EHR Incentive Payments
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act amends Title XXX of the Public Health Service Act by adding a number of funding opportunities to advance health information technology using certified electronic health records and other technology and connectivity required to meaningfully use and exchange electronic health information.
Background Legislation and Regulations
Under HITECH, eligible health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt certified EHR technology and use it to achieve specified objectives.
Two regulations have been released, one of which defines the “meaningful use” objectives that providers must meet to qualify for the bonus payments, and the other which identifies the technical capabilities required for certified EHR technology.
- Incentive Program for Electronic Health Records: Issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this final rule defines the minimum requirements that providers must meet through their use of certified EHR technology in order to qualify for the payments.
- Standards and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Records: Issued by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, this rule identifies the standards and certification criteria for the certification of EHR technology, so eligible professionals and hospitals may be assured that the systems they adopt are capable of performing the required functions.
For the first year of Medicaid payment, providers need only attest to having adopted, implemented or upgraded certified EHR technology.
More information on AHCCCS EHR Payment is available here:
Payments are made once a month to hospitals that have successfully attested.
