Electronic Health Records/HIT

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid recently released brief FAQs on how to get paid under the Electronic Health Records Incentive Program.  The following information is extracted from a recent CMS update -- check out the CMS EHR Incentive Program website for more information:

How do I get paid for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs?

Payments for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs are distributed based on each year of participation, and follow a specific payment schedule. Located below are payment details on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. For an overview, see the Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Matters Special Edition article (SE1111) – Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Payment Process.

CMS issued a tip sheet on opportunities for certain Medicare providers to receive incentive payments for participating in important Medicare initiatives: the Physician Quality Reporting System; the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program; and the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. In addition to the incentive programs mentioned in this tip sheet, Medicare providers can maximize their overall Medicare payments by becoming a participating provider.

For the most part, eligible providers (EPs) may participate in more than one incentive program at the same time. However, there are some limitations -- Medicare EPs may not receive EHR incentive payments under both Medicare and Medicaid; and there are restrictions on the receipt of incentive payments, such as: Providers participating in PQRS cannot earn both an eRx incentive and an EHR incentive in the same year if the provider elects to receive their EHR incentive payment through Medicare.

Please access the tip sheet for information on the amount of incentive payments available, the timelines of the programs, and the rules concerning simultaneous participation.

Portland, Maine - The Maine Regional Extension Center (MEREC), operated by HealthInfoNet, is pleased to announce its supported vendors, chosen to help Maine primary care providers take full advantage ofelectronic health records and federal meaningful use incentive payments. These vendors include electronic health record providers athenahealth, Ingenix, and e-MDs, and implementation services provider Concordant. To choose which vendors to support, the MEREC set up an independent advisory group to evaluate the products, services and pricing structures to find the best products to meet the needs of Maine’s primary care providers.

In addition to discounted electronic health record products and services from one of the MEREC's supported vendors, health care providers enrolled with the MEREC receive eight hours of core quality coaching support from Quality Counts, connection to Maine’s statewide health information exchange, and access to low interest loans through the Maine Health Access Foundation and the Finance Authority of Maine. To enroll in the MEREC program or learn more about eligibility and services, contact Gemma Cannon at 541-9259, ext 214 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit www.hinfonet.org.