Meaningful Use
Meaningful Use is the set of standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Incentive Programs that governs the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and allows eligible providers and hospitals to earn incentive payments by meeting specific criteria.
Meaningful Use is meant to improve the quality of health care in the United States by promiting the use Electronic Health Records (EHRs).
The benefits of the Meaningful Use of EHRs include:
- Complete & Accurate information
With Electronic Health Records (EHRs), providers have the information they need to provide the best possible care. Providers will know more about their patients and their health history before they walk into the examination room. - Better Access to Information
Electronic health records facilitate greater access to the information providers need to diagnose health problems earlier and improve the health outcomes of their patients. Electronic health records also allow information to be shared more easily among doctors' offices, hospitals, and across health systems, leading to better coordination of care. - Patient Empowerment
Electronic health records will help empower patients to take a more active role in their health and in the health of their families. Patients can receive electronic copies of their medical records and share their health information securely over the Internet with their families.
Medicare EHR Incentive Program
- The Medicare EHR Incentive Program provides incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and CAHs that demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.
- Eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 over five years under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. There's an additional incentive for eligible professionals who provide services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HSPA). To get the maximum incentive payment, Medicare eligible professionals must begin participation by 2012.
Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
- The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program provides incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology in their first year of participation and demonstrate meaningful use for up to five remaining participation years.
- Eligible professionals can receive up to $63,750 over the six years that they choose to participate in the program
- The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program is voluntarily offered by 43 individual states and territories, and more states will begin offering the program in 2012. Check with your State Medicaid Agency for more information.
Eligibility Requirements for Professionals:
- Incentive payments for eligible professionals are based on individual practitioners.
- If you are part of a practice, each eligible professional may qualify for an incentive payment if each eligible professional successfully demonstrates meaningful use of certified EHR technology.
- Each eligible professional is only eligible for one incentive payment per year, regardless of how many practices or locations at which he or she provides services.
- Hospital-based eligible professionals are not eligible for incentive payments. An eligible professional is considered hospital-based if 90% or more of his or her services are performed in a hospital inpatient (Place Of Service code 21) or emergency room (Place Of Service code 23) setting.
Eligible professionals under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program include: | Eligible professionals under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program include: |
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Doctor of medicine or osteopathy | Physicians (primarily doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy) |
Doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine | Nurse practitioner |
Doctor of podiatry | Certified nurse-midwife |
Doctor of optometry | Dentist |
Chiropractor | Physician assistant who furnishes services in a Federally Qualified Health Center of Rural Health Clinic that is led by a physician assistant. |