Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
The Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Website is now available on CMS.gov!
Bookmark this site and visit http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/ often to learn about who is eligible for the programs, how to register, meaningful use, upcoming EHR training and events, and much more!
The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) has launched the official website for the Medicare & Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. This website provides the most up-to-date, detailed information about the EHR incentive programs.
Background
Section 4201 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides funding support to Medicaid professionals and hospitals for the adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.
On July 13, 2010 the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), published the final rule on the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, designed to implement the provisions of ARRA and provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs to adopt and meaningfully use certified EHR technology. Additionally, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued a Final Rule which establishes an initial set of standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology.
Florida Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Timeline
Florida plans to be ready to start the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive payment program in April 2011, and begin making incentive payments to providers in August 2011.
In order to be prepared to start the EHR program, Florida must do the following:
- Have a very detailed plan* submitted and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Create tools and other outreach for communication about the EHR program, and post information on its Web site
- Test the interchange of information with CMS* in order to accept provider registrations in the program
- Make sure a system is in place to guarantee the right payments go to the right providers before payments begin
When these tasks are complete, it is estimated that within 3 months Florida will be able to accept provider registrations, and within 5 months incentive payments could begin.
*The detailed plans required by CMS are called the State Medicaid Health Information Technology Plan and the Implementation Advance Planning Document.
Eligible Professionals
The final rule defines eligible professionals, for purposes of the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, as non- hospital-based physicians, dentists, nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants practicing in a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic that is directed by a physician assistant. In order to be eligible for incentive payments these professionals must meet certain Medicaid patient volume thresholds.
Eligible professionals can receive up to $63,750 over six years for adopting and meaningfully using EHR technology.
For more information on eligible professionals please see: Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Eligible Professionals (.pdf 64 kb)
Eligible Hospitals
Hospitals eligible for Medicaid incentive payments are acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals and children’s hospitals. Acute care and critical access hospitals must have a Medicaid patient volume of at least 10% to be eligible to receive payments. Children’s hospitals do not have to meet a Medicaid patient volume threshold in order to be eligible.
Incentive payments to eligible hospitals are based on a complex formula in which a base incentive amount for all hospitals is modified by the number of Medicaid patient discharges as well as other factors.
For more information on eligible hospitals please see:
Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Eligible Hospitals (.pdf 83 kb)
Frequently Asked Questions
For additional information regarding the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program and ONC's standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology, please see: Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Frequently Asked Question (.pdf 174 kb)
Related Links
To view the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program final rule please see: Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Final Rule (.pdf 2.4 mb)
To view ONC’s standards, implementation specifications and certification criteria for EHR technology please see: Final Rule for Standards Implementation, Specifications, and Certification Criteria for EHR Technology (.pdf 386 KB)
For More Information Or Any Additional Questions Please E-mail:
MedicaidHIT@AHCA.MyFlorida.com |
