The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs are unfolding
in three steps:
• Stage 1 (launched in 2011): Encourages adoption of
electronic health records (EHRs), focusing on data capture and sharing. All
providers begin Meaningful Use participation by meeting the Stage 1
requirements.
• Stage 2 (2014): Addresses advanced clinical processes and
the ability to exchange information privately and securely. CMS recently
finalized the rule that specifies the Stage 2 criteria.
• Stage 3 (date to be announced): Expected to address the
ability to use that information to improve quality of care, achieve better
quality outcomes, simplify administrative systems, control costs and manage
public health and population.
The incentives for participating in Meaningful Use are
considerable: under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, eligible professionals
(EPs) can receive up to $44,000 over five years. In the Medicaid EHR Incentive
Program, EPs can receive up to $63,750 over six years.
Penalties
However, if Medicare eligible professionals do not adopt and
successfully demonstrate Meaningful Use of a certified EHR technology (CEHRT)
by October 1st, 2015, the EP’s Medicare
physician fee schedule amount for covered professional services will be
adjusted down by 1% each year.
The adjustment schedule is
as follows:
• 2015: 99% of Medicare
physician fee schedule covered amount
• 2016: 98 % of Medicare
physician fee schedule covered amount
• 2017 and each subsequent
year: 97% of Medicare physician fee schedule covered amount
These penalties will add up to significant, ongoing costs—and
could put some practices at risk.
Currently, the only potential relief from these adjustments is
if less than 75% of EPs have become meaningful users of EHRs by 2018. In that
case, the adjustment will change by 1% point each year to a maximum of 5% (95%
of the Medicare covered amount).
If you are looking to be able to attest for the meaningful use incentive it is imperative that you begin now and get a certified EHR system in your practice.
