PA REACH Helps Pennsylvania Providers Qualify for Meaningful Use and Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments
As part of a nationwide transformation to an electronically enabled health care system, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program has issued millions in incentive payments to eligible health care providers, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These clinicians are working to improve patient care through meaningful use of EHRs.
As of January 2012, Pennsylvania has issued $92,480,456 in its Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and $85,294,350 in its Medicare EHR Incentive Program. Across the country, a total of over $3.1 billion has been awarded to 43,253 eligible professionals and eligible hospitals in the EHR Incentive Programs.
Since February 2010, more than 135,000 providers nationwide have enrolled with Regional Extension Centers (RECs) to receive support with EHR implementation and understand the process to qualify for these incentives. 5,270 of those providers practice in Pennsylvania and receive support from Pennsylvania Regional Extension & Assistance Center for Health IT (PA REACH).
“These incentive payments recognize Pennsylvania providers and hospitals for using EHR technology in ‘meaningful’ ways that lead to higher quality care, improved patient safety, and better communication between patients and physicians,” said Anita Somplasky, PA REACH Executive Director. “While achieving meaningful use of EHRs can be a challenging endeavor, PA REACH meets providers where they are and uses our health IT expertise to help them realize their EHR goals.”
Under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, eligible providers can receive incentive payments in their first year of participation by successfully registering through CMS’ web-based registration system and then demonstrating to their state that they are eligible and have adopted, implemented, or upgraded certified EHR technology. Medicaid EPs and eligible hospitals do not need to attest to meeting meaningful use criteria in the first year. However, they will have to demonstrate meaningful use in subsequent years.
Under the Medicare EHR incentive program, eligible professionals can receive as much as $44,000 over a consecutive five-year period. Under the Medicaid incentive program, eligible professionals can receive as much as $63,750 over six years. Under both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals can receive millions of dollars for implementing and meaningfully using certified EHR technology.
The EHR incentive programs were established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). For more details on the CMS Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs, visit: http://www.cms.gov/ehrincentiveprograms/
Information on ONC’s broad range of activities may be viewed at http://healthit.hhs.gov.