EHR Incentives Flow to Providers

Hundreds of hospitals and health-care providers have received about $400 million in Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments this year as part of a government strategy designed to encourage use of electronic health records, a federal health official says.

Medicare payments have gone to 100 hospitals and 2,383 health-care professionals who have achieved "meaningful use" of their EHRs, said Robert Tagalicod, director of the Office of eHealth Standards and Services at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, speaking to members of the Health IT Policy Committee last week.

In addition, 3,500 providers in 21 states have received their first EHR-related payments through Medicaid, according to a report of Tagalicod's remarks published by ModernHealthcare.com. Providers seeking Medicaid funds can begin receiving payments for having new or upgraded EHRs, rather than proving that they have attained meaningful use of those digital record systems, according to the report.

In all, 77,000 providers have registered for EHR incentive payments under both programs, Tagalicod told the committee.

Incentive payments will continue over the next several years as the government phases in more complex EHR performance requirements and systems are upgraded.