Getting Started
The Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs provide a financial reward for the meaningful use of qualified, certified EHRs to achieve health and efficiency goals. By implementing a certified EHR system, providers will reap benefits beyond financial incentives - like reduction in errors, availability of records and data, reminders and alerts, clinical decision support and e-Prescribing/refill automation.
Incentive Program Overview
• The Medicare EHR incentive program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals that demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Participation can begin as early as 2011. Eligible professionals who are meaningful EHR users can receive up to $44,000 over 5 years under the Medicare incentive program. And, there's extra incentive for eligible professionals who provide services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HSPA). Eligible hospital incentive payments may begin as early as 2011 and are based on a number of factors, beginning with a $2 million base payment.
• The Medicare Advantage EHR incentive program will provide incentive payments for certain Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) whose affiliated eligible professionals and hospitals are meaningful users of certified EHR technology.
• The Medicaid EHR incentive program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology in their first year of participation and demonstrate meaningful use for up to 5 remaining participation years. Medicaid EHR incentive programs are voluntarily offered by individual states and territories and may begin in 2011. Eligible professionals can receive up to $63,750 over the 6 years that they choose to participate in the program. Eligible hospital incentive payments may begin as early as 2011, depending when the state begins its program. 2016 is the last year a Medicaid eligible hospital may begin the program and the hospital payments are based on a number of factors, beginning with a $2 million base payment.
Learn more about each program and how much the incentives could be in the Medicare Eligible Professional, Medicaid Eligible Professionals and Hospital tabs to the left.
What You Need to Participate in the EHR Incentive Programs
1. Certified EHR Technology
In order to qualify for an EHR incentive payment, all eligible professionals and hospitals need to have certified EHR technology for this program. The standards for certified EHR technology are now available. These standards establish the required capabilities that certified EHR technology will need to include to support the achievement of meaningful use.
NOTE: You do not need to have your certified EHR in place in order to register for the EHR incentive programs. However, you must have adopted, implemented, upgraded or meaningfully use certified EHR technology before you will receive an EHR incentive payment from either Medicare or your State Medicaid Agency.
2. NPI, NPPES Use Account and PECOS Enrollment
In order to qualify for an EHR incentive payment, all eligible professionals and hospitals need to have certified EHR technology for this program. The standards for certified EHR technology are now available. These standards establish the required capabilities that certified EHR technology will need to include to support the achievement of meaningful use.
If you are an eligible professional that does not have an NPI and/or an NPPES web user account, you should visit the NPPES website. Here you can apply for an NPI and/or create a NPPES user account. Users must be enrolled in PECOS in order to qualify for stimulus funds. Click here to view the PECOS notification from CMS, find out more about how to get started with the PECOS enrollment.
NOTE: Medicaid eligible professionals who are only participating in the Medicaid EHR incentive program are not required to enroll in PECOS.
Incentive Program Overview
• The Medicare EHR incentive program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals that demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Participation can begin as early as 2011. Eligible professionals who are meaningful EHR users can receive up to $44,000 over 5 years under the Medicare incentive program. And, there's extra incentive for eligible professionals who provide services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HSPA). Eligible hospital incentive payments may begin as early as 2011 and are based on a number of factors, beginning with a $2 million base payment.
• The Medicare Advantage EHR incentive program will provide incentive payments for certain Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) whose affiliated eligible professionals and hospitals are meaningful users of certified EHR technology.
• The Medicaid EHR incentive program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology in their first year of participation and demonstrate meaningful use for up to 5 remaining participation years. Medicaid EHR incentive programs are voluntarily offered by individual states and territories and may begin in 2011. Eligible professionals can receive up to $63,750 over the 6 years that they choose to participate in the program. Eligible hospital incentive payments may begin as early as 2011, depending when the state begins its program. 2016 is the last year a Medicaid eligible hospital may begin the program and the hospital payments are based on a number of factors, beginning with a $2 million base payment.
Learn more about each program and how much the incentives could be in the Medicare Eligible Professional, Medicaid Eligible Professionals and Hospital tabs to the left.
What You Need to Participate in the EHR Incentive Programs
1. Certified EHR Technology
In order to qualify for an EHR incentive payment, all eligible professionals and hospitals need to have certified EHR technology for this program. The standards for certified EHR technology are now available. These standards establish the required capabilities that certified EHR technology will need to include to support the achievement of meaningful use.
NOTE: You do not need to have your certified EHR in place in order to register for the EHR incentive programs. However, you must have adopted, implemented, upgraded or meaningfully use certified EHR technology before you will receive an EHR incentive payment from either Medicare or your State Medicaid Agency.
2. NPI, NPPES Use Account and PECOS Enrollment
In order to qualify for an EHR incentive payment, all eligible professionals and hospitals need to have certified EHR technology for this program. The standards for certified EHR technology are now available. These standards establish the required capabilities that certified EHR technology will need to include to support the achievement of meaningful use.
If you are an eligible professional that does not have an NPI and/or an NPPES web user account, you should visit the NPPES website. Here you can apply for an NPI and/or create a NPPES user account. Users must be enrolled in PECOS in order to qualify for stimulus funds. Click here to view the PECOS notification from CMS, find out more about how to get started with the PECOS enrollment.
NOTE: Medicaid eligible professionals who are only participating in the Medicaid EHR incentive program are not required to enroll in PECOS.
