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EHR Incentive Programs

EHR Incentive Program

EHR Incentive Program - View your EHR Participation Timeline - Click here >

The Official Web Site for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs

The Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Care Record (EHR) Incentive Programs provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.
Important Dates for the EHR Incentive Programs:

  • March 20, 2015: Attestation deadline for Medicare eligible professionals.

Use the eHealth Interactive Timeline Tool to view the milestones for various eHealth programs, including the EHR Incentive Programs. The timeline is also available in PDF format.


Announcement: Stage 3 Rule of Meaningful Use
On March 20, 2015 the proposed rule for Stage 3 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs went on display.  It will be published in the Federal Register on March 30, 2015.  The comment period will close on May 29, 2015. The rule gives more flexibility and simplifies requirements for providers by focusing on advanced use of electronic health records and eliminating requirements that are no longer relevant.

Announcement: Electronic Health Record Incentive Program-Modifications to Meaningful Use in 2015 through 2017 Proposed Rule
 

Choosing a Program: Medicare or Medicaid?
There are two EHR Incentive Programs. CMS oversees the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, and the state Medicaid agencies manage the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. The two programs are similar, but there are some differences between them.

Medicare EHR Incentive Program Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
Run by CMS Run by Your State Medicaid Agency
Maximum incentive amount is $44,000 Maximum incentive amount is $63,750
Payments over 5 consecutive years Payments over 6 years, does not have to be consecutive
Payment adjustments will begin in 2015 for providers who are eligible but decide not to participate No payment adjustments for providers who are only eligible for the Medicaid program
Providers must demonstrate meaningful use every year to receive incentive payments. In the first year providers can receive an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, or upgrading EHR technology. Providers must demonstrate meaningful use in the remaining years to receive incentive payments.

The Eligible Hospital Information page includes additional information about hospital participation.

 

Who Is Eligible to Participate?

Visit the eligibility page to determine whether to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.  The eHealth Eligibility Assessment Tool can be used to determine eligibility for the different eHealth programs, including EHR, PQRS and ICD-10. The tool is also available in PDF format.

Ready to Start Participation? Visit the Getting Starting page for more information, and sign up for the EHR Incentive Programs listserv for program updates and new resources.

*Sequestration and the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs

Incentive payments made through the Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program are subject to the mandatory reductions in federal spending known as sequestration, required by the Budget Control Act of 2011. As required by law, President Obama issued a sequestration order on March 1, 2013. Under these mandatory reductions, Medicare EHR incentive payments made to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals will be reduced by 2%. This 2% reduction has been applied to any Medicare EHR incentive payment for a reporting period that ended on or after April 1, 2013.

Please note that this reduction does not apply to Medicaid EHR incentive payments, which are exempt from the mandatory reductions.