18,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 ($) |
$12,000 | $18,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 ($) |
$8,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 ($) |
$4,000 | $8,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 | 0 |
| 2015 ($) |
$2,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $12,000 | 0 |
| 2016 ($) |
0 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | 0 |
| TOTAL | $44,000 |
$44,000 |
$39,000 |
$35,000 |
0 |
You can find the entire contents of the HITECH Act on the Committee on Ways and Means website.
Earn your financial EHR incentive with a CCHIT Certified product - Greenway PrimeSuite. MDS offers weekly 1 hour EMR software demonstration webinars on the billing, scheduling, and charting functionality of PrimeSuite in ambulatory physician practices.
Visit our EMR events calendar to register for an upcoming free webinar on Greenway PrimeSuite - the award winning EMR and practice management system .
* This is MDS Medical's interpretation of the stimulus act as described in Title XIII Health Information Technology portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Please consult the United States government websites for additional information or specific details. MDS relies on information from third parties and accepts no responsibility or liability for the content provided herein.
