How much incentive am I eligible to acquire if I qualify as a meaningful user of EHR?

Physician incentives are allocated in two different payment forms of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements in addition to grant programs.  Physician can start earning incentives in 2011 by demonstrating "meaningful use" of EHR.

Medicare Incentive:

Physicians can start earning incentives in 2011 by demonstrating "meaningful use" of EHR. Physicians can earn from $2,000 to $18,000 in a given year. The possible incentive will be offered maximum of $44,000 per physician, depending on when providers implement EHR. In order to receive the full amount, physicians must be implementing EHR by 2012, other wise; no payment will be made available after 2015. (Please refer Table - 1)

Medicaid Incentive:

Under the ARRA, providers will earn from $ 21,250 to $25,000 for the first year of payments, which may be not after 2016. Medicaid incentives range up to $65,000 over a five-year period. After obtaining startup funds, providers who will prove "meaningful use" can eligible to receive up to $10,000 annually payments for an additional four years. (Please refer Table - 2)

What are the eligibility criteria to get incentive for EHR?

Physician incentives are allocated in two different payment forms of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements in addition to grant programs.  Physician can start earning incentives in 2011 by demonstrating "meaningful use" of EHR. The department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be defining the clear definition of "meaningful use" in the year ahead.

This "meaningful use" imbibes using the technology to exchange electronic health data to improve care quality and submitting care quality measures to HHS. Not only that, hospitals and doctors will need to meet these requirements within a specified time frame.

In order to provide information about receiving incentive payments, HIMSS has a few suggestions:

• Rely on CCHIT as the certifying body for EHRs.
• Adopt metrics that can demonstrate meaningful use, and make them increasingly more stringent over two years or so. 
• Work with HITSP and IHE to make sure systems are interoperable.
• Close the existing gap between "certified EHR technologies," "best of breed," and "open source" technologies

As per the law defines, eligible providers will be treated as a meaningful user of EHR technology if they meet the following three criteria:

• Uses a certified EHR in a meaningful manner, which includes the use of Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing)
• Uses a certified EHR that can accommodate the electronic exchange of Health information to improve quality of health care
• Submits information on clinical quality measures, as chosen by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, for the reporting period

Eligibility to get incentives from Medicaid:

• Physicians, nurses and midwife nurses who are not hospital based and whose patient volume is at least 30 percent attributable to Medicare, are eligible for up to maximum 85 percent of their net allowable technology costs, which is subject to specific annual limits.
• Medicaid Incentives will be available only to non-hospital based clinicians, encompassing dentists, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants practicing in rural health clinics.
• Medicaid incentives range up to $65K over a five-year period.
• Acute care hospitals with Medicaid patient volume of 10 percent or more and children's hospitals with any Medicaid volumes are also eligible.
• Medicaid has not mentioned any penalties for lack of adoption of EHR.
• After obtaining startup funds, providers who will prove "meaningful use" can eligible to receive up to $10 K annually payments for an additional four years.

What are the important points should I consider initially?

• Prepare plan to implement a certified EHR system instantaneously
• Get the best possible information about Stimulus Package for HIT through various sources
• Assessment of current status of your practice and your precise requirements
• Identify the benefits and advantageous of Stimulus bill for providers/ physicians

How do I select the appropriate EHR that meets the criteria of ARRA?

You need to be sure that the EHR is "Certified" under the provision of ARRA and it must meet the following three criteria:

• Uses a certified EHR in a meaningful manner, which includes the use of Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing)
• Uses a certified EHR that can accommodate the electronic exchange of Health information to improve quality of health care
• Submits information on clinical quality measures, as chosen by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, for the reporting period

Can I eligible to get incentive payments at this moment, if I am currently qualify as a meaningful user of EHR?

No. Providers / Hospitals will have to wait until 2011.
However, immediate incentives are available for use of e-Prescription.

What if I don't adopt EHR?

Those providers who are not adopting EHR by 2015 will see reductions in their Medicare reimbursements of 1 % in 2015, 2% in 2016 and 3 % in 2017.