Recently the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced the availability of registration for the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive programs. CMS and ONC encouraged broad participation and outlined online and in-person resources. These resources are in place to assist eligible professionals and eligible hospitals who wish to participate. Registration is now available for eligible health care professionals who wish to participate in the Medicare EHR incentive program.
To prepare for registration, interested providers should first familiarize themselves with the incentive program's requirements. You can do this by visiting CMS' official website for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program at http://www.cms.gov/ehrincentiveprograms/. The site provides general and detailed information on the programs, including tabs on the path to payment, eligibility, meaningful use, certified EHR technology, and frequently asked questions.
Under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Medicare incentive payments will be available to eligible professionals. They first have to adopt certified EHR technology and successfully demonstrate "meaningful use" of the technology in ways that improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of patient-centered care.
Under the EHR incentive programs, eligible professionals can receive as much as $44,000 over a five-year period through Medicare.