Healthcare Stimulus Package – Uncovered – SCIMedical.com March 26, 2009
Posted by scimedical in Healthcare IT.Tags: EMR, EMR Stimulus, HIT Stimulus, Medical Software, Medisoft, Patient Accounting
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Economic Stimulus Package Provides Incentives for Physicians to Increase Utilization of Technology
The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides incentives for office-based physicians and other providers to tap into the power of electronic health records (EHRs). Physicians, hospitals and health systems may be eligible to benefit from the incentives, whether through first-time deployment of EHRs or completion of existing healthcare IT projects.
Incentive Overview
Physicians can qualify under either the Medicare or Medicaid provision. Physicians must be office-based to be eligible, and they can not collect incentive payments from both.
Qualifying for Incentives
In order to qualify for the incentives, physicians must demonstrate “meaningful use” of a certified EHR. “Meaningful use” is not yet defined, but will likely be defined as measurable results that demonstrate quality, safety and efficiency improvements. Required product capabilities are likely to be electronic prescribing, clinical reporting and interoperability.
Certified EHR
The certification requirements necessary to qualify for funding are not yet known. Many industry experts believe that any new certification requirements will be based on the standards adopted by the Certification Committee for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT).
Medicare Provision
Beginning in 2011, office-based physicians who are “meaningful users” of certified EHRs are entitled to receive up to $44,000 of total Medicare incentive payments over 5 years – from 2011 to 2015. The structure of the maximum incentives physicians can receive is as follows:
- $15,000 the first year
- $12,000 the second year
- $8,000 the third year
- $4,000 the fourth year
- $2,000 the fifth year
Additionally, office-based physicians can qualify for a one-time, “early adopter” incentive of $3,000 if they qualify for the program in 2011 or 2012. Incentives are based on the lesser of either 75% of the provider’s Medicare Part B billings or the maximum allowable incentive.
Medicaid Provision
Beginning in 2011, office-based physicians who qualify under the Medicaid provision could collect a sum total of $63,750 – calculated as 85% of EHR costs not exceeding $25,000 in the first year, followed by 85% of annual costs not exceeding $10,000 over the next 5 years. To be eligible under this provision, office-based physicians must demonstrate “meaningful use” of a certified EHR, and more than 30% of their cases must be attributable to Medicaid, or 20% of their cases attributable to pediatrics. Office-based pediatricians are eligible to receive up to two-thirds of the maximum payment.
Payment Reduction
For office-based physicians who do not adopt EHR technology by 2015, Medicare payments will be reduced by:
- 1% in 2015
- 2% in 2016
- 3% in 2017 and beyond
In 2018 and beyond, the HHS Secretary may decrease one additional percent per year (maximum of 5%) contingent upon the levels of overall EHR adoption in the market.
McKesson’s EHR Solution for Independent Physicians
McKesson offers electronic health record (EHR) solutions that automate the clinical functions of a physician practice, including prescription management, diagnostic order entry, results reporting, encounter documentation and clinical workflow management.
McKesson’s Practice Partner Patient Records:
- Practice Partner Patient Records® Version 9.3 is a CCHIT Certified product for CCHIT Ambulatory EHR 2008 and Child Health
- Features complete quality reporting capabilities through its unique technology that enables physicians to quickly search and report on information
- Is a proven solution for more than 7,500 providers nationwide
- Enables physicians to chart from a single progress note screen that automatically populates the rest of the chart
- Includes a comprehensive set of features, including electronic prescribing, health maintenance management, electronic orders and results, and much more
McKesson’s EHR includes:
- Choice of data entry methods
- Single-screen progress note entry
- Prescription writing, faxing and drug interaction/allergy checking
- Built-in protocols and reminders (including health maintenance)
- Automatic insertion of chart data into the note (e.g., recent lab results, medications and more)
To learn more about the economic stimulus incentives and EHR, contact SCIMedical.
Via phone: 1-408-655-3131
