Cash-Back Program Takes Names

Ready, set, register: It's time for health care providers to begin signing up for federal Medicare incentive payments for qualifying electronic health records.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the Health and Human Services Department, opened online registration Monday. Providers demonstrating "meaningful use" of EHRs can receive as much as $44,000 in Medicare bonuses over the next five years.

Eleven states also launched registration for Medicaid incentives to purchase and use qualified EHRs. Some will begin making payments as early as this month. Those payments can total up to $63,750 over six years. Medical professionals must pick one of the incentive programs, but can change their selection once before 2015. Qualifying hospitals may register for both programs, CMS says.

Longer term, hospitals and other providers can qualify for millions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid payments for switching to EHRs and demonstrating meaningful use.

"With the start of registration, these landmark programs get under way, and patients, providers and the nation can begin to enjoy the benefits of widespread adoption of electronic health records," said Dr. Donald Berwick, the CMS administrator, in a news release. The incentive funds are available under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

States opening Medicaid registration on Monday are Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Registration opens in February in California, Missouri and North Dakota. Other states are expected to begin registration this spring and summer, according to CMS.

Providers registering for Medicaid incentives must begin the process with CMS and complete registration through their states.

Additional key dates include:

• April -- Attestation for the Medicare EHR incentive program begins.
• May -- Issuing of Medicare EHR incentive payments expected to begin.
• July 3 -- Last day for eligible hospitals to begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EHR incentive program for fiscal 2011.
• Sept. 30 -- Federal fiscal 2011 payment year ends at midnight for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals.
• Oct. 3 -- Last day for eligible professionals to begin their 90-day reporting period for calendar year 2011 to demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EHR incentive program.
• Nov. 30 -- Last day for eligible hospitals and CAHs to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for federal fiscal year 2011.
• Dec. 31 - Calendar 2011 payment year ends for eligible professionals.

To begin registration, go to CMS's EHR incentive program overview page at: http://www.cms.gov/ehrincentiveprograms/